[OldPossum]

And to think that within my lifetime you silver quarters, dimes, and half dollars were routine.

Certainly within mine. I can vividly remember one of my uncles, who was very good at poker, coming to my grandparents' house after a good night with several candy paper bags full of silver half-dollars and silver dollars. (Sometimes he visited them without such riches. You know how poker can go sometimes.)

[OldPossum]

I should add that this occurred in the the mid-50s.