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Coin Tips & Advice

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History of Silver Coins

Silver, while an important element in U.S. coinage history, is all but extinct today. Let’s take a walk back in the past. In 1792, the following coins were first minted in silver:

  • The dollar
  • The half-dollar
  • The quarter
  • The dime
  • The half-dime
Coins continued to be minted in silver until 1966, when a “silver crisis” meant that quarters and dimes would no longer be silver. From 1965 to 1970, the composition of the half dollar was reduced to just 40 percent silver. The Bicentennial Kennedy half dollar was made up of 80 percent silver and 20 percent copper. Because silver is precious, and coins too prolific, it is not feasible that circulating coins are made with silver. Today, these coins consist of a copper core and an outer layer made of 75 percent copper and 25 percent nickel alloy.

Popular with investors and collectors are pre-1965, 90 percent silver content in coins, which are considered “survival” coins, to be used in the event of a monetary system failure (hey, you never know). Other collectors prefer the 1 ounce silver round, 1 ounce American Silver Eagle, or old silver dollars for their collection.

Privately minted coins, which are not struck by the U.S. Mint, but rather private mints, are another option that are affordable if you’re collecting silver coins.

A Great Gift for Quarter Collectors

There are many coin collectors out there who love U.S. quarters. The Statehood Quarters have proven their popularity since they were first issued in 1999. Now there are a variety of sets and gift items created from gold plated quarters from this series.

One such gift is a collection of 24k gold plated quarters from the 2000 Statehood issues, paired with an attractive 4.12 inch State Quarter trapper knife. The knife’s blade has gold plated state symbols etched into it. The handle is imitation bone with nickel silver bolsters, and “ 2000 State Quarters” is embossed into the handle. The gift set, which runs between $40 and $100, depending on where you find it, includes the five coins minted that year:

  • South Carolina
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Virginia
  • New Hampshire
Another popular quarter gift is a set of a year’s five issued coins, dipped in 24k gold, and set in a black display case. Many people collect every set! These make great gifts, and are affordable at around $20 per set (some dealers may offer discounts if you commit to buying all ten sets). A variation of this set is one with gold plating only on the coin’s images, displayed in a hand-carved wooden case. These are even more affordable at approximately $9, including the five coins and the wooden case.