Most US dimes, quarters and half dollars dated 1964 or earlier are 90% silver. From 1965 they are “clad”: copper cores covered with copper-nickel. Here is how to tell them apart in seconds.
1. Check the date
- Dimes and quarters: 1964 and earlier are 90% silver. 1965 and later circulating coins are clad.
- Half dollars: 1964 and earlier are 90% silver; 1965–1970 Kennedy halves are 40% silver; 1971 and later circulating halves are clad.
- Dollars: Morgan and Peace dollars are 90% silver. Eisenhower dollars in circulation are clad; only special collector versions are 40% silver.
2. Look at the edge
Turn the coin on its side. A clad coin shows a copper-colored stripe between two silver-colored layers. A 90% silver coin has a solid silver-gray edge. A 40% silver Kennedy half shows a faint, silvery stripe that is much less obvious than the copper band on a clad half.
3. Weigh it
Silver and clad coins of the same size have different weights. A kitchen scale that reads to 0.01 g is enough.
- Dime: 2.50 g silver, 2.27 g clad
- Quarter: 6.25 g silver, 5.67 g clad
- Half dollar: 12.50 g for 90% silver, 11.50 g for 40% silver, 11.34 g clad
4. Listen
Dropped gently onto a hard surface, a silver coin gives a higher, longer ring; a clad coin sounds duller. It is a quick test once you know both sounds.
Exceptions to watch for
- Modern proof sets: the US Mint has made silver versions of dimes, quarters and halves for collectors since 1992. They carry recent dates but contain silver.
- Rare transitional errors exist, such as silver coins dated 1965. If a 1965 or later coin weighs like silver, have it checked by a dealer.
What a silver coin is worth
See each coin’s live melt value in the silver coin melt values table, or total up a pile with the coin melt calculator.