"Charles Ellson" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:33:01 +0100, "R.C. Payne"
wrote:

MIG wrote:
By the time decimalisation arrived much of the "silver" which really
was silver (50% to 1946, sterling silver to 1919) had disappeared into
back-street smelters due to the metal value exceeding the face value
of the coins. The same happened later to some extent with pennies and
halfpennies and later with decimal bronze coins (which are now plated
steel).

I did once find a 1938 2s in my change, but I think that the reason
why you hardly ever saw any dated before 1947 was that that was the
first year when there wasn't any silver content.

Same thing happened in the United States -- it is next to impossible to find
any coins from before 1964, because they had all previously contained
silver.

Same thing happened in the United States -- it is next to impossible
to find any coins from before 1964, because they had all previously
contained silver.

For the sake of precision: that's dimes and higher coins, from
before 1965.

Actually, for some reason they continued to make half-dollars
containing silver (only 40% instead of 90% as before) for another
6 years, and I've seen it claimed that this was a factor in the
almost total disappearance of the coin from circulation about then.
--
Mark Brader | "I was gratified to be able to answer promptly, and I did.
Toronto | I said I didn't know."
| --Mark Twain, "Life on the Mississippi"

"Mark Brader" wrote in message
...
Same thing happened in the United States -- it is next to impossible
to find any coins from before 1964, because they had all previously
contained silver.

For the sake of precision: that's dimes and higher coins, from
before 1965.
Actually, for some reason they continued to make half-dollars
containing silver (only 40% instead of 90% as before) for another
6 years, and I've seen it claimed that this was a factor in the
almost total disappearance of the coin from circulation about then.
--

What is/was the situation with Canadian coins?

On Sun, 15 Jun 2008 01:18:36 +0100, wrote:


"Mark Brader" wrote in message
.. .
Same thing happened in the United States -- it is next to impossible
to find any coins from before 1964, because they had all previously
contained silver.

For the sake of precision: that's dimes and higher coins, from
before 1965.
Actually, for some reason they continued to make half-dollars
containing silver (only 40% instead of 90% as before) for another
6 years, and I've seen it claimed that this was a factor in the
almost total disappearance of the coin from circulation about then.
--

What is/was the situation with Canadian coins?

Picking first on the 1c [from www.mint.ca]:-
"Today's one-cent coin, modified in 2000 to reduce cost, is made of
copper-plated steel (94% steel, 1.5% nickel, 4.5% copper). From 1997
until 2000, the coin was made of copper-plated zinc. Prior to 1997 the
one-cent coin was 98% copper, 1.75% zinc and 0.25% other metals."

25c:-
1908-1919 92.5% silver
1920-1967 80% silver
1967-1968 50% silver
1968-1999 99.9% nickel
2000-date 94% steel (cupro-nickel plated)

A circulating 2 dollar coin was introduced in 1996 to replace
banknotes as was also the 1 dollar in 1987.

The 50 cent seems to be the Canadian version of the Crown:-
"The current design was produced by former Royal Canadian Mint
engraver Thomas Shingles and was first used in 1959. In recent
decades, the fifty-cent circulation coin has not been widely used in
day-to-day transactions, yet it remains popular with coin collectors."

Same thing happened in the United States -- it is next to impossible
to find any coins from before 1964, because they had all previously
contained silver.

For the sake of precision: that's dimes and higher coins, from
before 1965.

What is/was the situation with Canadian coins?

Pretty much the same. For coins of 10 cents and up there was a rapid
transition in 1967-68 from 80% silver to 50% silver to no silver.

ObRail: when I returned to London in 1975 for the first time since I
was a baby, you could use a payphone for 2p and ride the tube for 5p.
Over here the corresponding prices were 10 cents and 3 trips for $1 --
about 4p per call and 14p per trip. But in both cases, ours were flat
rates while yours were minimum charges (and 5p would only take you about
3 stops, after which the next fare was 10p).
--
Mark Brader, Toronto "Ever wonder why they call the screen
a vacuum tube?" -- Kent Paul Dolan

My text in this article is in the public domain.