Ah, the great Eisenhower silver hunt! It's a common quest, but let's clear the air. The vast majority of Ike dollars you'll find rattling around in a drawer are, sadly, not silver. Most of these hefty coins, minted from 1971 to 1978 for general circulation, are made of a copper-nickel clad and contain absolutely no precious metal. They're the commoners of the Eisenhower dollar world.
The coins you're looking for are the silver-clad aristocrats of the family. These special collector's versions were struck by the U.S. Mint in 40% silver. They were never intended for circulation, so finding one in your pocket change is highly unlikely unless someone made a very clumsy mistake.
So, which ones are the silver ones? Look for the all-important "S" mint mark, indicating they were struck at the San Francisco Mint. These 40% silver collector coins were produced from 1971 through 1974, as well as for the Bicentennial edition dated 1776-1976.
Collectors even have charming little nicknames for them based on their original government packaging. The uncirculated silver Ikes came in blue envelopes, earning them the moniker "Blue Ikes." The proof versions, with their fancy mirror-like finish, came in a swanky brown wood-grain box, so they're called "Brown Ikes." In short, if your Ike dollar doesn't have an "S" mint mark and isn't from those specific collector years, it's just a handsome piece of history, not a silver treasure.
