| Bags of U.S. circulating legal tender coins (dimes, quarters, half-dollars) containing 90% silver are traded based on silver weight. All bags contain $1,000 face value of the coins and a full 90% bag may contain 10,000 dimes, 4,000 quarters or 2,000 half-dollars or a mixture of dimes, quarters or halves that total $1,000 face value. All 90% coins are pre-1965 because prior to 1965, all U.S. dimes, quarters and half-dollars were struck from an alloy containing 90% silver and 10% copper. In 1965, at the direction of Congress, the U.S. Mint removed all silver from dimes and quarters. |
