Bradley B. asks: Will the us mint ever produce a silver or silver content coin again? I metal detect and the clads that have been produced come out of the ground completely useless. I just don’t see coin collecting as an option for future generations with the valueless coins being produced today.
The U.S. Mint does currently produce collector versions of proof sets and commemorative coins in both silver and gold but circulating issues will remain in base metal since coins are essentially tokens.
The collector value of coins is not dependent on the whether the coin is minted in precious metal but the rarity, condition and collector interest. Some of the most desirable coins in the United States are the colonial issues. Some of these coins are extremely valuable though most were struck in copper.
Some modern clad coins in gem condition will become valuable because few were saved and collectors will need them to complete their sets.