Is My Coin Silver? Checker

How the silver checker works out an answer

The checker reads two inputs, the denomination and the year. It then applies the composition laws in force for that coin. For dimes, quarters and half dollars, the dividing line is the Coinage Act of 1965, which replaced 90% silver with copper-nickel clad in dimes and quarters and with 40% silver clad in the half dollar. For nickels, it applies the wartime law that put silver into the five-cent piece from late 1942 through 1945. For dollars, it separates the 90% silver Morgan and Peace dollars from the later clad and brass coins.

The year range runs from 1793 to 2026. Before 1866 the five-cent coin was the silver half dime, so the checker explains that instead of answering for a nickel that did not exist. For cents it always answers no and names the actual metal of that year, from pure copper large cents to bronze, steel, brass and copper-plated zinc.

Where the answer depends on something the year alone cannot tell, the tool says "Maybe" or "Usually not" instead of guessing. A 1942 nickel is the clearest example. Early 1942 nickels are copper-nickel with a small mint mark to the right of Monticello, while later ones are silver with a large mint mark above the dome. The checker tells you which feature to look for.

A worked example with a Kennedy half

A 1964 Kennedy half dollar weighs 12.5 grams and is 90% silver, so it contains 11.25 grams of pure silver. Divide by 31.1035 grams per troy ounce and you get 0.3617 troy ounces. A 1967 Kennedy half weighs 11.5 grams and is 40% silver overall, so it holds 4.6 grams, or 0.1479 troy ounces. That is why the checker gives two different "yes" answers for coins that look nearly identical. A 1971 half is copper-nickel clad and contains no silver.

Physical tests that back up the answer

The checker tells you what a coin of that date should be. To confirm the coin in your hand, use three quick tests. First, look at the edge. A clad coin shows a bright copper stripe between two nickel layers. A 90% silver coin is silver-white all the way through. A 40% Kennedy half shows only a faint grayish line. Second, weigh it: a silver quarter is 6.25 grams against 5.67 grams for clad. A silver dime is 2.5 grams against 2.268. Third, try a magnet. Silver is not magnetic, so a magnet will not prove a coin is silver, but it will expose a steel cent or a plated fake.

Silver coins that people overlook

Several silver issues fall outside the simple 1964 rule. The 1976-S Bicentennial quarter, half and dollar were made in 40% silver for collector sets, while the versions in circulation are clad. Eisenhower dollars from San Francisco dated 1971 to 1974 and the 1976-S Bicentennial version were also struck in 40% silver for collectors. Silver proof sets of dimes, quarters and halves have been made since 1992. Older coins count too: half dimes were silver from 1794 to 1873 and the tiny three-cent silver piece was struck from 1851 to 1873.

Foreign coins often turn up in the same jars. Canadian dimes, quarters and halves dated 1966 and earlier are 80% silver, but this checker covers US coins only, so check those separately.

Mistakes to avoid

Do not judge by color. Clad coins look bright and silvery, while genuine silver coins often tone gray, gold or even black. Do not assume every half dollar from the 1960s is 90% silver, because only 1964 and earlier are. And do not assume a 1965 dime or quarter is silver because it looks old. Under a 1964 law the Mint kept striking silver coins dated 1964 well into 1965, so the date on the coin, not the year it was made, is what decides the metal.

Frequently asked questions