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Message:: [QUOTE="Burton Strauss III, post: 8613241, member: 59677"]Chill. You came here to learn. That includes using correct terminology. It turns out that - as with any domain - using the correct terms is important. It's a shorthand that unambiguously communicates within the domain. Clad is shorthand for a mechanically bonded sandwich of metal layers. Copper-Nickel clad is shorthand for the US standard composition of a mechanically bonded sandwich of 75% Copper, 25% Nickel outer layers over a pure Copper core. Alloy is a metallurgical term for a homogenous mixture of two or more metals.  In the case of US minor coinage the standard alloy is 75% Copper, 25% Nickel. In the case of US standard silver coinage it's 90% silver, 10% copper. US gold is 90% Gold, 10% Copper. "40% Silver" from the late 60s into the 70s is actually clad. It's 80% Silver/ 20% Copper outer layers with a 79% Copper/21% Silver core  -- enough silver in the core that that alloy has a silver color and so the layers are not that obvious. It nets to 40% silver. The "Golden Dollar" (Sacagawea and Presidential) are clad. Managanese Brass with a pure copper core. Silver War Nickels are an alloy. 56% Copper, 35% Silver,  9% Manganese.[/QUOTE]