What Are Junk Silver Coins and Why Are They Valuable?
If you’re interested in precious metals, coin collecting, or simply finding new ways to boost your finances, you may have come across the term junk silver coins . Despite the name, these coins are anything but junk! In fact, they can be a valuable and practical part of any precious metals portfolio. In this post, we’ll break down what junk silver coins are, why they matter, and how they connect to broader markets like selling gold coins or even selling silver jewelry near me . What Are Junk Silver Coins? Junk silver coins refer to old U.S. (and sometimes foreign) coins that contain a significant percentage of silver but have little or no numismatic (collector) value. In other words, they are valued mainly for their silver content , not for being rare or collectible. For example, U.S. coins minted before 1965 — like dimes, quarters, and half-dollars — were made of 90% silver . These include: Mercury dimes (1916–1945) Roosevelt dimes (pre-1965) Washington quarters (pre-1965) Walking Li...