Is My Coin Silver?
For US coins the date answers it almost every time. The cutoff is 1964: dimes, quarters and halves dated 1964 or earlier are 90% silver.
By denomination
| Coin | Which ones are silver |
|---|---|
| Cents | None. Pennies were never silver. 1943 steel cents are steel, not silver. |
| Nickels | 1942-1945 war nickels with a large mint mark over Monticello are 35% silver. Melt value |
| Dimes | 1964 and earlier are 90% silver. 1965 and later are not. Melt value |
| Quarters | 1964 and earlier are 90% silver. 1965 and later circulation quarters are not. Melt value |
| Half dollars | 1964 and earlier are 90% silver. 1965-1970 Kennedy halves are 40% silver. 1971 and later circulation halves are not. Melt value |
| Dollars | Morgan and Peace dollars are 90% silver. Only S-mint collector Eisenhower dollars are 40% silver. Susan B. Anthony, Sacagawea and Presidential dollars have no silver. Melt value |
Check the edge
Look at the edge of a dime, quarter or half. A 90% silver coin is silver all the way through, so the edge is solid silver colored. A clad coin from 1965 on shows a copper stripe between two layers.
Exceptions to know
Silver proof sets from 1992 on include silver dimes, quarters and halves with later dates. The 1976-S Bicentennial quarter, half and dollar were also sold in 40% silver collector sets. These look like ordinary coins, so check the mint mark and whether they came from a proof or mint set.
Ready to add it up? Use the melt calculator or the junk silver calculator.