How can you tell the difference between a silver and a copper-nickel 1776-1976 dollar?

Answer 1

Silver bicentennial dollars were only sold in 3-piece Bicentennial sets along with Washington quarters and Kennedy half dollars. All carry an S mint mark. The coins were made of clad silver comprising outer layers of 80% silver / 20% copper bonded to an inner core with those percentages reversed. The core tends to have a grayish tint to it.

Circulation bicentennial dollars were only minted at Philadelphia (no mint mark at that time) and Denver (D). The core is pure copper so it will have either a shiny copper or dark brown color.

Answer 2

One way to differentiate between a silver and a copper-nickel 1776-1976 dollar is by looking at the edge of the coin. A silver dollar will have a reeded edge, while a copper-nickel dollar will have a plain edge. Another way is to check the weight of the coin - a silver dollar will be heavier than a copper-nickel one. Lastly, you can use a magnet to test for magnetism since silver is not magnetic but copper-nickel is.