Common U.S. Silver Coins (Pre-1965)
You will find valuable buying/selling information on 12 popular U.S. coins in my book The Last US 90 Percent Silver Coins. Available in both paperback and eBook formats. Preview first part for free.
In 1965, the United States stopped producing coins containing 90
percent silver (specifically, coins produced for general
circulation). They must have seen the proverbial "handwriting on
the wall". When silver topped out at about $50 per ounce in 1980,
the silver content of these coins far outweighed their face value.
That still holds true today (a silver dime contains over $1.00's
worth of silver).
In this article, I provide information on the silver content
(purity) of mostly pre-1965 common (and not-so-common) U.S. silver
coins. Since there is a difference in the silver content of
circulated and uncirculated silver coins, I will cover both.
How You Can Use This
Information
If you are considering selling or buying U.S. silver coins, you
can use this information to determine the value of each coin's
silver content based on the current spot price of silver. Then
shop various dealers to see who gives you the best (and fairest)
price.
United States War Nickels
From
1942-1945, the normal alloy of .750 copper and .250 nickel for U.
S. nickels was changed because nickel was too valuable to the war
effort. During these war years, U. S. nickels were minted using
.560 copper, .350 silver and .090 manganese. This 35% silver
content amounted to .0563 Troy ounces of pure silver. They're easy
to spot as they are the only nickels with a mint mark of P, S or D
above the dome of Monticello on the reverse. In 1946, U. S.
nickels went back to their pre-war content.
United States 90% Silver Dimes
This information applies to the: Barber
(or Liberty Head) Dime minted from 1892-1916; Mercury
(or Winged Liberty Head) Dime minted from 1916-1945; and
Roosevelt Dime minted from
1946-1964. From 1965 to present, the Roosevelt dime has been
minted containing .750 copper and .250 nickel.
To determine the silver (melt) value
of a circulated dime, multiply the current spot price of silver
times .0715. For example: $25.00 x .0715 = $1.7875
United States 90% Silver Quarters
This information applies to the: Barber (or Liberty Head) Quarter minted from 1892-1916; Standing Liberty Quarter minted from 1916-1930; and the Washington Quarter minted from 1932-1964. From 1965 to present, the Washington quarter has been minted containing .750 copper and .250 nickel.
To determine the silver (melt) value of a circulated quarter, multiply the current spot price of silver times .1788. Example: .1788 x $25.00 = $4.47.
United States 90% Half-Dollars
This information applies to the: Barber
(or Liberty Head) Half-Dollar minted from 1892-1915; Walking Liberty
Half-Dollar minted from 1916-1947; Benjamin
Franklin Half-Dollar minted from 1948-1963; and the 1964
Kennedy Half-Dollar.
To determine the silver (melt) value of a circulated half-dollar,
multiply .3575 times the current spot price of silver. Example:
.3575 x $25.00 = $8.9375.
United States 40% Silver Half-Dollars
This information applies to the: Kennedy Half-Dollar minted from 1965-1970. This coin consists of an outer layer of .800 silver and .200 copper bonded to an inner core of .209 silver and .791 copper. From 1971 to date, the common Kennedy Half-Dollar consists of .750 copper and .250 nickel.
To determine the silver (melt) value of a 40% silver half-dollar, multiply .1475 times the current spot price of silver. Example: .1475 x $25.00 = $3.6875
United States 90% Silver Dollars
This information applies to the: Morgan Silver Dollar minted from 1878-1921; and the Peace Silver Dollar from 1921-1935.
To determine the silver (melt) value of a circulated dollar,
multiply .7650 times the current spot price of silver. Example:
.7650 x $25.00 = $19.125
If you are ready to shop for coins after reading the above material, click on this Amazon link Buying Coins and choose which coins you are interested in on the left side of the site. For instance if you are interested in 90% silver quarters, check the 1940 to 1960 box under Year, the quarter box under Denomination and silver under Metal to see what is available. Be aware I receive a small compensation if you buy through this site which does not result in you paying more.
Disclaimer: I have made every reasonable effort to produce an informative and helpful article on Common U.S. Silver Coins based on my research and experiences. However, I make no representation or warranties of any kind with regard to its completeness, accuracy or suitability for any specific situation or purpose. See Site Use Terms for more info.