Junk silver is the coin trade’s name for common US silver coins valued for their metal: worn dimes, quarters and half dollars dated 1964 and earlier, and the 40% half dollars that followed. The word sounds dismissive, but a coffee can of junk silver can hold a surprising amount of silver, and it is the easiest kind of coin to sell well, because its value comes from arithmetic anyone can do.
Sell junk silver: pre-1965 dimes, quarters and halves by face value
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. The rest of this page is what you need to know to judge it.
What counts as junk silver
The Coinage Act of 1965 is the dividing line. Before it, US dimes, quarters and half dollars were struck in 900 fine coin silver, 90% silver and 10% copper. The Act said any 90% coins struck after it passed must be dated 1964, and the new clad dimes and quarters, with no silver, could not be dated earlier than 1965. Half dollars kept some silver: from 1965 they were struck at 40% silver until a 1970 law ended them on January 1, 1971.
| Coins | Dated | Silver | Sold as |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimes | 1964 and earlier | 90% | 90% junk silver |
| Quarters | 1964 and earlier | 90% | 90% junk silver |
| Half dollars | 1964 and earlier | 90% | 90% junk silver |
| Half dollars | 1965 to 1970 | 40% | 40% silver, priced on its own |
| Nickels | October 1942 through 1945 | 35% | Wartime silver nickels, priced on their own |
| Dimes and quarters | 1965 and later | None | Face value |
Silver dollars are not usually sold as junk silver, because some may be worth more than their silver to collectors. They have a guide of their own: where to sell silver dollars.
How junk silver is priced: face value, not weight
By the US Mint’s standards, a 90% dime weighs 2.5 grams, a quarter 6.25 grams and a half dollar 12.5 grams. So ten dimes, four quarters and two halves each weigh 25 grams, and each holds 22.5 grams of silver. That is the reason the trade counts junk silver by face value: every dollar of face value in 90% coins holds 0.7234 troy ounces of silver, whatever the mix.
| 90% face value | Silver at full weight |
|---|---|
| $1 | 0.7234 troy oz |
| $5 | 3.617 troy oz |
| $10 | 7.234 troy oz |
| $20 | 14.468 troy oz |
| $50 | 36.17 troy oz |
| $100 | 72.34 troy oz |
To find the melt value of a pile, multiply the troy ounces by the day’s spot price. If spot silver is X dollars, ten dollars in face value of 90% coins has a melt value of 7.234 x X dollars. The step-by-step arithmetic, with worked examples, is in our article on junk silver value.
Worn coins weigh less
The figures above are for coins at their standard, full weight. Coins that spent decades in pockets have lost a little metal to wear, so a buyer may price a bag of well-worn coins slightly below the full-weight figure. Ask whether the offer assumes full weight or allows for wear, and by how much. Either is fair if you are told.
40% halves, counted separately
A 40% half dollar weighs 11.5 grams and holds 4.6 grams of silver, about 0.1479 troy ounces. Two of them, a dollar of face value, hold about 0.2958 troy ounces, much less than a dollar of 90% coins. Sort 40% halves into their own pile so they are not counted as 90%, and so you are not paid for them as clad coins either.
Silver quarters, dimes and halves, coin by coin
Silver quarters
Washington quarters dated 1932 through 1964 are 90% silver, 0.1808 troy ounces each. The Washington design was first coined in April 1932, according to the Director of the Mint, and quarters dated 1965 on are clad. Earlier quarters with other designs, if dated 1964 or earlier, are silver too, and anything older than the Washington quarter is worth showing to a buyer before it goes in a melt pile.
Silver dimes
Roosevelt dimes dated 1946 through 1964 are 90% silver, 0.0723 troy ounces each; the Roosevelt dime was released on January 30, 1946. The Mercury dimes before it are 90% silver as well. Dimes dated 1965 and later have no silver.
Silver half dollars and Kennedy halves
Half dollars dated 1964 and earlier hold 0.3617 troy ounces each. That includes the Walking Liberty halves before 1948, the Franklin halves coined from April 1948 through December 31, 1963, and the 1964 Kennedy half, first coined on February 11, 1964. Kennedy halves dated 1965 through 1970 are the 40% coins. Kennedy halves made for circulation after that are copper-nickel, worth face value.
Pull out anything that might be worth more
Most junk silver is exactly what the name says. But jars and drawers sometimes hold a coin worth more than its silver: an unusual date, a coin that has barely been handled, or an old design you do not recognize. Before you sell junk silver as a lot, spread it out and set aside anything that looks different, unusually sharp, or older than the rest. Ask the buyer to look through the lot before pricing it, and do it yourself first.
Do not clean junk silver
Cleaning cannot be undone, and it adds no silver. Sell coins as they are.
Where to sell junk silver
- A coin shop or coin dealer. The usual place: junk silver is bought over the counter by face value.
- A bullion dealer. Buys junk silver as metal; good for larger amounts sorted by kind.
- A coin show. Several dealers in one room to compare offers on the same coins.
- A refiner or scrap buyer. For damaged, bent or holed coins; collector value is not what they pay for.
For a full comparison of who buys silver coins, see sell silver coins. For a coffee can of mixed coins where you are not sure what is silver, start with where to sell old coins.
How to sell junk silver: the short version
- Sort by date: 1964 and earlier in one pile, 40% halves in another, everything later aside.
- Sort by denomination and count the face value of each pile.
- Work out the silver: face value x 0.7234 troy ounces for the 90% coins, count x 0.1479 for 40% halves.
- Look up spot and multiply, so you know melt before you hear an offer.
- Ask for the offer in writing, with the face value and the troy weight it is based on.
- Compare a second offer close in time, because spot moves.
Selling junk silver in New York City
In New York City, a business that buys precious metal must hold a DCWP Secondhand Dealer licence, post it where you can see it, and print the licence number on its receipts. It must have an approved scale reading in divisions of 0.01 troy ounce or finer, tell you the troy weight of the metal, see your photo ID and have you sign in person, and keep a record of the purchase. Used items it buys cannot be resold for 15 days. More on coin dealers in NYC.
Taxes and reporting
Some larger sales of certain bullion coins and bars may be reported by the dealer to the IRS on Form 1099-B; most small sales are not. A profit on coins may be taxed as a capital gain, at a maximum federal rate of 28% for collectibles (IRS Topic 409). Which sales are reported, and what you owe, depends on your situation: ask a tax professional.
Have junk silver to sell? Call, or send your coin list with the face value, and we pass it to an independent New York buyer, who can contact you.
Questions people ask
What is junk silver?
Common US dimes, quarters and half dollars dated 1964 and earlier, valued for their 90% silver rather than as collectibles, plus 40% half dollars dated 1965 through 1970.
How much silver is in $1 face value of junk silver?
0.7234 troy ounces of silver for 90% coins at full weight, whether it is ten dimes, four quarters or two halves.
Are 1964 quarters silver?
Yes. Quarters dated 1964 and earlier are 90% silver, 0.1808 troy ounces each. Quarters dated 1965 and later have none.
Are Kennedy half dollars silver?
The 1964 Kennedy half is 90% silver. Kennedy halves dated 1965 through 1970 are 40% silver. Circulation halves after that have no silver.
Do buyers pay melt for junk silver?
An offer on junk silver is usually below melt, since the buyer must resell or refine it. How far below varies, so work out melt first and compare written offers.
Is a wartime nickel silver?
Five-cent pieces struck from October 1942 through 1945 were 35% silver, according to the Director of the Mint. Keep them separate from 90% coins.
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