How To Tell If A Coin Is Silver? Top 5 Tips!

Back in the old days, coins were made from precious metals. If you have some pocket change you suspect is made of silver, you are probably asking a question: How to tell if a coin is silver?

It is a common question. So, let’s find out an answer together.

How To Tell If A Coin Is Silver?

The best method to tell if a coin is made from silver is to check the year it has been minted in. In the USA, silver dimes, quarters and half-dollars were made from 90% silver up to 1964. A small number of silver half-dollars were minted through 1970, though.

Hence, if the date on the back of your dime, quarter, or half-dollar, says your coin was made in 1964 or later, it is most likely made from silver. Such coins are rarely seen in circulation nowadays, so finding one makes you a lucky fellow!

The collectors’ coins are an exception to this rule. They are often made from silver even today.

What about nickels?

Nickels are typically made from 75% copper and 25% nickel – no silver at all! However, the so-called “war nickels” are an exception to this rule.

Namely, during World War II (1942 – 1945), the U.S. army used up all the nickel for their war efforts. Consequently, U.S. nickels produced in wartime contained 35% of silver.

You can recognize them by a mint mark on the reverse side, right above the Monticello. They appear darker than regular copper-nickel coins, too.

As far as foreign currency is concerned, you should best consult the table below.

What Is The Value Of U.S. Silver Dollars?

Only a few coins minted before 1964 can be sold for thousands of dollars. The majority are selling for a couple of tens of dollars maximum.

The good news is that finding a silver coin in your pocket change means you are getting it at a face value. You can always sell it for more than that.

The bad news is that most old silver coins are not worth a lot. It takes quite a coin to make a fortune!

The price of an old silver coin depends on numerous factors, including:

• Rarity
• Condition
• Number produced
• Unique feature (usually some type of minting error that sets it apart from similar coins)

Most old silver coins are now commonly referred to as junk silver coins. It means that they are not of numismatic value.

Those silver coins holding no value for collectors are often sold for the price of the pure silver they are made of. To determine their price, you need to know.

• Coin composition
• Coin weight
• Current metal prices

The U.S. coins minted after 1965 are so-called clad coins. They are made of nickel and copper and do not contain any silver. Their worth typically does not exceed their face value.

Hence, it is always good to check the dates on your coins and find the silver ones. It is not always possible, though.

Sometimes the used silver coins are so worn out that you cannot read the imprinted date, no matter how good your vision is.

In this case, you can resort to some other methods commonly used to detect if coins are made of real silver.

How To Tell If Your Coins Are Silver: Other Common Methods

• Inspecting the edge of the coin
• Looking up your coin in a catalog
• The “ping” test
• The magnet test
• Consult a professional coin dealer

If your eyesight is not what it used to be, or the date on the coin is too worn off to be read even by Marvel Comics’ Cyclops, you can utilize other methods. Let’s go through all the options!

Inspecting the edge of the coin

Taking a close look at the edge of the coin is one of the best methods to determine whether it is silver or not. What’s the catch?

Coins with a solid, shiny silver stripe are usually made from silver. The ones that feature a reddish-brown copper stripe are clad coins.

Unfortunately, the difference is not always so easy to tell. If a coin contains both copper and silver, the silver stripe is rather subdued with some traces of copper color.

These tricky coins are the ones that contain 40% silver rather than 90%. Their inner layer is composed of 79% copper and 21% silver, and their outside is made of 80% silver and 20% copper.

The only such U.S. coin that has ever been in circulation is a Kennedy half-dollar. It was minted from 1965 to 1970. Even today, these coins are typically worth only their original legal tender value of 50 cents

The Eisenhower silver dollars minted in the San Francisco Mint from 1971 to 1976 are also 40% silver, but they were never in circulation. These silver coins could be obtained by special orders only.

The biggest flaw of this method is that it cannot be applied to all foreign coins. Some do not have an evident copper edge, even though not silver.

Yet, as far as you are dealing with U.S. coins, this method is highly reliable. Feel free to try it out!

Looking up your coin in a catalog

You can use both online and offline coin catalogs to determine whether your coin is silver or not. The catalog listing will usually include the coin composition.

It is the easiest method, but it does not help if your coin is fake. Therefore, I recommend combining it with some of the following methods.

Performing the “ping” test

The ping test is based on the notion that silver produces a specific ring sound. Clad coins, on the other hand, emit quite a dull sound.

There are two ways to perform this test.

• Strike a coin with something metallic while you balance it on your fingertips. You can use your key or a knife. Do not use another coin!
• Drop the coin on a wooden surface. Listen for a ping sound. Do not do this if your coin is of great value, since it might get damaged.

Performing the magnet test

Silver never sticks to a magnet. Therefore, any coin that contains silver will be somewhat paramagnetic, too.

Due to other metals in its composition, the silver coin will still be attracted to the magnet to some extent. However, if you slide it over a magnet, the two will not snap together. You will just feel the magnetic force slowing down your motion.

Consult a professional coin dealer

Coin dealers often use the acid test or the XRF gear to determine the composition of coins. While you can do both at home, I do not advise it.

The acids can be very destructive and even dangerous when not handled properly. The gadgets typically cost an arm and a leg.

Besides, a coin dealer will be able to tell you if your coin is of great value, too. You can even have it professionally appraised on the spot.

Final Words

I hope you have found the answer you are looking for, and you can now determine whether your coin is silver.

If you have any observations, questions, or good ideas for my future articles, mention them in the comment section below. Help me help others by sharing this article!