Pub. L. 89-81, tit. I, sec. 101

Sec. 101. (a) The Secretary’ may coin and issue pursuant to this section half dollars or 50-cent pieces, quarter dollars or 25-cent pieces, and dimes or 10-cent pieces in such quantities as he may determine to be necessary to meet the needs of the public. Any coin minted under authority of this section shall be a clad coin the weight of whose cladding is not less than 30 per centum of the weight of the entire coin, and which meets the following additional specifications: (1) The half dollar shall have— (A) a diameter of 1.205 inches; (B) a cladding of an alloy of 800 parts of silver and 200 parts of copper; and (C) a core of an alloy of silver and copper such that the whole coin weighs 11.5 grams and contains 4.6 grams of silver and 6.9 grams of copper. (2) The quarter dollar shall have— (A) a diameter of 0.955 inch; (B) a cladding of an alloy of 75 per centum copper and 25 per centum nickel; and (C) a core of copper such that the weight of the whole coin is 5.67 grams. (3) The dime shall have— (A) a diameter of 0.705 inch; (B) a cladding of an alloy of 75 per centum copper and 25 per centum nickel; and (C) a core of copper such that the weight of the whole coin is 2.268 grams. (b) Half dollars, quarter dollars, and dimes may be minted from 900 fine coin silver only until such date as the Secretary of the Treasury determines that adequate supplies of the coins authorized by this Act 79 Stat. 255are available, and in no event later than five years after the date of enactment of this Act. (c) No standard silver dollars may be minted during the five-year period which begins on the date of enactment of this Act.