What is the value of a silver US cent?

Answer 1

The US never struck cents in silver. For starters, they would have been worth more than dimes!

The only silver-colored cents ever made were struck in 1943. They were made from steel coated with zinc in order to save copper for use in weapons. Some people still think these coins were made from silver because they look strange compared to "normal" cents.

So if your coin is dated 1943, it's probably worth 25 to 50 cents depending on its condition.

If it's silver colored and has any other date up to 1982, it's about 99.9999% certain it was plated for use in jewelry. That means it's an altered coin and has no extra value.

If its date is 1982 or later, you could have a modern cent that was exposed to an acid or something similar that dissolved the outer copper coating. Modern cents have a zinc core plated with a small amount of copper which can easily be removed chemically.