Types of Silver Coins

Three-Cent Silver Piece

• This smallest silver coin -- it was only 14 millimeters in diameter -- the three-cent silver piece was minted from 1851 to 1873. It featured a six-pointed star on the front and the denomination in Roman numerals on the reverse.

Nickel

• Although mostly nickel or copper for most of its existence, the Jefferson nickel was composed of 35 percent silver from 1942 to 1945, when nickel was a valuable metal for military production during World War II.

Half Dime

• Before the nickel, the half dime was the five-cent piece in early U.S. history. It was produced for most years between 1794 and 1873, undergoing a few design changes. In the early years, the coin featured a profile of Liberty on the front and an eagle on the reverse. The Seated Liberty design later featured Liberty holding a U.S. flag on the front and the words "Half Dime" on the reverse.

Dime

• The dime shared many of the same designs as the half dime for much of its existence. From 1892 to 1916, the coin featured the Barber or Liberty head design, followed by the Mercury design from 1916 to 1945. Franklin D. Roosevelt has been on the coin since 1946, with the regular-circulation silver version ending in 1964.

Quarter

• The quarter had many of the same designs as its smaller-denomination cousins until 1916, when the Standing Liberty design came into being. This version, minted from 1916 to 1930, featured Liberty holding a shield and an olive branch, with a flying eagle on the reverse. George Washington has been featured on the quarter since 1932, with the last regular-circulation silver coin issued in 1964.

Half Dollar

• This coin also featured popular designs such as the Seated Liberty and Barber before giving way to the Walking Liberty half dollar of 1916 to 1947. Benjamin Franklin was on the coin from 1948 to 1963, before giving way to John F. Kennedy after his assassination. The only regular-circulation, 90 percent silver Kennedy half dollars were issued in 1964.

Dollar

• A prime condition example of the first 1794 dollar with a flowing hair design has sold for $1.15 million at auction. Many of the early issues were minted in smaller quantities than other silver coins and tend to have more numismatic value. The Morgan design from 1878 to 1921 is one of the most popular U.S. coins, with a profile of Liberty on the front and an eagle with its wings spread on the reverse. The last 90 percent silver dollar coin was the Peace dollar, made from 1921 to 1935.