coin silver

[Ohioan]

Anyone know the year the US stopped making coins from silver?  Do the Canucks use silver?

I took a part time job in a bank as a teller in July.  Since then, I've seen one silver quarter.  Well, I've noticed one silver quarter.   

I'm just curious if I should look through rolls of half-dollers and quarters.

[Randy Hedden]

Zach,

I believe the last year for US silver coins was 1964.

Randy Hedden

www.harddogrifles.com

[Stophel]

Yes, 1964, and no, it's not really worth digging through change.  They have long since been all culled out.  You will occasionally find a silver dime or even more rarely, a quarter, but it's only once in a blue moon.

Silver coins are selling now for around $10 per $1 face value (as "junk silver", with no real numismatic value over bullion).  Silver is low right now (which is surprising to me), and is in high demand as an investment/hedge against inflation with the possiblity of total economic collapse looming large over the horizon.

[Ohioan]

Okay, the quarter I saw was 1964.  Last year, the other teller got it.  And when I told her what I would do with it, she had a cow!

[D. Bowman]

You don't have to see the date to find them. Silver coins have a different ring to them,I can pick the sound of a silver coin out of a fairly large pile of other coins. (Worked at a car wash many moons ago)


Duane Bowman

[Stophel]

You better believe they're different.  EASY to pick out of a handful of change.  They feel different, they "ching" different.  It's a solid, healthy ring.  Usually easy to see too.

[jerrywh]

You can buy junk coins from any precious metal dealer based on spot.

[famouseagle]

I believe that 1967 was the last year for Canadian silver.

I took an elderly cousin and her husband out to dinner a couple of years ago in Florida.  I paid the check in cash and was given change - in silver.  Appears that someone before me raided the old piggy band and the restaurant didn't catch it.

You can also easily see silver dimes or quarters by the color.  It's noticeably different than the composite money from 1965 on.  BTW, the half dollars were partially silver after 1964.  I don't remember the year that they changed to composite metal.

[Paddlefoot]

Actually it breaks down into two catagories, 90% silver which is pre '64 and 40% silver which is '64 to '69.
Go to APMEX.com and you can but silver at reasonable rates in these old coins. There is a certain "meltdown" crowd that buys silver this way as they believe that the coin will at least have some "real value" if the world's fiat money system falls apart. California Numismatics is very knowledgable with good info at their site. Also there is some support to the disaster philosophy as the IRS has different reporting requirements for buying 90% vs. 40 %, and if its a cash purchase or not.

[rick landes]

The first daisy final I put on a patchbox was coin silver. After all the work to cut and shape it I silversoldered it to the brass upper hinge. It melted the instant the torch hit it. It was a lead (?) fake 1800's coin. I only use investment .999 bars now. These are quite cheap and of a more consistent source IMHO than coin silver.

[Stophel]

Real US coins are 90% silver.  Quarters and half dollars are good sizes for making inlays from.

[louieparker]

For gun  building or gun restoration I  buy sheet coin silver. It can be had in several different thickness.

[Randy Hedden]

I have a few quart mayonnaise jars and at least a couple of gallon milk jugs full of pre-1964 coins, mostly quarters, halves and silver dollars, stashed away. Now if I could just remember where I hid them???

Randy Hedden

www.harddogrifles.com

[Stophel]

Just make sure that you aren't cutting up a valuable coin.  Don't use something with numismatic value.  Don't want to be hacking up a half dollar worth $30, when you can get a suitable one for $5.