Same rule as quarters: every US dime dated 1964 or earlier is 90% silver, and everything from 1965 onward in circulation is copper-nickel clad. Dimes are the most common silver coin still found in change and coin-roll hunts — small, easily overlooked, and each one holds about 1/14 of a troy ounce of silver.
Silver dime series and dates
| Series | Dates | Composition | Silver content |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barber dime | 1892–1916 | 90% silver | 0.0723 ozt |
| Mercury (Winged Liberty) dime | 1916–1945 | 90% silver | 0.0723 ozt |
| Roosevelt dime | 1946–1964 | 90% silver | 0.0723 ozt |
| Roosevelt dime (clad) | 1965–present | Copper-nickel clad | None |
How to check a dime fast
- Date: 1964 or earlier = silver. Mercury and Barber designs are silver on sight — no date check needed.
- Edge: clad dimes show a copper stripe along the edge; silver dimes are uniformly silver-grey. The single most useful test when flipping through a roll.
- Weight: silver dimes weigh 2.50 g, clad dimes 2.27 g — detectable on a 0.01 g pocket scale.
Modern exception: from 1992 the US Mint has sold silver proof sets with S mint-mark dimes (90% silver through 2018, .999 from 2019). They have mirror finishes and never circulated.
What a silver dime is worth
Each 90% dime contains 0.0723 troy ounces of silver, so melt value is roughly 7% of the silver spot price. At a $30 spot, that is about $2.17 per dime — a coin still officially worth ten cents. Run your count through the US silver coin calculator for the live figure, and see what is junk silver for how dimes trade by face value in bulk.
Worth knowing before you sell: the 1916-D Mercury is a famous rarity worth hundreds of dollars even in worn condition, and several other dates carry collector premiums. A ten-second date scan can pay for itself many times over.
Frequently asked questions
Are Roosevelt dimes silver?
Roosevelt dimes dated 1946 through 1964 are 90% silver. From 1965 onward they are copper-nickel clad, except for silver proof versions sold to collectors from 1992 on.
How much silver is in a Mercury dime?
Like all 90% US dimes, a Mercury dime weighs 2.5 grams and contains 0.0723 troy ounces of silver — about 1/14 of a troy ounce.
Which silver dimes are worth more than melt?
The 1916-D Mercury is the famous key date, worth hundreds even heavily worn. Other better dates include the 1921 and 1921-D Mercury, the 1949-S Roosevelt, and most Barber dimes in collectible grades. Check dates before selling a batch as bullion.