I see proof dimes, nickels, quarters etc... that are labeled silver and then other proofs of the same coin year/type that are not labeled silver. All slabbed by pcgs or ngc...i thought all proof coins other than the penny were 90% silver, am i wrong?
Wrong?, no. Mis-informed, maybe. In recent times, the U.S. Mint issues both silver proof sets and regular (clad) proof sets. What you see slabbed is simply a coin from either type of set being broken out of the set and sent in for certification by an individual or dealer. The dime, quarter and half that are listed as silver are indeed silver. The clad versions are the same makeup as our currently circulating coinage which is a 'sandwich' composite of copper and nickel. For more detailed information on this and other coin-related subjects, you might try to locate a Red Book (A Guide Book of United States Coins) by R.S. Yeoman. This book is issued yearly and contains very useful information. It also contains price guides, but they are usually a little off and most of the time out of date by the time the book is actually published. Hope this helps.
