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“Constitutional silver” and other internet money myths
Junk silver is real metal. It is not a secret legal-tender cheat code. Shops buy it as silver. They do not buy the speech that comes with it.
You can like old US silver. You can stack it. You can call it junk silver like the rest of us.
What you cannot do is walk in and announce that 1964 dimes are a special class of law that makes the bid different.
What is real
Pre-1965 dimes, quarters, and halves are 90% silver. Shops buy them by face times a factor. 90% vs 40%. That is a metal fact.
What is a speech
The idea that this coin is the only “real” money, or that a shop has to take it at some constitutional number, or that it is safer from government than an Eagle. We are not your political meeting. We are a counter with a scale.
Gold confiscation history is a real history topic. It is not a pricing column. 1933 context. Leaving the gold standard.
How we will treat your bag
As 90% if it is 90%. As clad if it is clad. As a lecture if you start one — and then still as 90% if you want to sell.
Junk vs eagles vs bars. If you want metal that is easy to explain to an heir, recognizable bullion still wins for most people. Collectible vs bullion.
Part of the coin shop counter wiki · visitors & collectors · NumisQ Learn
Extra pad history for constitutional silver myths
You can like old US silver. You can stack it. You can call it junk silver like the rest of us. What you cannot do is walk in and announce that 1964 dimes are a special class of law that makes the bid different. Pre-1965 dimes, quarters, and halves are 90% silver. Shops buy them by face times a factor. Kennedy halves 1965–70 are 40%. War nickels 1942–45 are 35% silver. Canadian circulating silver 1920–66 is 80%. Those are metal facts. 90% vs 40%.
The idea that this coin is the only “real” money, or that a shop has to take it at some constitutional number, or that it is safer from government than an Eagle — that is a speech. We are not your political meeting. We are a counter with a scale. Gold confiscation history is a real history topic. It is not a pricing column. 1933 context. Leaving the gold standard. This is not legal advice.
How we will treat your bag
As 90% if it is 90%. As clad if it is clad. As a lecture if you start one — and then still as 90% if you want to sell. Junk vs eagles vs bars. If you want metal that is easy to explain to an heir, recognizable bullion still wins for most people. Legal tender does not set melt. Silver certificates still spend as a dollar. The silver window closed.
Do not clean the bag to make the speech prettier. Don’t clean. Face value is how we count 90%, not a court order.
People also ask
Is junk silver “constitutional money” at the counter? It is 90% silver. We bid metal.
Do you have to take 1964 dimes at face? You can spend them at face. We bid silver.
Is an Eagle less “real” than a Mercury dime? Different product. Both are metal we know.
Will a speech change the factor? No.
Extra pad history for constitutional silver talk
Internet groups call 90% “constitutional silver” as if the Constitution prices your half dollar. The shop bids metal and collector demand. The Constitution does not publish a Saturday bid.
What the shop does
We still pay 90% as 90%. We do not pay a speech. 90% vs 40%. What legal tender means. What a dollar is.
People also ask
Is 90% illegal to melt? Law has changed over time. We buy it as metal and coins.
Is 40% “not constitutional”? It is still silver. Less of it.
Do you pay face plus metal? We pay the bid. Face is the floor for spendable clad.