what year coins are silver

All dimes, quarters, and half dollars that were minted in 1964 or earlier contain 90% silver. The United States began producing silver coins in 1794 and for a period of 170 years minted all dimes, quarters, and half dollars with 90% silver content. However, the United States began to face a silver shortage in the 1960s, and as a result, people started hoarding their silver coins, creating a shortage of coins as well as silver. Dimes and quarters minted after 1964, unless part of a silver proof set, don’t contain any silver content. Rather, these coins are a combination of nickel and copper, which is referred to as clad coins. Unlike U.S. dimes and quarters, silver wasn’t completely eliminated from U.S. half dollars until 1971; however, the silver content was reduced in 1965 from 90% to 40%. These are commonly referred to as silver clad coins, as they contain part silver and part nickel and copper.