Other US Mint Silver

Other Mint Silver at Provident Metals

The US Mint creates the Silver Eagle each year as its primary silver coin for the public. However, there are plenty of other silver pieces that the Mint produces or has produced in the past.

Most of the historical nickels, dimes, quarters, half dollars, and dollars were minted to be 90% pure. Until rising silver prices made this practice untenable in the 1960s, making coins with silver was the standard for American currency.

Now, coins minted before roughly 1878 (the first year of the Morgan dollar) are a bit harder to find than some of the newer ones. Almost any coin from before 1839 is a rare find and a historical artifact to boot – so don’t expect to find one without either getting extremely lucky or paying a tremendous amount.

However, we do have some other silver coins that are more readily available and affordable. So, let’s talk about the options here at Provident Metals.

Silver Dollars

The US Mint has produced silver dollars for much of its history. Though they haven’t been produced in every single year, there have been significant periods when more of them have swept into circulation.

Despite their name, modern silver dollars (and the “golden” dollars of the early 2000s) don’t contain any silver. So, collecting silver dollars typically means acquiring the coins produced during two specific eras.

You will notice that both silver dollars mentioned below seem to be back in production. That is true – the Mint began reissuing both in 2021. However, these issues are purpose-made to be collectors’ items, where the originals were actual circulating currency. Accordingly, they are made purer than the originals, with .999 fine silver content.

Morgan Dollars (1878 – 1904, 1921, 2021 – present)

The Morgan dollar occupies a special time in American history. It was the currency of the day for the Wild West, the Industrial Revolution, and – to an extent – World War I. So, to own one of these pieces allows you to rub shoulders with Teddy Roosevelt, Thomas Edison, and Billy the Kid.

The coins themselves are named after their designer, George T. Morgan. They feature Lady Liberty on their obverse and a heraldic eagle on their reverse.

Though the Mint produced hundreds of millions of these coins during their time, they are now among the most popular collectors’ items. Some of them are quite valuable but all of them are important.

Peace Dollars (1921 – 1928, 1934 – 1935, 2021 – present)

After a one-year final run of Morgan dollars, the US Mint unveiled its replacement – the Peace dollar. This coin sought to capitalize on the sentiment and goodwill generated by the end of World War I.

The Peace dollar did not attempt to disguise its inspiration. The obverse of the coin featured Lady Liberty, although she was styled to resemble designer Anthony de Francisci’s wife, Teresa. The reverse of the coin depicted a bald eagle atop a mountain with an olive branch – the common symbol for peace – clutched in its talon, and had the word “peace” inscribed on its rim.

Peace dollars were produced in fewer numbers than Morgan dollars. Ironically, they are less popular than their predecessors despite their relative rarity. However, they are still the coin of the Roaring 20s and are great additions to any coin collection.

Junk Silver

Now, the 90% silver dollars usually stand in their own category. However, they are part of a larger group of silver-bearing coins known collectively as “junk” silver. Don’t be deceived – the junk moniker refers only to the fact that they are not highly pure bullion coins.

Essentially, any coin outside the penny minted before 1964 is a junk silver coin. So, nickels, dimes, quarters, half-dollars, and dollars from those eras are all viable pieces for a collection.

After 1964, the pickings became much thinner. The only significant coin pieces with silver are the last few Kennedy half dollars and the Eisenhower dollars produced during the 1970s.

One of the best things about these pieces are the hidden gems. Because there have been so many of these produced, there are all kinds of error coins or pieces with colorful histories that can be worth far more than their face values.

America the Beautiful Coins

The success of the State Quarters Program led the US Mint to envision its next major collectors series. In 2008, it settled on a series to commemorate the incredible natural beauty found around the country. The new series would be dubbed the America the Beautiful series.

In total, the Mint released 56 of these coins between 2010 and 2021. Each coin is a rather large 5 oz item and is minted in .999 fine silver.

These coins were struck as both bullion coins and uncirculated coins. None of them were ever meant to be used as quarters, even though they are nominally the quarter-dollar piece.

Now, collecting all 56 of them may be a bit daunting. However, given their numismatic value and special design, there’s nothing wrong with devoting your efforts to getting a full group together. It’s quite likely that the full set will be worth extra value to interested investors.

US Mint Proof Sets

The main function of the US Mint is, of course, the pressing and issuance of circulating currency. However, the mint does take the time to press some special versions of the regular coins as a means of generating additional revenue. These special versions are sold together as complete sets known as “proof” sets.

A proof coin is one minted with special processes. They are usually stamped twice, and with higher pressures than normal. The dies to stamp the coins are also specially polished and prepared before the job.

The result is a coin with frosted reliefs, or raised parts, and mirrored fields, or pressed parts. A proof coin is immediately recognizable due to its unique appearance.

There are two types of proof sets that the Mint creates each year: proof, and proof silver. Both feature a penny, a nickel, a dime, a quarter, a half dollar, and a dollar.

Regular proof sets are pressed with the same alloys used for circulating currency. Proof silver sets replace their dimes, quarters, and half dollars with versions containing .999 fine silver.

Finally, though all of them were minted with silver, the Mint issued America the Beautiful proof versions in all but their last year of production. As the program concluded with a single release in 2021, the Mint simply issued the ATB proof as part of the regular proof silver set.

Start Your Collection with Provident Metals

Provident Metals has assisted thousands of customers with their precious metals purchases over the years. We have a selection of mint silver that you can explore, and we are available for questions or transactions 24 hours a day. Reach out to us via live chat, email, or phone anytime to get started.