What Dimes Are Made of Silver & How to Spot Them
Explore the changing composition of the US dime. Understand its historical silver content and learn key features to spot older issues.
The dime, a familiar ten-cent coin in the United States, has a history marked by significant changes in its physical makeup. Understanding the materials used in its production offers insight into its evolution as a circulating currency, shaped by economic factors and practical considerations.
Current Dime Composition
Today’s circulating dimes are manufactured using a clad process, which involves bonding different metals together. The current composition consists of a pure copper inner core sandwiched between two outer layers made of a copper-nickel alloy. Specifically, the outer layers are 75% copper and 25% nickel, while the overall coin is 91.67% copper and 8.33% nickel by weight.
This clad construction provides durability and resistance to corrosion, which are important for coins in daily use. The chosen metals also ensure consistent weight and electrical properties, which are necessary for vending machines and coin-counting equipment. Modern dimes contain no precious metals, reflecting a design focused on functionality and cost-effectiveness rather than intrinsic metal value.
Historical Silver Dimes
For a significant period, dimes were composed primarily of silver. All dimes produced in the United States from their first minting in 1796 through 1964 contained 90% silver and 10% copper.
During this era, several distinct design series featured this silver purity. These include the Draped Bust (1796-1807), Capped Bust (1809-1837), Seated Liberty (1837-1891), Barber (1892-1916), Mercury (1916-1945), and early Roosevelt dimes (1946-1964).
The Transition to Clad Coinage
A significant shift in dime composition occurred in 1965, moving away from silver to the current clad coinage. This change was a response to rising silver prices in the early 1960s, which caused the intrinsic metal value of silver dimes to approach, and sometimes exceed, their ten-cent face value. As a result, people began hoarding silver coins, leading to a shortage of circulating currency.
To address this issue, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Coinage Act of 1965 into law on July 23, 1965. This legislation eliminated silver from dimes and quarters and reduced the silver content of half dollars. The rationale for the clad composition was to provide a durable coin for circulation that would not be melted down, ensuring a stable supply of coinage.
Identifying Silver Dimes
Distinguishing between silver and modern clad dimes is straightforward once aware of key characteristics. The most reliable indicator is the mint date; any dime dated 1964 or earlier is composed of 90% silver. Dimes minted from 1965 onward are clad and contain no silver for general circulation.
Another clear visual cue is the coin’s edge. Silver dimes have a solid, uniform silver-colored edge, whereas clad dimes minted after 1964 show a visible copper band. This copper core is apparent because the outer copper-nickel layers do not fully wrap around the coin’s side. Older designs featuring Lady Liberty, such as the Seated Liberty or Mercury dimes, also indicate silver content. Silver dimes may also exhibit a distinct whitish-grey luster compared to modern clad coins.