On the surface, junk silver bears a remarkable resemblance to the dimes and quarters we carry in our pockets every day. In fact, prior to 1965, those same dimes and quarters were minted with real ...

The Coinage Act of 1965, signed by President Lyndon Johnson, eliminated 90% silver coins from circulation, according to a blog from ModernCointMart. That law mainly affected U.S. dimes and quarters.

Silver has fallen off its September highs of more than $42 and is now in the mid-$30s. In recent history, silver didn't break into the $20s until September 2010.

The content of these junk silver coins have been overlooked for decades as other investors picked them up at face value. A $1.40 combination of pre 1965 dimes, quarters and half dollar silver ...

Just how much have U.S. coins depreciated since Johnson’s inauspicious act? The melt value of a pre-1965 silver quarter is currently $5.15. The melt value of a pre-1965 dime is $2.06.

When news came that silver would disappear from coins by 1965, savvy stackers salted away silver coins, including newer dimes, quarters, and halves from the 1950’s and early 60’s.