No, but copper and nickel was. This is why we have 1943 steel Lincoln cents and the SILVER War Nickels of 1942 to 1945.
Coins continued to be made of the same materials as before in many countries - alloys of copper, nickel and silver. Some countries began to mint coins of zinc (notably Germany) and aluminum, to save on the traditional materials, which were valuable for munitions of war. The US government was concerned about shortages of copper and nickel, which are very useful for war materials. The US made cents of steel in 1943, and five-cent pieces ("nickels") of silver. The silver "war nickels" had a large "S" above the dome of the Jefferson Memorial on the reverse.
About $1.90 or so for the silver content. Keep in mind though that for low purity coins like war nickels, most coin dealers offer substantially less than spot on them.
An entire roll of nickels from World War II can be worth over $50. These coins were made of 35% silver, so the price would be determined by the market value of the metal at the time of sale. If any of the coins are in above-average condition their value could be higher as collectibles.
US coins had different designs and composition during WWII versus modern coins.Cents: Most cents were made of bronze instead of copper-plated zinc, and they had stylized wheat ears surrounding the words ONE CENT on the back. In 1943, cents were made of plated steel because copper was needed for the war effort. These coins were silver-gray in color and are the only US coins that stick to a magnet.Nickels: Buffalo nickels were in regular use, but the new Jefferson design was becoming common. These coins had the same design as nickels made up till 2003, with Jefferson on the front and Monticello on the back. Until 1942 they were made of the same cupronickel alloy as modern nickels, but in the middle of that year the composition was changed to a blend of copper, silver, and manganese so nickel metal could be used in the war effort. These coins were distinguished by large mint mark letters over the dome on the back, and are the ONLY nickels that ever contained silver.Dimes: Dimes were made of 90% silver and had a different design. They were called "Mercury" dimes because the front had a picture of Miss Liberty wearing a winged liberty cap, looking very much like the Roman god Mercury.Quarters: These too were made of 90% silver. The design was the same as quarters made until 1998, with a spread-winged eagle on the back.Halves: Half-dollars were 90% silver and unlike today were in general use. You often got them in change for amounts more than 50 cents. The design was considered to be one of the most beautiful ever on a US coin, with a picture of Miss Liberty walking in the sunrise on the front, and a perched eagle on the back.Dollars: $1 coins were also 90% silver but were very large (38 mm), heavy coins that didn't circulate much except in the West. The last ones were minted in 1935 so they were already beginning to disappear from circulation by WWII.
These coins were the only US nickels that ever contained silver. The amount is small (less than 2 gm) so in worn condition the coins are worth around a dollar for their metal content.If the coin is in better condition, check its date and see the question "What is the value of a US nickel?" for more information about prices.
"Most" coins of the world were never made of silver. There were always more minor coins made of copper, nickel, bronze, aluminum, etc. The larger coins of most countries contained at least some silver until the 1960s when the price of silver made almost all of them more valuable for their metal content than their stated denomination. The US eliminated silver in all coins in 1965 except for the Kennedy half dollar and it was reduced from 90% to 40% silver until 1972 when it also became a cupro-nickel alloy. Mexico and Canada had reduced the silver content of their coins even earlier, but kept a small percentage of silver in some coins for a few more years.
It's only 40% silver. And in any case pure silver is too soft for use in circulating coins. Up till 1964 silver coins had at least 10% copper in them for hardness. Silver was eliminated from dimes and quarters in 1965, and was reduced to 40% from 1965-70 in halves and eliminated entirely starting in 1971. Please see the Related Question for more information.
There were proof sets made in 1974 and 1975 where all 8 of the coins were silver, and proof sets made during those years when none of them were silver. Assuming that your coins are in a set, check the 1 Cent coin - if it looks silver, then all the coins in the set are silver; if it looks bronze, then none of the coins in the set are silver.
Steel has been used by humans for over 4,000 years, with the earliest known examples dating back to around 1800 BCE in ancient Mesopotamia. However, modern steel production techniques, such as the Bessemer process, were not developed until the 19th century, leading to the widespread use of steel in construction and manufacturing.
You get 1 gold by collecting 100 silver coins, and you get 1 silver coin by getting 100 bronze coins.
akram coins
The world wide increase in silver prices was the main reason.
The silver Denarius (pl: Denarii) was the main coin in the Roman economy over much of its life. Other coins include the silver Antoninianus (worth 2 Denarii) and the gold Aureus (worth 25 Denarii)
Zero. Due to the steep rise in the price of silver in 1919/20, the issue of standard .925 silver coins was discontinued and coins of .500 silver were minted. In 1947, silver was needed to repay the bullion lent by the USA during the war years, so silver coins were replaced with coins of the same weight and type made of cupro-nickel.
Until the end of WW1, many countries minted silver coins with a high silver content, usually 90% or more. In 1919/20, there was a sharp increase in the price of silver and many countries reduced the silver content of some or all of their coins to around 50%. At the end of WW2 when many countries were repaying war loans or, had had their economies destroyed by the war, the silver content was reduced further, or eliminated altogether. By the second half of the 20th century, most "silver" coins were made from a copper/nickel alloy. These days, only non-circulating investment coins or high value coins are made from silver.
Due to the steep rise in the price of silver in 1919/20, the issue of standard 92.5% silver coins was discontinued and coins of 50% silver were minted. In 1947, silver was needed to repay the bullion lent by the USA during the war years, so silver coins were replaced with coins of the same weight and type made of cupro-nickel.
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