Do you toss your spare coins into a container on your dresser?

Or leave them in the car to use in the drive thru?

Your spare change could be worth more than that .99 cent hamburger.

Known in the trade as “junk silver coins”, dimes, quarters, half dollars and dollars issued by the United States Mint prior to 1965 have a composition of 90% silver.

Junk coins are simply silver coins that have no numismatic value because they aren’t rare or they’re in such poor condition that a collector wouldn’t be interested in them.

Junk silver coins are far from junk, however. A silver dime (with a face value of 10 cents) is worth .82 cents today.

Have a bag of 100 silver dimes? You could either spend them for $10 worth of products or trade them in for $82 in cash!

Easy decision, right?

So, how do you know if your spare change is worth more? Here are 3 quick steps to get you started.

How to Know if Your Change is Silver

Step 1: Check the Dates

Check the date on your dime, quarters, half dollars and dollars. If the date is 1964 or older, then your coin has a 90% composition of silver.

Kennedy half dollars that have a date between 1965-1970 have a 40% composition of silver.

You can trade these coins in at our store at 3129 Poplar Ave. We will value your coin based on the current spot price of silver.

Step 2: Check the Edge of the Coin

If you have a large collection of junk silver coins, a quicker way to tell if your coin is silver is to hold a stack of coins in your fingers.

Look on the edge of the coin. If the edge shows copper (a red streak), then your coin is not silver. But if no red is on the edging of your coin, then it has a silver composition which makes it worth more than the face value.

Step 3: Check the Weight of Your Coin

Unfortunately, there are counterfeit silver coins out there. If you’re concerned your coins may not be real, an easy way to tell is to check the weight of your coins. A fake coin will either way significantly more or less (a variation of 3 grams or more in either direction).

Because of wear, your coin’s weight may be slightly decreased (.1-2 grams) from the standard mint weight below:

Dime: 2.49 grams (the picture to the right is reflected in dwt, not grams)
Quarter: 6.25 grams
Half Dollar: (1964 or older): 12.5 grams
Half Dollar (1965-1970): 11.51 grams
Dollar: 26.75 grams

Determining whether or not your coins contain silver and extra value is a simple and quick process that you can do at anytime. So the next time you get change from your meal, the bank or even a family member, do a quick test to see if your coin has extra cash value.

Have a question about your coins? Give us a call at 901-324-4009.