Does clad hold up better than silver?

[Jimmy@romega]

Why is old silver coins shows alot of wear especially the quarters? I rarely see old clad quarters with rim wear but I see alot of silver coins just bout wear down to the point you can't even read the date. Is it because silver doesn't have the hardness of clad?

 

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[DAS7NY]

Silver is just older. Believe it or not clad is crap. It will breakdown faster than silver (to my knowledge).

 

[goldencoin]

Yep, silver is certainly more durable

HH
-GC

 

[Diver_Down]

Also, you have to consider the spending habits and earning potential of persons when silver was circulating. Nowadays, a person paying with change is looked at like some freak while debit/credit cards are the norm. When change was in your pocket, it was a habit of many to rub the coins. It used to drive me crazy that my father would jingle the change in his pocket out of habit.

 

[FL Junkman]

No doubt about the answer to this one. It's silver. One the silver is older. Two, in the time of silver coinage, everyone carried their coins in their pockets until they were spent and the next person then did the same and so on. Continuous handing and circulation. Three, today most of us drop our clad coins that we have accumulated during the day in a jar or other container at night and they just sit there sometimes for months or years before being re-circulated. So yes, in my opinion, the silver coinage is (was) the most durable and desirable.

FL. Junkman

 

[srcdco]

Actually, the clad coins are more durable. Silver is a much softer metal than either copper or nickel (particularly nickel). That's why the U. S. Mint had such a problem in the 1800's with nickels and nickel 3-cent pieces. They kept breaking the dies because it took a lot more pressure to strike the coins. They had to increase the striking pressure for the clad coins in 1965, which is why if you find a silver 1965 quarter or dime, it will have a lot more detail than a clad one. Clad coins will definitely last much longer than their silver counterparts.

Scott

 

[coinmojo]

Most of you are on target with the circulating of coins and coin being used more back then.

But Scott is right about silver being soft.

Copper nickle is much harder and durable.

The reality is that silver coins wore out faster and circulated more back then. If you find an older copper nickle dime 1965 to date. they show very little wear. same thing with quarters.

Most of us who search halves can attest to this.... When silver was discontinued as the base metal for our coinage people pulled it from circulation quite quickly.
Up until 1965 it was no big deal to see silver coins much less coins that were in circulation for over 50 years.
So most of the silver coins I find that are dated 1962 through 64 are almost mint state. they simply did not see much circulation.

A softer composition coin would certainly wear out being put into service that long. It is part of the reason that they are not, were not .999% pure but rather only 90%.

It's like Gold, it too is soft and that is why jewelry is usually 14 - 18k, because it is more durable as opposed to 24k

In addition. The reason we find any silver at all today stems from a combination of things.

Most of the people who hoarded those silver coins are dying off now and their loved
ones are unaware of the true value of the coins and simply turn them in at the bank.

Hard times are forcing people who hoard coins on a smaller scale, to cash them in
to make ends meet.

There may also be a criminal element at work here because by now most people
know about silver and a thief wont risk trying to capitalize on the numismatic value
by selling them to a coin dealer for fear that the police might have put out a "call if" list.
so they simply run them through a coin counter or returned them rolled to a bank or
simply spend them.

Mojo

 

[scrounger d detector collector]

Most of you are on target with the circulating of coins and coin being used more back then.

But Scott is right about silver being soft.

Copper nickle is much harder and durable.

The reality is that silver coins wore out faster and circulated more back then. If you find an older copper nickle dime 1965 to date. they show very little wear. same thing with quarters.

Most of us who search halves can attest to this.... When silver was discontinued as the base metal for our coinage people pulled it from circulation quite quickly.
Up until 1965 it was no big deal to see silver coins much less coins that were in circulation for over 50 years.
So most of the silver coins I find that are dated 1962 through 64 are almost mint state. they simply did not see much circulation.

A softer composition coin would certainly wear out being put into service that long. It is part of the reason that they are not, were not .999% pure but rather only 90%.

It's like Gold, it too is soft and that is why jewelry is usually 14 - 18k, because it is more durable as opposed to 24k

In addition. The reason we find any silver at all today stems from a combination of things.

Most of the people who hoarded those silver coins are dying off now and their loved
ones are unaware of the true value of the coins and simply turn them in at the bank.

Hard times are forcing people who hoard coins on a smaller scale, to cash them in
to make ends meet.

There may also be a criminal element at work here because by now most people
know about silver and a thief wont risk trying to capitalize on the numismatic value
by selling them to a coin dealer for fear that the police might have put out a "call if" list.
so they simply run them through a coin counter or returned them rolled to a bank or
simply spend them.

Mojo

I DONT THINK ITS the pro crminals who are doing this .they would prob b smart/organized enuf to get decent money for rare coins by selling a few at a time here and there.

its the little insiders doing this most i think. kids sneaking from daddys coin collection or grammas cookie jar. and i include not so young grown up kiddies who are taking liberties w elderly relatives savings or coin collections.

and the bulk of this prob goes to. the big 3. that people just gotta have. candy,cigarettes and liquor.

i knew a friends father that ran a liquor store for yrs in a low income area.80's and 90's. he had a awesomecollection of silver he had saved from the cash register in daily business.

AND IN THE WEAR QUESTION. CLAD WINS ITS HARDER.

 

[mistergee]

i have to agree clad is harder ......BUT...(you MDers will agree) if both a silver and clad coin were in the ground for the same amount of time, the clad would lose as it would break down faster...