Constitutional silver is a term used to describe U.S. coins minted in 1964 or earlier that contain 90% silver. The name comes from the fact that these coins were produced under the constitutional authority of the United States government and served as the nation’s everyday circulating currency for generations. Today, they are one of the most popular and practical ways to own physical silver.
Which Coins Are Constitutional Silver
The primary constitutional silver coins are dimes, quarters, and half dollars dated 1964 or earlier. This includes Roosevelt dimes, Washington quarters, Franklin half dollars, Kennedy half dollars (1964 only), and earlier types like Mercury dimes, Standing Liberty quarters, Walking Liberty half dollars, and Barber coins. Morgan and Peace silver dollars also contain 90% silver, though they are often categorized separately due to their higher individual values and collector appeal.
Kennedy half dollars from 1965 through 1970 contain 40% silver and are sometimes included in conversations about constitutional silver, though purists use the term specifically for the 90% issues.
Why Investors Buy It
Constitutional silver has several advantages that make it uniquely appealing. It is instantly recognizable as genuine U.S. currency. Every piece was struck by the United States Mint, which eliminates counterfeiting concerns that can plague bars and rounds. It comes in small, divisible units — you can sell a few dimes without liquidating an entire bar. And it typically trades at lower premiums over spot than government-minted bullion coins like Silver Eagles.
There is also a practical survivalist appeal. In a scenario where people need to transact in small amounts of precious metal, a silver dime worth roughly six dollars is far more practical than a one-ounce silver bar worth eighty. Constitutional silver provides granularity that larger bullion products cannot match.
How It Is Priced
Constitutional silver is priced based on its silver content relative to the spot price. The silver content per dollar of face value is approximately 0.715 troy ounces. So a $1 face value bag of dimes (ten dimes) contains about 0.715 ounces of silver. Multiply that by the spot price, then add the applicable premium, and you have the approximate cost.
Premiums on constitutional silver fluctuate. During periods of high demand, premiums can spike. During calmer markets, they tend to compress, often making constitutional silver the most cost-effective form of physical silver available.
The Historical Appeal
Beyond investment, constitutional silver carries a historical weight that modern bullion simply does not. These coins circulated through American life for decades. A 1944 Mercury dime was in someone’s pocket during D-Day. A 1963 Washington quarter passed through a cash register the year before Kennedy’s assassination. A 1921 Morgan Dollar might have been in the West when it was still wild. Holding these coins is holding a piece of the American story.
Finding Constitutional Silver in the Upstate
Every reputable coin shop in the Greenville area stocks constitutional silver. CoinBox Gold & Silver in Fountain Inn is both a buyer and seller of 90% silver coins in all denominations. Whether you want to buy a roll of Mercury dimes or sell a bag of Washington quarters, the process is quick, transparent, and — thanks to South Carolina’s sales tax exemption on legal tender coins — tax free.
Constitutional silver is real money that was spent by real Americans. In 2026, with silver trading at levels that would have stunned anyone who used these coins to buy groceries, it has also become a remarkably practical investment. Old money, it turns out, still works.