Is my coin silver?
Many people, including coin collectors and novices, want to know if their coins are silver. Some people have been collecting for many decades and still ask this question, while others have never collected and just want to know if what they have is worth more than just the face value of the coin. Below we will explain in detail how to tell if your coin is silver or not.
How to tell if your coin is silver:
The easiest way to tell if your coin is silver is to check what year it was minted. Dollars, Half Dollars, Quarters, and Dimes were all 90% silver prior to 1965. Starting in 1965 the United States Mint starting making everything in clad, or in other words without any silver content. Only certain coins such as Kennedy Half Dollars were minted in 40% silver from 1965-1969 and then in 1970 those too were made in clad only versions.
You can also determine if your coins are silver by looking at the edge of the coin. If the coin has a copper rim on the edge, then it is most likely clad and not silver. Additionally, if you really want to be sure your coins are silver, you can test them with a acid test that can be bought from any coin supply company.
Do not get fooled as there are some coins that are minted today and are actually 99.999 percent pure silver. Such coins are the American Silver Eagle, America the Beautiful, and other speciality coins the U.S. Mint produces each year. These however are easily determined to be silver because the U.S. Mint publishes on their website usmint.gov all the specifications of the coins they release, including their precious metal content. Furthermore, other mints around the globe also produce silver coinage. Such mints include the Royal Canadian Mint, the South African Mint, and many others.
Another option to determine whether your coin is silver is to consult with a reputable coin or precious metal dealer like Bullion Shark. Feel free to reach out via our live chat or speak with one of our numismatists at 516-739-5822. We will be happy to assist you in determining whether your coin is silver or not.
What U.S. Coins Are Silver?
Dollars:
Morgan Silver Dollar, Peace Dollar, Trade Dollar, Seated Liberty Dollars, Gobrecht Dollar, Draped Bust Dollar, Flowing Hair Dollar
Half Dollars:
Kennedy Half Dollar (1969 and prior), Franklin Half Dollar, Walking Liberty Half Dollar, Barber Half Dollar, Seated Liberty Half Dollar, Capped Bust Half Dollar, Draped Bust Half Dollar, Flowing Hair Half Dollar.
Quarters:
Washington Quarter (1964 and prior), Standing Liberty Quarter, Barber Quarter, Capped Bust Quarter, Draped Bust Quarter.
Dimes:
Roosevelt Dime (1964 and prior), Mercury Dime, Barber Dime, Seated Liberty Dime, Capped Bust Dime, Draped Bust Dime.
Nickels:
Jefferson Nickel (aka War Nickel, 1942-1945, only 35% silver)