50th Anniversary of last 90% circulation coins

[Recyclersteve]

2014 marks 50 years since the last 90% silver regular circulation coin was made by the U.S. Mint. This will make some of us feel quite old, but I still remember talking back then with lots of people in their 50's and 60's back when the clad coins were new, and the sentiment was very negative towards the new clad coins. I remember as a bank teller in the early 70's that it was pretty hard to find silver halves even that far back. I would dare say it was easier to find silver halves for face value from banks in 2005 than it was in 1972- if that is possible. What do you guys think and remember about the removal of silver from circulation?

[scyther]

I'm far too young to remember that, but I like to think about what the silver coins in circulation looked like in 1964. How many Mercury dimes were still out there? How many SLQs? How many barber coins? There must have been a great diversity of silver coin dates and designs available to be collected straight from circulation, and practically of them disappeared in a few short years. I would've been sad to see all that go- while simultaneously overjoyed at the opportunity to make easy money by hoarding what I could get my hands, of course.

[Morsecode]

In 1965, I was in 2nd grade...and I have a fuzzy recollection around learning about the new "sandwich" coins. Mrs. Silvia was large and mean and could easily lose a couple rolls of quarters in her cleavage, but she must've done something right for me to remember it.

Beyond that I'm quite sure it didn't make any difference whatsoever to me if my grandfather gave me a silver dime or a clad one for picking up pears in the backyard.

A bit later, say 1972 or so, I knew a few people who saved silver coins. I had a little off the books gig at a 7-11 in my neighborhood at that time. There was a clerk there who was always trading them out of the register. I just figured he was nuts.

RCsteve's statement about the Kennedy halves is accurate; but I think most people back then were hoarding not so much for the silver as for the whole Camelot/lost President thing. Probably one reason the Mint continued to use up silver stocks on 40% JFKs rather than 40% Washington quarters.

[John Reich]

I started collecting in the late 60's/early 70's. At that time, I do remember getting silver coins in change--I was able to fill a Roosevelt dime book minus a couple coins. I remember getting several Walking liberty halves, as well as 64 JFK's, but the Franklin half always eluded me! I would say getting a silver coin in change back then was about as common as getting a wheat back penny in change today would be.

I remember roll searching halves at my local bank on and off in the period from 1980 to 1986. I would look at $200.00 face per week, and would average one 40% half per $100.00 searched. I never did find a 90% half, but looking back, I realize the tellers must have been pulling them, and didn't realize the 65 to 70 coins also contained silver.

The one constant thru the years seems to be the number of war nickels around. Throughout the entire time from the early 70's until today, I seem to get one in change every year or so.

Today, it seems to me that we are in the midst of a revival in the productivity of roll searching. I concentrate on pennies and nickels and have found more "good" coins--semi key lincolns, proofs, steel cents, buffalo nickels---in the last couple years than I did all thru the 1980's and 1990's. Whether it's the economy, or Thogey's widows, I'm not sure.

[uthminsta]

My parents got married in 1965. So, yeah, I don't remember it, as I was born 9 years later. But I look forward to hearing these stories. One of the elders at my church said just last week: he used to pull ALL the silver quarters, and when he was offered 10% over face, he thought he was a millionaire and sold them all.

[Zincanator]

I'm a child of the 80s but for whatever reason I've always thought silver was worth as much as any other PM. When I was a kid, and lost a molar that had a tiny silver filling installed, I'd opt to keep the tooth rather than give to the tooth fairy for a dollar... figured the silver had to be worth more than a buck... true story!

Unfortunately back then nobody told me about silver coinage vs. clad or I'd probably be able to retire today .

[John Reich]

My parents got married in 1965. So, yeah, I don't remember it, as I was born 9 years later. But I look forward to hearing these stories. One of the elders at my church said just last week: he used to pull ALL the silver quarters, and when he was offered 10% over face, he thought he was a millionaire and sold them all.

When I was a kid, the man who counted the collection money at our church would let me go thru the coins. I found a lot of silver that way too!

[neilgin1]

I was four, and all I knew was I loved my grandmother, and I didn't like LBJ, because I didn't want him as President. Somebody killed the President I loved. It wasn't until Feb 2008, that I realized what that jug eared bustard had done to our coins, so I did what I had to do.

I always arrive late to the party, but i'm the last to leave, nuff said.

[hobo finds]

I would go to my grandparents house and they were going through coins from the bank, removing silver. But I thought more of there weakly yard sale finds of silver and gold chains, rings and such. As for the coins I just thought grandpa was looking for coins for his collection! I know now...

[uthminsta]

I would go to my grandparents house and they were going through coins from the bank, removing silver.

How late do you remember them doing that? Late 60's? Into the 70's?

[hobo finds]

I would go to my grandparents house and they were going through coins from the bank, removing silver.

How late do you remember them doing that? Late 60's? Into the 70's?

I was born in 68 they were doing this in the late 70's

[pennypicker]

The two things that stand out the most was that in 1968 my 6th grade P.E. teacher told us kids he would pay .15 cents for each mercury dime we brought him--and in '68 .15 cents bought a lot of coke & candy!

Second, I remember as well in 1968 our local coin shop had a stack of '64 Kennedys in their showcase priced at .55 cents each!

[Treetop]

Silver must have still been pretty common in the mid 80s when I was a kid. I would trade my coins for any "unusual" coins my parents or grand parents had as a kid. I never had much to sort, just their random pocket change, but I had a good number of mercury dimes.

[johnbrickner]

I remember when it happened, I was 7. On a trip to Chadron NE there was a "gas war" between the 3 gas stations on main street. Gas was 24.9 cents per gallon. My father pulled all the silver out of circulation he came across but did not sort or hoard. When I visited my father two weeks ago, I told him the story of real cent. He told me, "Put every penny you can afford into it". What else to be said?

[Recyclersteve]

I meant to add another comment. I know someone who lived in Northern Vermont in the 1970's and had a job where he'd travel to Canada about twice a ninth. He said they hated U.S. coins up there back then and he consistently found about 12-13 silver U.S. dimes per roll (24-26% silver) he got at the Canadian banks. He told me he bought his very first house in the late 1970's and paid cash with profits from all the silver he found.