Guides How to Spot Old Silver in a Jar of Change
Guide · 5 min read
How to Spot Old Silver in a Jar of Change
Silver was ordinary money in this country until 1965, which means it ended up in jars, coffee cans, and sock drawers all over East Texas without anyone thinking twice.
Finding it needs no equipment and no expertise, just three things to look at.
The 1964 rule
Every U.S. dime, quarter, and half dollar dated 1964 or earlier is 90% silver. That single fact does most of the work. Look at dates, set anything from 1964 back to one side, and you have found the bulk of it.
Pennies and standard nickels are not silver in any year, so they can be ignored for this purpose.
The edge test
Stand the coins on edge and look at the stripe. A modern quarter shows a copper band sandwiched between two silver-colored layers. A silver quarter shows a solid uniform edge with no copper stripe at all.
It works on dimes and halves the same way, and it is fast enough to run a whole jar through in a couple of minutes.
The two exceptions worth knowing
Nickels dated 1942 to 1945 with a large mint mark above the dome on the back are 35% silver, made that way because nickel was needed for the war. They are the only silver nickels there are.
Kennedy half dollars from 1965 through 1970 are 40% silver rather than 90%. Still worth well over face, just not as much per coin as the earlier ones.
- Dimes, quarters, halves dated 1964 or earlier: 90% silver
- Kennedy halves dated 1965 to 1970: 40% silver
- Nickels dated 1942 to 1945 with a large mint mark on the reverse: 35% silver
- Anything marked sterling or .925 on jewelry and flatware: 92.5% silver
What to do once you have found it
Do not clean any of it and do not spend it. Old silver still works in a vending machine, which is how a great deal of it disappeared over the years.
Bring the whole jar rather than only the pieces you identified. The coins that beat their silver value are found by looking at every one, and the ones people set aside are rarely the ones that mattered.
Key takeaways
- Dimes, quarters, and halves dated 1964 and earlier are 90% silver.
- Silver coins show no copper stripe when stood on edge.
- War nickels from 1942 to 1945 are the only silver nickels.
- Kennedy halves from 1965 to 1970 are 40% silver.
- Bring the whole jar, since sorting is free and catches what you would miss.
FAQ
Common questions
Are any pennies silver?
No. The 1943 steel cent looks silver-colored but contains none. It is a common wartime issue worth a small premium at best.
What is a bag of junk silver worth?
It follows the live silver market times the actual silver weight in the coins. Bring it and we weigh it in front of you and quote against the day's price.
Should I use a magnet?
It is a useful first pass, since silver is not magnetic. It only rules things out though, because plenty of non-silver metals are not magnetic either.
Request a quote
Done reading? Get an actual number.
Send a short description whenever it suits you and a buyer replies with a figure today.