Silver coins...how much silver?

[newgold 0]

I have for a long time collected silver bullion bars and coins with some gold coins thrown in. I have been doing this for a rainy day in the not to distant future (sadly)....retirement!!

Through my dealings in this area I kept coming across Americans buying old silver coins, which they could get cheaper than new bullion silver. This got me to thinking about british silver coins and what is their silver content?

Please could someone elighten me to the silver content of silver coins.

I suppose one thing which as developed from research around British coins is I feel the collecting bug biting. I have already started to get a basic collection togther.

Regards

Gary

[Chris Perkins 223]

Gary,

British coins before 1920 were .925 fine (92.5% pure) and that standard is known as 'Sterling'. Between 1920 - 1946 the coins were .500 fine.

Then we had to pay you for your services rendered during WWII and the silver content was reduced to 0 in 1947!

I believe most American (1964 and earlier) coins are .900 fine (90% pure).

[Geoff T 3]

...and Canadian "silver" dollars are cupro-nickel from 1969 onwards.

Geoff

[Sylvester 15]

From a calculation point of view US coins dated 1964 and earlier are the best to go for, because being .900 (90%) it's easy to work out the weight in silver.

.925 coins being not quite as straight forward.

.500 UK coins (1920-1946) and .400 US half dollars (1965-1969) aren't worth bothering with.