The one-sentence rule, the three exceptions that trip people up, and a table you can check any coin against in ten seconds.
US dimes, quarters, half dollars, and dollar coins dated 1964 or earlier are 90% silver. That single rule covers almost every silver coin you'll ever find in a jar, a roll, or an inherited collection.
Beyond that rule, three exceptions carry silver too: Kennedy half dollars from 1965–1970 (40% silver), Eisenhower dollars from 1971–1976 (40% silver, but only the special S-mint collector versions), and Jefferson “war nickels” from 1942–1945 (35% silver). Everything else — every dime and quarter since 1965, every half dollar since 1971, every cent ever, and every ordinary nickel — contains no silver at all.
Composition and weight come straight from US Mint specifications. Silver value is melt only — the metal content, with no allowance for rarity or condition — calculated at silver ≈ $62/oz as of mid-2026.
| Denomination | Series | Years | Fineness | Silver (ozt) | Melt @ $62/oz |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90% silver | |||||
| Dime | Barber | 1892–1916 | 90% Ag | 0.0723 | $4.48 |
| Dime | Mercury | 1916–1945 | 90% Ag | 0.0723 | $4.48 |
| Dime | Roosevelt | 1946–1964 | 90% Ag | 0.0723 | $4.48 |
| Quarter | Barber | 1892–1916 | 90% Ag | 0.1808 | $11.21 |
| Quarter | Standing Liberty | 1916–1930 | 90% Ag | 0.1808 | $11.21 |
| Quarter | Washington | 1932–1964 | 90% Ag | 0.1808 | $11.21 |
| Half dollar | Barber | 1892–1915 | 90% Ag | 0.3617 | $22.43 |
| Half dollar | Walking Liberty | 1916–1947 | 90% Ag | 0.3617 | $22.43 |
| Half dollar | Franklin | 1948–1963 | 90% Ag | 0.3617 | $22.43 |
| Half dollar | Kennedy | 1964 only | 90% Ag | 0.3617 | $22.43 |
| Dollar | Morgan | 1878–1921 | 90% Ag | 0.7734 | $47.95 |
| Dollar | Peace | 1921–1935 | 90% Ag | 0.7734 | $47.95 |
| 40% silver — the transition years | |||||
| Half dollar | Kennedy | 1965–1970 | 40% Ag | 0.1479 | $9.17 |
| Dollar | Eisenhower (S-mint collector issue only) | 1971–1976 | 40% Ag | 0.3163 | $19.61 |
| 35% silver — wartime nickels | |||||
| Nickel | Jefferson “war nickel” (large mintmark above Monticello) | 1942–1945 | 35% Ag | 0.0563 | $3.49 |
| .999 fine — modern bullion, not old circulating coin | |||||
| American Silver Eagle | Bullion & proof | 1986–present | .999 Ag | 1.0000 | $62.00 |
| US Mint silver proof sets | 90% Ag dimes/quarters/half in proof finish | 1992–present | 90% Ag | varies | — |
| No silver | |||||
| Dime & quarter | Copper-nickel clad | 1965–present | 0% Ag | — | — |
| Half dollar | Copper-nickel clad (incl. circulating Kennedy & all Eisenhower/Susan B. Anthony) | 1971–present | 0% Ag | — | — |
| Nickel | All years except 1942–1945 | 1938–present | 0% Ag | — | — |
| Cent | All years | — | 0% Ag | — | — |
Melt values are metal content only, at silver ≈ $62/oz as of mid-2026. They exclude any numismatic premium for date, mint mark, or condition — a common-date circulated coin sells close to melt; a rare date or high grade can sell for far more.
If you only remember the 1964 rule, you'll misjudge three specific coins. Here's what each one actually is.
When the Coinage Act of 1965 pulled silver out of dimes and quarters, half dollars didn't go straight to copper-nickel. They stepped down to a 40% silver clad composition for six more years — a compromise meant to ease the coin's exit from circulation. A 1965–1970 Kennedy half weighs 11.50 grams and carries 0.1479 ozt of silver, worth about $9.17 in melt at $62/oz. Only in 1971 did the half dollar drop to plain copper-nickel clad, matching the dime and quarter.
The Eisenhower dollar was struck in two different metals at the same time, which is exactly why it fools people — see the next section. The S-mint proof and uncirculated collector versions, sold directly to collectors and never meant for circulation, are 40% silver: 24.59 grams, 0.3163 ozt, worth about $19.61 in melt. Every regular-circulation Eisenhower dollar is plain copper-nickel clad with no silver.
The only US nickel ever struck with silver in it. With nickel metal diverted to armor production during World War II, the Mint reformulated the 5-cent piece as 35% silver, 56% copper, 9% manganese from mid-1942 through 1945. To make these easy to pull from circulation later, the Mint moved the mintmark to the reverse and enlarged it, placing a large P, D, or S directly above Monticello's dome — the single identifying feature. A war nickel weighs 5.00 grams and carries 0.0563 ozt of silver, about $3.49 in melt — the highest silver-value-per-coin ratio of any circulating US denomination.
The Washington quarter and Roosevelt dime designs didn't change when silver came out in 1965 — only the metal did. A 1966 quarter looks like a 1964 quarter at a glance. The date is the only fast visual check; weight and edge confirm it.
People see “Eisenhower dollar, 1971–1976” and assume silver, because that's the era when a silver version existed. But the coins that actually circulated in pocket change — the ones without a special mint packaging or an “S” proof designation — are copper-nickel clad, same as a modern quarter, with zero silver. Only the S-mint collector issues sold directly to buyers are silver. If an Ike dollar came from a bank roll or a jar of old change rather than a collector's holder, assume it's copper-nickel.
The Kennedy half dollar debuted in 1964 at 90% silver — the last full year of 90% silver coinage for any denomination. The very next year, 1965, the design stayed the same but the metal dropped to 40% silver. A 1964 and a 1965 Kennedy half look the same to the eye; only the date separates a 90% coin from a 40% coin.
1964 or earlier on a dime, quarter, or half means 90% silver. 1965–1970 on a half means 40%. 1942–1945 on a nickel with a large mintmark above Monticello means 35%.
A solid silver coin shows one uniform silver-gray edge. A clad coin shows a visible copper-colored stripe sandwiched between two outer layers — easiest to see on a quarter or half.
The most reliable test. A 90% silver dime weighs 2.50 g versus 2.27 g clad. A 90% silver quarter weighs 6.25 g versus 5.67 g clad. Any kitchen scale that reads to 0.01 g settles it.
Drop the coin on a hard, non-carpeted surface. Silver rings with a longer, higher-pitched tone; clad coins land with a shorter, duller thud. Useful for a fast pass through a jar of change, but confirm with date and weight before assuming.