To sell silver coins well, you need to know two numbers before anyone makes you an offer: how much silver the coins hold, and whether any of them are worth more than their silver. Both can be worked out at a kitchen table with the coins, a pencil and the chart on this page. A buyer does the same sums. The difference between a good sale and a poor one is usually whether the seller did them first.
Sell silver coins: what a buyer looks at, and what yours are worth
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, and that offer is yours to accept or refuse.
Which coins are worth selling as silver
US dimes, quarters and half dollars were struck in silver by law until 1965. The Coinage Act of 1965 took silver out of the dime and quarter, cut the half dollar to 40% silver, and said that any 90% coins struck after it passed had to be dated 1964. A 1970 law ended the 40% half dollar from January 1, 1971. That gives every seller a simple test by date and denomination:
| Coin | Dated | Silver | Silver per coin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dime | 1964 and earlier | 90% | 0.0723 troy oz |
| Quarter | 1964 and earlier | 90% | 0.1808 troy oz |
| Half dollar | 1964 and earlier | 90% | 0.3617 troy oz |
| Half dollar | 1965 to 1970 | 40% | 0.1479 troy oz |
| Morgan or Peace dollar | Morgan from 1878, Peace from 1921 | 90% | 0.7734 troy oz |
| American Silver Eagle | 1986 onward | .999 fine | 1 troy oz |
| Dimes and quarters | 1965 and later | None | None |
The weights come from the standards the US Mint published for these coins: a dime of 2.5 grams, a quarter of 6.25 grams and a half dollar of 12.5 grams, all 900 fine, and a silver dollar of 412.5 grains, also 900 fine. Silver content is the coin’s weight times 0.900. These are the figures for a coin at full weight; a well-worn coin weighs a little less.
Two smaller groups are easy to miss. Five-cent pieces struck from October 1942 through 1945 were made with 35% silver, according to the Director of the Mint. And a run of Eisenhower dollars was authorized in 40% silver, with 9.837 grams of silver each; ordinary Eisenhower dollars are copper-nickel. If you are not sure what a coin is, put it in a pile of its own and ask.
Melt value: the number every offer starts from
Melt value is the value of the pure silver, nothing more: troy ounces of silver x the spot price per troy ounce. Spot changes every trading day, so look it up on the day you sell. If spot silver is X dollars, one Morgan dollar has a melt value of 0.7734 x X dollars, and one Silver Eagle about 1 x X dollars.
Counting 90% coins by face value
For dimes, quarters and halves dated 1964 and earlier, you do not need to weigh anything. Because ten dimes, four quarters or two halves all weigh 25 grams at 90% silver, every dollar of face value holds 0.7234 troy ounces of silver, whatever mix of coins it is. Count the face value, multiply by 0.7234, and you have the silver weight of the whole pile. Twenty dollars in face value of 90% quarters holds 14.468 troy ounces.
Do the same for 40% halves separately: each holds 0.1479 troy ounces, so two of them (a dollar in face value) hold 0.2958 troy ounces. Keep 40% and 90% coins apart, because a buyer will price them apart.
Why an offer sits below melt
A buyer who buys coins for their silver has to resell or refine them, and needs a margin to stay in business. So an offer on common silver coins is usually below melt. How far below depends on the buyer and the kind of coin. You cannot know what a fair figure is unless you know melt first, which is why this page puts the arithmetic before the offer.
Collector value: when a coin is worth more than its silver
Some coins can sell for more than melt because collectors want them. What a collector looks at is the date, the mint mark (the small letter showing which Mint struck the coin) and the condition. A common worn coin is usually valued for its silver. A less common date and mint mark, or a coin that has hardly been handled, may be worth more than its silver.
So a pile of Morgan and Peace dollars should not be sold by weight without each coin being looked at. The full guide is on where to sell silver dollars. For dimes, quarters and halves, most coins found in jars and drawers are what dealers call junk silver, valued for metal; our guide on how to sell junk silver covers how those lots are priced.
What condition means to a buyer
Condition is how much wear a coin has: how sharp the high points of the design are, and whether there are scratches or dents. Ask that any coin that might be collectible is looked at one by one. Common worn 90% coins are usually counted by face value or weighed rather than judged coin by coin.
Do not clean coins
Cleaning cannot be undone, and a coin’s surface is part of what a collector judges. Sell coins as you found them.
Coins in graded holders
Some coins come sealed in a clear holder with a printed label. Keep the coin in its holder and give the buyer the name on the holder and the label details. Leave it to the buyer to say what the holder means for the offer.
How a buyer weighs and checks silver coins
For metal, the scale and the arithmetic matter. A troy ounce is 31.10348 grams, heavier than the 28.35 gram kitchen ounce, so an honest buyer weighs precious metal in troy ounces or grams and tells you which. In New York City, a business that buys precious metal must have a scale of a type approved by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, reading in divisions of 0.01 troy ounce or finer, and must tell the seller the troy weight. Wherever you sell, ask to see the scale’s reading.
For 90% coins, many buyers count face value instead of weighing, because face value gives the silver weight directly. Either method is fair if you are told which one was used and the figure it produced. For collectible coins, the buyer should explain which ones they set aside and why.
Silver coin buyers: the kinds, and what each suits
Silver coin buyers range from a neighborhood coin shop to large bullion dealers and auction houses. They are not interchangeable, and the right one depends on what you hold.
- Coin shops and coin dealers buy common silver coins, silver dollars and bullion coins over the counter, and can look for collectible dates.
- Bullion dealers focus on coins valued for metal, such as Silver Eagles and bags of 90% silver. Read more on how to sell Silver Eagles.
- Coin shows bring several dealers into one room, which makes comparing offers easy.
- Auction houses suit scarce coins and full collections. They charge fees and take time, and no price is promised.
- Pawnshops lend money against items. A pawn loan is not a sale, and in New York City lending on pledged goods needs a separate DCWP Pawnbroker licence.
Searching for silver coin buyers near me usually brings up a map of shops. Any of them can be a fine place to sell, as long as you arrive knowing your melt value and leave with a written offer you had time to think about.
Selling silver coins online
To sell silver coins online usually means describing them on a dealer’s website and shipping them. It can work for bullion coins you can describe exactly, such as Silver Eagles in original tubes. It is harder for mixed lots and collectible coins, which a buyer needs to see. Before you ship anything, find out who carries the risk in transit, how the coins are counted on arrival, and what happens if the buyer’s count differs from yours. Describing coins by phone first, as you can by calling this line, costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
Red flags when you sell silver coins
- A buyer who will not say how the offer was worked out, or by what weight.
- Weighing on a scale you cannot see, or in kitchen ounces.
- One price for a pile of silver dollars with no coin looked at one by one.
- Pressure to decide before you leave, or an offer that is only good right now.
- A request to clean or sort coins in a way that mixes collectible coins into a melt lot.
- In New York City: no DCWP licence on the wall, and no licence number on the receipt.
What to bring and what to expect
Bring photo ID, the coins sorted by kind, and any original boxes, tubes, holders or paperwork. In New York City a licensed buyer must see an official photo ID with your signature, record its type and number, have you sign in person, and keep a record of the sale; buyers cannot buy from minors. The step-by-step list is in our guide on how to sell silver coins.
A profit on coins may be taxed as a capital gain, at a maximum federal rate of 28% for collectibles (IRS Topic 409). Some larger sales of certain bullion coins may be reported by the dealer on Form 1099-B; most small sales of single coins are not. Ask a tax professional about your sale.
Ready to sell silver coins? Call, or send your coin list, and we pass it to an independent New York buyer, who can contact you.
Questions people ask
What is the easiest way to sell silver coins?
Sort them by kind, count the face value of the 90% coins, work out melt from the day’s spot price, and ask for a written offer. Calling first to describe the coins saves a wasted trip.
Are silver coin buyers near me as good as a big dealer?
They can be. What matters is that the buyer weighs in troy ounces where you can see it, explains the offer, and gives it in writing. Compare at least two offers on the same coins.
How much silver is in $1 face value of 90% coins?
0.7234 troy ounces, whether it is ten dimes, four quarters or two halves at full weight. Multiply by spot to get melt value.
Are 1965 quarters silver?
No. Under the Coinage Act of 1965, dimes and quarters from 1965 on are copper-nickel clad with a copper core. Only half dollars dated 1965 through 1970 kept silver, at 40%.
Can I sell silver coins online?
Yes, many dealers buy online, usually by shipment. It suits bullion coins you can describe exactly. Find out who carries the shipping risk and how the coins are counted before you send anything.
Is Where To Sell Silver Coins a buyer?
No. It is an independent referral service. We pass your details to an independent buyer in New York, who makes any offer.
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