Silver circulating coins?

As a kid, I enjoyed finding silver coins whenever visiting Canada. I know that Canada has withdrawn circulating silver coins & currently uses base metals. My question is are there any countries still using silver coins for circulation or are those days part of my childhood ?

 

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Great question!
There are none that I know of, since all countries have moved to a nickel alloy that looks silver but has not got the value. Now that the value of silver in a coin is worth more than the coin itself, they are hoarded and out of circulation.

 

The last one I'm aware of is there were a few Mexican coins from 1993-95. 10, 20 and 50 pesos.

 

Here's an old thread about the latest known silver coins minted for circulation. It's got a lot of detail you might find interesting.

To answer your question directly, though, no. Nobody's making silver coins for circulation at present. Modern silver coins do get spent occasionally by people who don't know better, but I don't think that's what you were asking...?

 

It makes me wonder just how some of the very few silver coins I've found over the past year or so remained in circulation. Yes, every single one of the ones I've found were in the Coin Star reject slot, but just HOW did that 1931-S dime survive in circulation for more than 80 years? Yes, it's possible that some kid took it from his dad's collection, but why, then, weren't there any others? I found a '63D and '64D quarters in that very same Coin Star machine on different days, and both look to be at least AUxx, so these could likely have been taken from a collection.

 

What does "in circulation" really mean, though? A coin might have sat in a jar since the 1960s, when someone set aside change from the store. In fact, for 1964 coins, that's exactly the most likely scenario; "everybody" knew at that point to set aside silver coins, so they barely circulated at all.

Today, silver coins in circulation are so rare that most people don't bother looking for them. If someone spends coins from a collection, they might be given in change and re-spent several times before someone notices; at that point, they could be distributed across hundreds of tills or bank counters.

 

I too wonder how older coins I've found ended up in the place I found them. I'll just opine that you're all just speculating and we really don't know. Additionally, each of the billions of coins have their own "story" of their travels and travails. These days, I expect most coins make a few stops and end up in a jar or bucket after being emptied from a pocket. Then, it's off to a bank or coin star where their short trips start again. People don't spend coins like they used to, it's just a different type of economy these days for obvious reasons.

 

Another thought...

Have you ever wondered about the rare dates that are really worn?

A good 16-d
a fair/poor/no date 16 SLQ identified through diagnostics
circulated 09-s vdb
A circulated 1895 Morgan!

How did this happen? How many hands did they pass through before finally being snatched up by someone who knew what it was?

These questions fascinate me, but then, I'm a real coin/history geek.

 

Numista lists current French and Portuguese silver 10 Euro coins as circulating. These coins 1) are issued at face value, 2) contain silver, and 3) have much higher value as legal tender than as bullion. However, I haven't seen any evidence that these coins actually do circulate.

Examples:
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces6928.html
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces124488.html
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces13311.html
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces17276.html

 

So Geeze, do you go 'round checking Coin Star reject slots, like, every time you walk by one? or do you purposely make the rounds of your local Coin Star locations?

CoinTrackers.com advises the same actions as to any coin operated machines.
Personally, I have found "abandoned" change in reject/change cups in drink and snack machines at my work.
No silver.

 

Everyone always throws out the "kid stealing from his dad's coin collection" idea but it seems more likely that there was just a bunch of change sitting around in someone's house for a long time and someone finally took it to the bank to cash it in. Imagine for example a scenario where a senior citizen either dies or moves to a retirement home and the heirs are cleaning out the house. "Hey look, a jar of coins. Let's take this to the bank."

 

Yep. Possibly better for the hobby than "Ooh, look at all these old silver dollars, but they're so tarnished! Get the Brasso, hon."

 

Well, there are a few modern silver coins whose face value actually exceeds their intrinsic value and, thus, theoretically could circulate. Examples are the Norwegian 200 kroner commemorative coins as well as the Canadian silver coins that were sold by the RCM for their face value. Highly doubtful, though, that any would actually end up in circulation.

 

My aunt got this coin in the shop in New York about 10 years ago.

 

Some older silver coins are still floating around in circulation because very few quick shop, burger joint, etc cashiers don’t know that a Mercury dime is a US coin. I was got 2 back in change because she thought they were Canadian dimes!

 

Reminds me of my first find as a kid: an ag 1939 quarter in change from Michaels. Been a while since that happened, though...

 

No, it's not something I do with any intent. If I happen by the Coin Star machine when I'm at my local Walmart, I'll give it a look. Four or five silver coins over a year isn't quite a bonanza, though. Others here have much better luck than I. Sorry you're not one of them.

 

I just haven't been checking my local Coin Star......yet !

 

Your not alone

 

Being in Buffalo. All i get is canadian. But i save those for my grandbabies also. @Deacon Ray sent some for my grandbabies. Now they save any all coins. Been to the coin shop and now dealer sells them a few like deacon ray's. And gives them extras. Also gave them a book. If anything the deacon has started my familes new era of coin collecting. Now my grandbabies tell me of these coins history.