i have never quite understood what it means when something is clad.

also i have a proof 1988 set but was looking on an ebay store and they have gem proof and prestige proof 88 sets. what does that mean?

A clad coin is like a sandwich. In the US case, it had a copper core and 2 outer layers of nickel that are bonded together. The layers are distinct and you can see the copper core if you look at the edge.

This is different than plating. Plating is just a thin layer of one metal over another. In the case of the US cent, it is a copper plating over zinc.

They are both different than an alloy. Our 5 cent coin is an alloy. That is a mixture of metals. In the case of the US nickel, it is a mixture of copper and nickel.

The 90% silver coinage is also an alloy as were the older cents, half cents, etc.

wow lol never realised there were so many different kinds... is it certain coins or dates ranges that are clad?

In the US, post 1964, regular issue quarters, halves and dimes are clad. Prior to that, they were a silver/copper alloy.

Part of 1982 and all of 1983 to present cents are copper plated zinc. Prior to that, they were alloys of copper.

Nickels have alway been an alloy.

Regular issue Eisenhower dollars were clad as were the SBA's. I am not sure what the Sacagaweas are. Prior to the Ikes, dollars were a silver/copper alloy.

A Redbook is very handy for general stuff like this and I would highly recommend one if you do not have one yet.

Sacs are clad as well, with a copper band in the middle.

Thanks! I could not remember if they were clad or plated and I didn't have one handy to look at the edge.

'Gem' proof is really just a sales term trying to get you to buy into the fact that they are very good quality.

I think Prestige sets were special sets that included the regular proof coins and a Commemorative or Commemoratives from that year.

Wow i always thought they were an alloy...

Manganese Brass Clad
Outer Layers: 77% Cu, 4% Ni, 7% Mn, 12% Zn
Inner Core: 100% Pure Copper
Overall Composition: 88.5% Copper, 6% Zinc,
3.5% Manganese, 2% Nickel

It actually sounds like a copper core clad with an alloy.

Coins have been made of two bonded metals even in ancient times. They are also made with two distinct parts with an out side rim and an interior of a different kind of metal. Striking these with dies bonds the pieces together. These are quite common now days and are especially widely used in Europe. They are called bimetallic coins.

While clad coins have been made of various materials it wasn't economically possible to fuse copper and copper nickel until the mid 1960's. These early coins were made from sheets of metal that had been "explosion bonded". A sheet of very thin cu/ni (75%cu and 25% ni) was laid down flat with a heavier sheet of pure copper placed on top. Then a final sheet of cu/ni the same thickness as the bottom sheet was placed on top. While being pressed a charge of dynamite was detonated above it to force the metals to fuse together.

If you look at the edge of a clad coin you'll see that one side or the other of the edge has a silvery look like the faces of the coin. This is caused when the clad sheet is sent to the blanking press and planchets are cut from it. The side with the cutting die on it will be silvery and and the opposite side will appear coppery where the die smeared metal over it.

Panama is the only other country to use these planchets. They were purchased from the US mint to make their 25c coins. I believe Ball Corporation also sold them some strip or planchets.