Questions about selling silver coins

No. It is an independent referral service, not a buyer, pawnshop or dealer. When you call or send the coin list, we pass your details to an independent buyer in New York, who makes any offer. Asking is free and you never have to sell.

Quarters dated 1964 and earlier are 90% silver. Quarters dated 1965 and later have no silver: the Coinage Act of 1965 made them copper-nickel clad on a copper core. The same dates apply to dimes. See what years are silver coins.

Yes, 40%. Each weighs 11.5 grams and contains 4.6 grams of silver, about 0.1479 troy ounces. A 1970 law ended them on January 1, 1971; later circulation halves have no silver.

0.7734 troy ounces. Both are the standard silver dollar of 412.5 grains (26.73 grams) at 900 fine; the US Mint gives the fine silver as 371.25 grains. More on where to sell silver dollars.

Common US dimes, quarters and half dollars dated 1964 and earlier, valued for their 90% silver rather than as collectibles. Every dollar of face value holds 0.7234 troy ounces of silver at full weight. See how to sell junk silver.

This site prints no prices, because the spot price of silver changes every trading day. Look up spot, then multiply by the troy ounces of silver in your coins: that is their melt value.

Work out melt value first: troy ounces of silver x spot. An offer on common silver coins is usually below melt, because the buyer must resell or refine them; coins with collector value can be offered more. Compare written offers.

Not usually. Coin shops, bullion dealers and coin shows buy silver coins, and 90% coins are counted by face value. The work is in sorting the coins and knowing your melt value before you ask.

No. Cleaning cannot be undone, so sell coins as you found them and let the buyer see them that way.

Separate the silver from coins that may be collectible. Value the silver by weight at spot; for the rest, ask a buyer who handles coins to look at each one and give a written offer, broken down by part. See selling a coin collection.

Know your melt value, ask for the troy weight and a written offer, compare at least two offers on the same coins, never accept one price for a pile of silver dollars nobody looked at, and never feel rushed.

Photo ID and the coins, sorted, in their original holders, tubes or boxes. In New York City a licensed buyer must see an official ID with your signature, record its type and number, and have you sign in person.

Yes. A business that buys used goods in the city needs a DCWP Secondhand Dealer General licence, posted where you can see it, with the number on your receipt. Businesses that buy or sell only online are exempt.

Not in New York City: used items cannot be resold within 15 days of purchase, and the buyer must keep a record of the sale.

Some larger sales of certain bullion coins and bars may be reported by the dealer to the IRS on Form 1099-B; the IRS says a sale below the minimum needed for a CFTC-approved futures contract is not reportable, and most small sales of single coins are not. Ask a tax professional.

You may. The IRS says net capital gains from selling collectibles such as coins are taxed at a maximum 28% rate (IRS Topic 409). Ask a tax professional about your sale.

Many dealers buy by shipment. It suits bullion coins you can describe exactly, such as Silver Eagles. Find out who carries the shipping risk and how coins are counted on arrival before you send anything.

Yes. The line is answered from New York for sellers anywhere in the United States. Describe the coins by phone and we connect you with an independent buyer in New York, who can tell you what makes sense for your coins and where you are.