Email updatesTHE COIN REFERENCE SHELF
Know the coin.
Then compare the value.
34 practical guides to the gold and silver profiles in our calculator. Find the right issue, check collector checkpoints, and avoid comparing two coins that only look alike.
Silver coins
Wartime Jefferson Nickel
1942–1945 · 35% silver
Silver alloy nickel
Identification, dates & value checks →
Barber Dime
1892–1916 · 90% silver
Liberty Head dime
Identification, dates & value checks →
Mercury Dime
1916–1945 · 90% silver
Winged Liberty Head
Identification, dates & value checks →
Silver Roosevelt Dime
1946–1964 · 90% silver
Pre-clad Roosevelt
Identification, dates & value checks →
Barber Quarter
1892–1916 · 90% silver
Liberty Head quarter
Identification, dates & value checks →
Standing Liberty Quarter
1916–1930 · 90% silver
Classic Liberty design
Identification, dates & value checks →
Silver Washington Quarter
1932–1964 · 90% silver
Pre-clad Washington
Identification, dates & value checks →
Barber Half Dollar
1892–1915 · 90% silver
Liberty Head half
Identification, dates & value checks →
Walking Liberty Half
1916–1947 · 90% silver
Walking Liberty design
Identification, dates & value checks →
Franklin Half Dollar
1948–1963 · 90% silver
Franklin and Liberty Bell
Identification, dates & value checks →
1964 Kennedy Half
1964 · 90% silver
First-year Kennedy
Identification, dates & value checks →
40% Kennedy Half
1965–1970 · 40% silver
Silver-clad Kennedy
Identification, dates & value checks →
Morgan Silver Dollar
1878–1921 · 90% silver
Classic U.S. silver dollar
Identification, dates & value checks →
Peace Silver Dollar
1921–1935 · 90% silver
Peace dollar series
Identification, dates & value checks →
Silver Eisenhower Dollar
1971–1976 silver issues · 40% silver
40% silver collector issue only
Identification, dates & value checks →
American Silver Eagle
1986–Date · .999 fine silver
One-ounce silver bullion coin
Identification, dates & value checks →
America the Beautiful 5 oz
2010–2021 · .999 fine silver
Five-ounce silver bullion coin
Identification, dates & value checks →Gold coins
Liberty Head Gold Dollar
1849–1854 · 90% gold
Type 1 · small Liberty portrait
Identification, dates & value checks →
Indian Princess Gold Dollar · Type 2
1854–1856 · 90% gold
Small Head
Identification, dates & value checks →
Indian Princess Gold Dollar · Type 3
1856–1889 · 90% gold
Large Head
Identification, dates & value checks →
Liberty Head $2.50
1840–1907 · 90% gold
Quarter eagle
Identification, dates & value checks →
Indian Head $2.50
1908–1915; 1925–1929 · 90% gold
Recessed-design quarter eagle
Identification, dates & value checks →
Indian Princess $3
1854–1889 · 90% gold
Three-dollar gold piece
Identification, dates & value checks →
Liberty Head $5
1839–1908 · 90% gold
Half eagle
Identification, dates & value checks →
Indian Head $5
1908–1916; 1929 · 90% gold
Recessed-design half eagle
Identification, dates & value checks →
Liberty Head $10
1838–1907 · 90% gold
Gold eagle
Identification, dates & value checks →
Indian Head $10
1907–1933 · 90% gold
Raised design · intermittent issues after 1916
Identification, dates & value checks →
Liberty Head $20
1850–1907 · 90% gold
Double eagle · circulation series
Identification, dates & value checks →
Saint-Gaudens $20
1907–1916; 1920–1933 · 90% gold
Historical double eagle · 1933 not regularly issued
Identification, dates & value checks →
American Gold Eagle · 1 oz
1986–Date · 91.67% gold · 22 karat
$50 · one fine ounce
Identification, dates & value checks →
American Gold Eagle · ½ oz
1986–Date · 91.67% gold · 22 karat
$25 · half fine ounce
Identification, dates & value checks →
American Gold Eagle · ¼ oz
1986–Date · 91.67% gold · 22 karat
$10 · quarter fine ounce
Identification, dates & value checks →
American Gold Eagle · ¹⁄₁₀ oz
1986–Date · 91.67% gold · 22 karat
$5 · tenth fine ounce
Identification, dates & value checks →
American Gold Buffalo · 1 oz
2006–Date · 99.99% gold · 24 karat
$50 only · excludes 2008 fractional sizes
Identification, dates & value checks →Reference-photo sources and licenses
These are representative examples, not inventory photographs. The half- and quarter-ounce Gold Eagle cards use the labeled one-ounce series obverse. Image derivatives retain their stated licenses.
- Photo: Bruxton ↗CC0 1.0. Resized reference photograph; not current inventory.
- Photo: Anemonemma, Generalissima, and 3df ↗CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized for display; image derivative retains this license.
- Photo: Gage Skidmore ↗CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized for display; this image derivative retains the same license.
- Photo: Bruxton ↗CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized for display; image derivative retains this license.
- Photo: Jaclyn Nash / National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution ↗Public domain. Resized obverse and reverse photograph.
- Wartime Jefferson NickelPhoto: Wehwalt ↗CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized for display; this image derivative retains the same license.
- Peace Silver DollarPhoto: Bobby131313 / CCF Numismatics ↗CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized for display; this image derivative retains the same license.
- Morgan Silver DollarPhoto: Jaclyn Nash / Smithsonian Institution ↗Public domain. Cropped and resized reference photograph.
- American Silver EaglePhoto: United States Mint ↗Public domain. Cropped and resized reference photograph.
- Barber Half DollarPhoto: BnF / Gallica ↗Public domain. Cropped and resized reference photograph.
- Liberty Head Gold DollarPhoto: Jaclyn Nash, National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution ↗Public domain. Full-rim obverse crop or resized reference photograph.
- Indian Princess Gold Dollar · Type 2Photo: Jaclyn Nash, National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution ↗Public domain. Full-rim obverse crop or resized reference photograph.
- Indian Princess Gold Dollar · Type 3Photo: Jaclyn Nash, National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution ↗Public domain. Full-rim obverse crop or resized reference photograph.
- Liberty Head $2.50Photo: Jaclyn Nash, National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution ↗Public domain. Full-rim obverse crop or resized reference photograph.
- Indian Head $2.50Photo: Jaclyn Nash, National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution ↗Public domain. Full-rim obverse crop or resized reference photograph.
- Indian Princess $3Photo: Jaclyn Nash, National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution ↗Public domain. Full-rim obverse crop or resized reference photograph.
- Liberty Head $5Photo: Jaclyn Nash, National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution ↗Public domain. Full-rim obverse crop or resized reference photograph.
- Indian Head $5Photo: Jaclyn Nash, National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution ↗Public domain. Full-rim obverse crop or resized reference photograph.
- Liberty Head $10Photo: Jaclyn Nash, National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution ↗Public domain. Full-rim obverse crop or resized reference photograph.
- Indian Head $10Photo: Jaclyn Nash, National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution ↗Public domain. Full-rim obverse crop or resized reference photograph.
- Liberty Head $20Photo: Jaclyn Nash, National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution ↗Public domain. Full-rim obverse crop or resized reference photograph.
- Saint-Gaudens $20Photo: Jaclyn Nash, National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution ↗Public domain. Full-rim obverse crop or resized reference photograph.
- American Gold Eagle · 1 ozPhoto: United States Mint ↗Public domain. Full-rim obverse crop or resized reference photograph.
- American Gold Eagle · ½ ozPhoto: United States Mint ↗Public domain. Full-rim obverse crop or resized reference photograph.
- American Gold Eagle · ¼ ozPhoto: United States Mint ↗Public domain. Full-rim obverse crop or resized reference photograph.
- American Gold Eagle · ¹⁄₁₀ ozPhoto: United States Mint ↗Public domain. Full-rim obverse crop or resized reference photograph.
- American Gold Buffalo · 1 ozPhoto: United States Mint ↗Public domain. Full-rim obverse crop or resized reference photograph.
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