Worst Junk Silver Coins???

How many times have you noticed a quarter on the ground only to realize it's just a nickel when you pick it up? Such wasted effort!

 

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The biggest issue with War Nickels (which carry 80% of the melt value of a 90% silver dime) is the "other" material, magnesium. This is a highly toxic chemical when heated (melted) and limits the actual ability to (safely) melt them to larger refineries. If silver ever were to get back to the $30+ range, War Nickels would likely be flying at $1.50 each (melt would be around $1.70)... Last time silver went crazy ($50) a friend was selling rolls of 35% War Nickels for $90/roll in bulk to a dealer.

 

I think the war nickels stand for a lot more then junk silver coins. The war nickels were specially made to support the war effort by using different metals which would allow them to use the metals needed for the war. These nickels stand for a lot more then junk - Edited - Your missing the big picture here , and frankly I find this insulting to the people that fought and died during those times. Seeing these coins as a lousy junk silver option is sickening. Dillan

 

hahaha. Ok. So War Nickels are now the measure of our patriotism? Give me a break.

If you want to be patriotic to those times, support the institutions that those people fought to create so that we wouldn't have a world war ever again: UN, IMF/World Bank, and the WTO (formerly GATT).

Don't give me some nonsense about War Nickels meaning jack squat to the big picture.

 

Your entitled to your opinion , it is what it is . !

 

Junk silver is just an unfortunate term that these coins have acquired in the buying and selling end of silver. It was never a conscious effort to disrespect the men and women who served for the US during WW2.
I love the war nickels, because they are special (large mint mark design over the dome) have a different patina, and the silver is a bonus.

 

Buying and instantly flipping coins or bullion is similar to buying stock or commodities on one exchange and selling it immediately on another exchange for the fractional difference in price. They call that type of trading arbitrage. No reason why it wouldn't equally apply to coin or bullion selling if performing both transactions the same day. Multiple day transactions could be flipping at best.

 

I guess. But by that definition, coin dealers -- and even "We Buy Gold" places or pawn shops -- are also "arbitrageurs". I kind of think that lends too much dignity to the process.

 

I feel like this could be a difficult list. Because some see 35% nickels, 40% halfs selling under spot as a good thing, and some don’t. I think silver is silver, if spot goes up, so will the value of said coin, regardless how how much silver it has. I think anything US is a safe play.

 

Worst "junk" silver...40% halves and those 10% Mexican Pesos

 

And most of that was on the surface due to metal migration, so what is left is probably only 30%.

 

Add in the .720 fine Mexico 25 pesos from the 1968 Olympics, and the .500 fine 1967 & '68 Canadian dimes and quarters. And don't forget the 1971-1991 Canada Commemorative Dollars that are only .500 fine.

 

Dimes AND Quarters. It's very frustrating that Canada produced both .5 and .8 silver that year. However, if you buy them in proof sets, they're always .8.

 

There is no such thing as bad junk silver! lol

Joking aside, I tend to stay away from buying 40% silver coins and stick to 1964 kennedys, walkers, franklins, 90% dollars and ASEs.

Haven't got into bars yet.

 

Can you provide some links for more info on this? Does the migration happen during production of stock, or during annealing? Surely it can't happen at a detectable rate at room temperature?

I'm not really set up to do quantitative analysis even at the +/- 5% range, but you seriously tempt me. I'd certainly be willing to sacrifice a few heavily-worn war nickels to grind them down and XRF the interior, if I had XRF available.

I know debased pesos had most of their silver on the surface, but I thought they were manufactured that way. I've never heard of metal migration significantly affecting war nickels, and I'd like to learn more.

 

Huh? I'm pretty sure that's not a thing that happens with metal alloys.

 

I don't know about gold buyers but coin dealers would love to buy and sell coins the same day. It doesn't happen very often.