====== Mexico Still Uses Silver Coins & Coin Composition ====== Mexico is the only country that uses silver coins for its currency, as of 2015. The silver used in Mexican currency is in minute amounts, with other metals such as nickel and copper more commonly found. Coins used to be made of silver and gold, over the years they have been debased, the gold and silver went from 92% to 50% to 2% and finally no gold or silver in coins. It seems unimaginable today that gold and silver would be used for coinage. Here are some of today's coins and their composition. ===== Australia ===== Australia's 5c, 10c, 20c and 50c coins are 75 per cent copper and 25 per cent nickel. The $1 and $2 coins are made from 92 per cent copper, six per cent aluminium and two per cent nickel. The only Australian coin to be withdrawn from circulation because of the cost of its metal content was the 1966 silver 50c. The choice of composition is price of metal, and it durability for example brass, which is made by melting copper and zinc together, is harder, stronger, more corrosion resistant and has an attractive gold colour. It still keeps its anti-bacterial properties, which makes it a great material for door knobs, handrails and plumbing fittings. ===== USA =====
Denomination | Cent | Nickel | Dime | Quarter Dollar | Half Dollar | Dollar |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Composition | Copper Plated Zinc
2.5% Cu |
Cupro-Nickel
25% Ni |
Cupro-Nickel
8.33% Ni |
Cupro-Nickel
8.33% Ni |
Cupro-Nickel
8.33% Ni |
Manganese-Brass
88.5% Cu |
Weight | 2.500 g | 5.000 g | 2.268 g | 5.670 g | 11.340 g | 8.1 g |
Diameter | 0.750 in. 19.05 mm |
0.835 in. 21.21 mm |
0.705 in. 17.91 mm |
0.955 in. 24.26 mm |
1.205 in. 30.61 mm |
1.043 in. 26.49 mm |
Thickness | 1.52 mm | 1.95 mm | 1.35 mm | 1.75 mm | 2.15 mm | 2.00 mm |
Edge | Plain | Plain | Reeded | Reeded | Reeded | Edge-Lettering |
No. of Reeds | N/A | N/A | 118 | 119 | 150 | N/A |