Silver Melt Value Calculator

How Silver Melt Value Is Calculated

Every silver item has a melt value based on two things: how much it weighs and how pure the silver is. A 1-ounce .999 fine silver bar contains exactly 1 troy ounce of pure silver and is worth the spot price. A pre-1964 silver quarter weighs 6.25 grams but is only 90% silver, giving it 0.1808 troy ounces of pure silver content.

The formula: (weight in troy ounces) × (purity as a decimal) × (silver spot price per troy ounce) = melt value.

For US coins, the silver content of each denomination is fixed and well-documented, so you don't need to weigh individual coins. Just count them and multiply by their known silver content.

For sterling silver flatware and jewelry, you need a scale. Weigh the item in grams, divide by 31.1035 to convert to troy ounces, then multiply by 0.925 (for sterling) and by the spot price. The calculator above handles all of this automatically.

Silver Content of US Coins: A Quick Reference

Not all US coins contain silver. Here's what does and what doesn't:

90% silver (always worth more than face value): All US dimes, quarters, and half dollars dated 1964 or earlier. This includes Roosevelt dimes, Washington quarters, Kennedy halves (1964 only), Franklin halves, Walking Liberty halves, Barber coins, Standing Liberty quarters, and Mercury dimes. Morgan and Peace silver dollars are also 90% silver.

40% silver: Kennedy half dollars from 1965 to 1970 and certain Eisenhower dollars minted at San Francisco (1971-S through 1976-S in collector sets).

35% silver: Jefferson "war nickels" from 1942 to 1945, identifiable by the large mint mark (P, D, or S) above Monticello on the reverse.

No silver: All dimes, quarters, and half dollars dated 1965 and later (except the Kennedy halves noted above). All pennies. All regular nickels (except war nickels). All Eisenhower dollars from Philadelphia and Denver. All modern dollar coins.

How to quickly check: Look at the edge of the coin. A silver coin has a solid white-gray edge. A clad coin shows a copper stripe through the middle of the edge.

What Is Sterling Silver?

Sterling silver is 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% other metals (usually copper). It's the standard for silver flatware, jewelry, tea sets, candlesticks, and serving pieces. Items marked ".925," "925," or "Sterling" meet this standard.

Fine silver (.999) is 99.9% pure and is the standard for silver bullion bars, rounds, and American Silver Eagles. It's too soft for jewelry and flatware, which is why sterling exists.

Coin silver (.900) is 90% pure and was the US standard for circulating silver coins through 1964.

European silver is often .800 (80% pure), a common standard in countries like Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands.

Silver-plated items are NOT solid silver. They have a thin silver coating over a base metal. Silver plate is worth essentially nothing for its metal content. Look for stamps like "EPNS," "silver plate," "silverplate," or "German silver" — these indicate plating, not solid silver. Learn how to tell if silver is real.

What Is Junk Silver?

"Junk silver" is a dealer term for pre-1965 US silver coins that have no numismatic (collector) premium above their silver content. They're called "junk" not because they're worthless, but because their value comes from metal content rather than rarity or condition.

A common-date 1960 Washington quarter in circulated condition is junk silver. It's worth its silver melt value and not much more. A 1932-D Washington quarter in the same condition is NOT junk silver — it's a key date with collector premiums far above melt.

Junk silver is typically bought and sold in bags sorted by face value. A "$100 face value bag" of 90% silver quarters means 400 quarters with $100 in total face value, containing approximately 71.5 troy ounces of silver. Dealers quote junk silver as a multiple of face value (e.g., "22 times face").

The calculator at the top of this page includes a quick-entry feature where you can enter the total face value of your 90% silver coins and get an instant melt value.