Junk silver value is easier to work out than almost any other kind of silver, because you do not need a scale. US dimes, quarters and half dollars dated 1964 and earlier were all struck to the same standard, so the silver in a pile of them depends only on its face value. Three steps, and you have the melt value of a coffee can of old coins.
Junk silver value: how to work it out from face value
The number behind it: 0.7234
By the US Mint’s standards, a 90% dime weighed 2.5 grams, a quarter 6.25 grams and a half dollar 12.5 grams, all 900 fine. Ten dimes, four quarters or two halves therefore weigh 25 grams, and hold 22.5 grams of silver. A troy ounce is 31.10348 grams, so 22.5 grams is 0.7234 troy ounces. That gives the rule:
The rule
Every dollar of face value in 90% US dimes, quarters or halves holds 0.7234 troy ounces of silver at full weight.
Junk silver value in three steps
- Count the face value of all the 90% coins together: dimes at ten cents, quarters at twenty-five, halves at fifty.
- Multiply by 0.7234 to get troy ounces of silver.
- Multiply by the spot price of silver per troy ounce on the day. The answer is the melt value.
Or in one line: face value x 0.7234 x spot = melt value.
Worked examples
Say spot silver is X dollars per troy ounce. Then:
| Coins | Face value | Silver | Melt value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 quarters dated 1964 and earlier | $10 | 7.234 troy oz | 7.234 x X |
| 100 dimes | $10 | 7.234 troy oz | 7.234 x X |
| 20 Franklin halves | $10 | 7.234 troy oz | 7.234 x X |
| A mixed jar: $3.70 dimes, $8.25 quarters, $6 halves | $17.95 | 12.985 troy oz | 12.985 x X |
| $100 face in mixed 90% coins | $100 | 72.34 troy oz | 72.34 x X |
Notice that ten dollars of face value holds the same silver whether it is dimes, quarters or halves. That is why dealers quote junk silver by face value, and why you can mix denominations when you count.
40% half dollars are different
Half dollars dated 1965 through 1970 are 40% silver. Under the Coinage Act of 1965 each weighs 11.5 grams and contains 4.6 grams of silver, about 0.1479 troy ounces. Count them separately: number of 40% halves x 0.1479 x spot. Two of them, a dollar of face value, hold 0.2958 troy ounces, much less than a dollar of 90% coins.
Allowing for wear
The 0.7234 figure assumes coins at full, standard weight. Coins that circulated for decades have lost a little metal, so the real silver in a bag of well-worn coins is slightly less. Some buyers allow for this in their price. When you compare offers, ask whether each one assumes full weight or allows for wear; otherwise you are not comparing like with like.
Melt value is not the offer
The melt value is what the silver itself is worth at spot. A buyer who buys junk silver has to resell or refine it, so an offer is usually below melt, by an amount that varies from buyer to buyer. Knowing the melt value lets you see exactly how far below it each offer sits, which is the simplest way to compare them.
Before you count: check for better coins
Junk silver is valued as metal, but a jar of old coins sometimes holds one worth more: an unusual date, a coin that hardly circulated, or an old design you do not recognize. Spread the coins out and set aside anything that stands out before you add it to the count. And do not clean them: cleaning cannot be undone.
Not sure which coins are 90%? The dates are on what years are silver coins. Ready to sell? Our guide on how to sell junk silver covers where to sell and how to compare offers.
Where To Sell Silver Coins is an independent referral service, not a buyer, pawnshop or dealer. When you call or send your coin list, we pass your details to an independent buyer in New York, who makes any offer.
Questions people ask
How do you calculate junk silver value?
Face value of the 90% coins x 0.7234 troy ounces x the spot price per troy ounce. That is the melt value at full weight.
How much silver is in $1 of junk silver?
0.7234 troy ounces of silver, whether it is ten dimes, four quarters or two half dollars, at full weight.
Is junk silver worth more than face value?
Its melt value is face value x 0.7234 x spot. Work that out with the day’s spot price and compare it with the face value.
How do I value 40% Kennedy halves?
Each holds about 0.1479 troy ounces of silver. Multiply the number of halves by 0.1479 and by spot.
On this page
List your coins