Where did the term "junk silver" come from?

Zoins

Does anyone know when the term "junk silver" was created and why?

I'm wondering why junk silver is popular but junk gold is less so. I hear classic circulated gold more than junk gold, yet junk silver is the norm for that metal. Perhaps junk silver originally referred to silverware and the like where people have silver to dispose but most people never had gold to dispose of?

Just curious on the difference.

fastrudy

IIRC, when 1965 rolled around and there was the initial load of clad coins began, there were two classifications of silver coin available at face value. One could still find key and semi-key silver dimes, quarters and halves (silver dollars, too) by searching through rolls at face value. Those were good silver coins. The other silver coins purloined from circulation had no intrinsic, numismatic value. These common-date silver coins were called junk silver and were doomed to be melted. Every silver hunter had their own idea as to where to draw the line between junk and good, and some non-collectors didn't care, so many a good coin was melted. There was no need for the same classification with gold, because it was not available at face value, in circulation. Common date gold coins were referred to as "common date gold coins".

Griv

Don't look at me.

CaptHenway

Good question.
I'd suggest somebody ask Leon Hendrickson if he knows. He was around then.
TD