JarSort · Inherited coin values
1967 Canadian dime & quarter silver — .800 or .500?
1967 Canadian dimes and quarters were struck in two silver recipes — .800 fine and .500 fine — and nothing on the coin tells you which one you have. The magnet cannot separate them (neither is magnetic), and the weight is too close to call. Only an XRF test separates the two. Until then, the coin is priced as the 50% recipe.
The three numbers that matter
Prices as of Oct 24, 2026 · Silver spot $53.80/ozt (Kitco) · Circulated, common date, problem-free, raw (uncertified) unless stated
Fineness unconfirmed — priced as 50% silver. If the coin proves to be the 80% recipe, its melt is higher (quarter $8.07, dime $3.23). Only an XRF test separates the two; a dealer with an XRF gun can tell you in seconds.
Why 1967 has two recipes
Canada's 1967 centennial coinage was struck in .800 silver early in the year and .500 silver later, as the Mint cut the silver content ahead of the 1968 switch to nickel. Both versions share the same centennial designs (dime: mackerel; quarter: bobcat) and the same dates. There is no visual difference.
What tests work — and what does not
- Magnet: no. Neither silver recipe is magnetic, so the magnet test that sorts 1968 coins is useless here.
- Weight: no. The two recipes are too close in weight to separate on a scale.
- XRF: yes. An X-ray fluorescence test reads the fineness directly. Most coin dealers have one — ask before you sell.
What to do with it
Sort 1967 dimes and quarters into their own pile and price them as 50% silver until tested. If you have many, an XRF test is worth it: the .800 coins are worth roughly 60% more in melt than the .500 ones.
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