Coins

Other Coins at Silver.com

Legal tender currency from the United States dollar comes in two major forms: paper money and coins. US coinage has been around much longer than paper money in the US. Today, both forms of currency are still produced by the United States Mint, Treasury Department, and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Both forms of currency are also popular vehicles for enhancement at private mints and authorized dealers. When it comes to legal tender coins of the United States dollar, there are countless examples of both legal tender coins and tribute coins produced to capture the attention of collectors. Silver.com is proud to carry an ever-growing collection of other coins specifically for collectors.

About Other Coins

While investors and collectors are more than familiar with American bullion coins like the American Eagle Series or the America the Beautiful collection, there are other coins available to collectors that are of equal beauty with greater affordability due to different metallic content. Bullion coins from the US Mint and other private mints have at least .999 pure silver content and gold content that ranges from 22-karat gold content (91.67%) to 24-karat .9999 pure gold. These coins are most often sought out by investors for the value of the metallic content, while the designs on the coins are a secondary thought. The other coins you will find online at Silver.com are clad coins from US legal tender with a cupro-nickel alloy or tribute coins with a similar metallic makeup. In either case, it is the design and visual brilliance that collectors are looking at when purchasing these other coins.

Clad Coins vs. Tribute Coins

As just mentioned, many of these other coins are either clad circulation coins or tribute coins. So, what’s the difference between the two? Below is a simple breakdown:

• Clad coins are any specimens that have a special layer added using additional metals. In most cases, the clad coins we carry are modern legal tender coins from the US Mint. These include specimens such as the Kennedy Half Dollar. While the coin’s core is a cupro-nickel alloy, you will find that there are options available with clad layers of gold and/or ruthenium to create added visual brilliance for each piece. Clad coins can include tribute coins.
• Tribute coins are a unique subset of clad coins. Many tribute coins are made from similar blanks as those used by the US Mint in producing its circulation coinage, but enhanced with layers of gold, silver, and/or ruthenium. The primary difference comes in the legal tender status. While the Kennedy Half Dollar with a clad layer remains US legal tender, a tribute coin is not legal tender. In fact, on many tribute coins you will find an inscription of “COPY” to highlight the lack of legal tender status for the item. It is purely designed as a collectible piece honoring a beloved coin design.

Examples of Other Coin Designs

There’s no shortage of creativity when it comes to the creation of other coins. From clad coins to tribute coins, you will find some of the following designs:

• Kennedy Half Dollar – Issued by the United States Mint since 1964, the Kennedy Half Dollar features an effigy of President John F. Kennedy on the obverse and the modified Presidential Seal of the United States on the reverse.
• Eisenhower Dollar – Released by the United States Mint only from 1971 to 1978, the Eisenhower Dollar comes with an effigy of President Dwight D. Eisenhower on the obverse and two different designs on the reverse. Most of the series features an effigy of the American bald eagle on the reverse as it lands on the Moon. The image is based on the Apollo 11 mission patch from NASA. In 1975 and 1976, the reverse featured an image of the Liberty Bell with the Moon in the background.
• Buffalo Nickel – One of America’s greatest coin designs, the Buffalo Nickel was designed in 1913 by James Earle Fraser and used on the five-cent piece until 1938. As of 2006, it has also featured on the Gold American Buffalo 24-karat gold bullion coin from the US Mint. This is one of the most replicated designs in American history. The obverse features a stoic Native American in right-profile relief, with an American bison on the reverse of the coins.

Collecting Other Coins for sale at Silver.com

These collectible other coins available at Silver.com are increasingly popular and feature a growing number of options. If you have questions about the other coins we stock, you can contact Silver.com customer service. Our team is available to assist you at 888-989-7223, online using our live chat, and via our email address. You can find helpful information about acceptable forms of payment and applicable minimums/maximums by visiting our Payment Methods page.