What coins can you destroy?

I can only think of a couple of reasons anyone would want to destroy a coin instead of spending it - perhaps in a chemistry experiment or to slice it apart to see what the inside looks like.

In any case, most modern coins are only worth face value, so you would only be losing that amount by doing something that would cause damage. "Modern" would encompass cents and nickels dated roughly 1955 or later, dimes and quarters starting in 1965, and halves and dollars starting in 1971.

Many - but not all - coins with earlier dates may be worth more because they are interesting to collectors, are made of a precious metal such as silver, or both.