United States dimes, once composed of 90% silver and 10% copper, underwent a significant change in their composition. This shift involved replacing the precious metal content with a clad metal composition, primarily copper and nickel.
The transition away from silver was driven by economic factors. The rising price of silver threatened to make the intrinsic value of the coin exceed its face value. Maintaining the supply of circulating coinage necessitated a change in the metallic makeup of the dime to control costs.