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Please don't assume that all coins were made of silver before 1965. Only dimes, quarters, and halves were made of 90% silver at that time. All US nickels made from 1866 to mid-1942 and from 1946 to the present are made of a copper-nickel alloy, not silver.

From mid-1942 to 1945 nickels did contain a small amount of silver because nickel metal was needed for the war effort. Those "war nickels" are the ONLY ones that have any silver in them.

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Can you melt 1964 US nickels for silver?

You can melt them but you won't get any silver. All US nickels except special "war nickels" made during 1942-45 are struck in the same alloy of 25% nickel and 75% copper.


Do pre-1964 nickels have any silver content?

yes, the war-time silver nickel42-45


What years were Nickels made of pure silver?

Never. They're called nickels for a reason. The only U.S. nickels to contain any silver at all, at 35%, were "war" nickels dated 1942-1945. Nothing before or after was made of silver.


Are 1941 US nickels made of silver?

US nickels made from 1866 to mid-1942 and from 1946 to the present are made of a copper-nickel alloy, not silver. From mid-1942 to 1945 nickels did contain a small amount of silver because nickel metal was needed for the war effort. Those "war nickels" are the ONLY ones that have any silver in them. Because dimes, quarters, and halves contained silver up till 1964 many people erroneously believe that nickels did, too. But after all, the coin is called a nickel because it's partly made of nickel!


How much silver is in the 1923 1924 buffalo nickels?

None. The only nickels with any silver in them were made from 1942 to 1945.


Are US dimes and quarters made of silver?

U.S. dimes, quarters, and half dollars were made of 90% silver up till 1964. Today those denominations are made of copper-nickel, and dollar coins are made of manganese brass. Note that nickels are also made of copper-nickel. The only nickels that ever had any silver in them were minted from 1942 to 1945.


Was 1964 the last year US nickels contained silver?

The only US nickels that ever contained any silver were those struck between 1942 and 1945, when nickel was a strategic war material. "War nickels" were about 35% silver with the rest made of copper and manganese. Otherwise, any nickel you find will be made of an alloy of 75% copper and 25% nickel. So if you find, say, a 1957 or 1964 nickel in change feel free to spend it. It's not worth anything special.


Do pre 1964 US nickels have any silver content?

For the most part no, except for those minted from 1942-45, which contain 35% silver. All other US nickels, regardless of date, are made of an alloy of 25% nickel and 75% copper.


Are any US dimes or nickels made from silver?

All US dimes dated 1964 and earlier are made of an alloy of 90% silver and 10% copper. The only nickels that ever contained silver were the famous "war nickels" minted during WWII when nickel was a strategic metal. These can be identified by a large mint mark letter (P, D, or S) over the dome of Monticello. All other nickels are made of an alloy of 75% copper and 25% nickel.


What years of buffalo nickels have silver value?

None have any silver value. US nickels made from 1866 to mid-1942 and from 1946 to the present are made of a copper-nickel alloy, not silver.


Are 1965 dimes and quarters silver?

No they are not silver, only the 1942 through 1945 nickels with large reverse mintmarks are 35% silver. All other US nickels, regardless of date, are made of an alloy of 25% nickel and 75% copper.


Are us 5 cents coins pre 1964 made of silver?

The only nickels that ever contained any silver were minted during WWII. From mid-1942 to 1945 nickels did contain a small amount (about 1.5 gm) of silver because nickel metal was needed for the war effort. All other nickels are made of the same alloy of 75% copper and 25% nickel. It's a common misconception that because other pre-1964 US coins contained silver, so did nickels. But if you think about it for a few seconds, nickels are larger than dimes. If they had both been made of similar amounts of silver a nickel would have been worth a lot more than 10 cents!