Calculator
Scrap Silver Value Calculator
Weigh it by purity — or count pre-1965 US coins — and see the actual silver content, melt value, and a realistic offer.
Your silver
Look for the stamp: "925"/"STERLING", "800", "999". Silver-plate (EPNS, "silver on copper") has no melt value — a magnet won't tell you, but a hallmark will.
Edit to override.
Coin shops commonly pay 90–95% of melt for recognized junk silver; refiners similar for sterling lots; pawn and walk-in buyers much less.
Tools for this job
Weigh it to 0.01 g and confirm it is sterling before you sell.
Digital precision pocket scale (0.01 g)
$Gold and silver are priced by the gram — you cannot sell them intelligently without weighing them yourself first. A $20 scale routinely changes a jewelry offer by hundreds of dollars because you walk in knowing the melt number.
Look for: 0.01 g resolution, 200–500 g capacity, includes calibration weight. Skip anything without a cal weight.
Pick: Weigh Gram digital pocket scale
Gold & silver acid test kit
$Settles the unmarked and the suspicious. A drop of graded acid confirms karat and separates sterling from silver-plate before you sell — cheap insurance against dumping real metal or overpaying for a lot.
Look for: Includes 10K/14K/18K (and silver) test acids plus a testing stone. Store the acids sealed and away from kids.
Pick: Gold & silver tester kit (10K–24K, 925/999)
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Two ways silver shows up
Scrap silver arrives in two forms, and they're priced differently. Weighed silver — sterling flatware, jewelry, older European pieces — trades on hallmark purity: .925 sterling, .900 coin silver, .800 continental. US junk silver coins skip the scale entirely: their silver content is standardized (0.715 ozt per $1 face for 90% coinage), so dealers count face value and quote against spot. The calculator's two modes mirror exactly that.
The hallmark is the whole game
With silver, plated pieces outnumber solid ones in most estate boxes — and plate is worth nothing as melt. The stamp settles it: "925", "STERLING", "800", "999" are solid; "EPNS", "EP", "silver plate", "A1" are plated. No stamp and no test means assume plated. And mind the weighted pieces: candlesticks and knife handles are commonly a thin sterling shell over cement — a magnet won't warn you, but the weight-to-size feel will.
Junk silver is the liquid end of scrap
Unlike a bucket of romex, a roll of pre-1965 quarters has a published, contested market price — junk silver is bought and sold daily at tight spreads, commonly 90–95% of melt at coin shops. That makes it less "scrap" and more "small bullion," and it means you should never accept scrap-metal-style discounts on it. Count it, run it here, and quote the number back.
Scrap silver questions
What is "junk silver"?
US dimes, quarters, half dollars, and dollars minted 1964 or earlier are 90% silver — "junk" just means they carry no collector premium, so they trade on silver content. The standard convention is 0.715 troy oz of silver per $1 of face value, which already accounts for circulation wear.
How do I spot a silver coin fast?
Check the date (1964 or earlier for dimes/quarters/halves), then the edge: silver coins show a solid silver edge, while clad coins show a copper stripe. Kennedy halves from 1965–1970 are the in-between case — 40% silver. War nickels (1942–45) show a large mint mark above Monticello.
Is sterling flatware worth melting?
Often, yes — a sterling fork is ~92.5% silver and weighs 40–80 g. But watch for two traps: knife handles are usually weighted with cement or resin (only the thin shell is silver), and "EPNS"/silver-plate is worth nothing as melt. Check every piece for a '925' or 'STERLING' stamp.
What payout should I expect?
Recognized junk silver is one of the most liquid forms — coin shops commonly pay 90–95% of melt, sometimes at or above melt when demand is hot. Sterling lots to a refiner land similar; walk-in buyers and pawn shops pay far less. The calculator lets you set the percentage so you can compare quotes.
Why do I enter the spot price myself?
Every ScrapTally tool runs entirely in your browser — no server, no stale price feed. Look up today's silver spot (it's one search), type it in, and it's saved locally for next time.
Could my coins be worth more than melt?
Sometimes — key dates, low-mintage years, and better-condition coins carry collector premiums that beat melt. If a coin looks unusually crisp or old (Barber, Seated Liberty, Carson City mint marks), check a coin reference before selling it as bulk silver.
Gold in the same box?
Karat gold has its own melt calculator with buyer-type payout comparison.