Hi, I wish to sell some pre-1964 silver coins with a face value of $153.50. Can you give me a feel for how much these are worth and where I can sell them? Thanks. From Jon in Ottumwa, Iowa

Hi Jon,

Thanks for your question. Not all US coins minted 1964 and before contain the same amount of silver. Dimes, quarters, half dollars and nickels all vary in the amount of silver they contain. So just giving the face value of your silver coins is not enough information to return an accurate estimate about how much the silver in your coins is worth, but I can try to provide you some information that may help.

To give you an idea for their value here is a list of some common pre-1964 coins with their silver content:

(1942-1945) Silver War Nickel 0.0563 Standard Ounces of Silver in Mint Condition

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(1916-1945) Mercury Dime 0.0723 Standard Ounces of Silver in Mint Condition

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(1932-1964) Washington Quarter 0.1808 Standard Ounces of Silver in Mint Condition

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(1964) Kennedy Half Dollar 0.1479 Standard Ounces of Silver in Mint Condition

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(1878-1921) Morgan Dollar 0.7735 Standard Ounces of Silver in Mint Condition

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So as you can tell, the amount of silver in each of these coins is different. Because of this, the value of the coin will differ. Typically we return 90% of the fine silver value in weight on US silver quarters and dimes minted before 1964. For US silver nickels minted before 1964, however, we can only return 40% of the silver value because the large amounts of copper alloy in these coins requires significantly more energy (cost) to refine.

Also keep in mind that listed above is the amount of silver for coins that are in mint condition. After several years in circulation, many of these coins often have a slight drop in silver weight, around 1-2 percent.

You can visit our website for a larger list of silver coins that we can refine. Additionally we have posted other information about more specific silver coins on our blog.

About US Silver Dimes
About Silver Morgan Dollars
About Silver Washington Quarters and Half Dollars
About Silver War Nickels

I have about 710 silver dimes that were left to my family.  I’m not sure of the exact weight, but they are all 1964 and previous years, so I think the weight of silver in them is around 51.333 troy ounces.  Where can I sell silver dimes for more than the face value? Thanks! From Anthony in Fort Smith, Arkansas

Hi Anthony,

Thanks for your inquiry. US dimes minted 1964 and earlier are often called “junk silver” as they have silver value but little to no numismatic or collection value. Because they have a high percentage of silver content, they can be sold and refined for much more than their face value of 10 cents. Below are examples of the type of dimes you described.

As you can see the Mercury Dime and Roosevelt Dime have different designs. However, both contain the same amount of silver approximately 0.0723 troy ounces. Based on a silver price of $18 per troy ounce, each dime would be worth about $1.30.

Keep in mind however, that some of these coins may have been in circulation for almost 100 years. Many undoubtedly have experienced significant wear and often have a slight drop in silver weight, around 1-2 percent. The 0.0723 troy ounces of silver is from a coin in mint condition. That is why recommend actually weighing your coins before sending them in as we calculate the melt value based on the actual weight. We typically pay about 75% of the silver value to melt them and put them in a form that can be returned to the industry. Hope this information helps!

Hi, I would like to sell silver coins minted before 1964. Most are Morgan Dollars. I have about 300 + ounces of coins. How much do you pay on these silver coins? From Alberto in San Diego, California

Hi Alberto,

Thanks for your question about selling silver US Morgan Dollars. Morgan Dollars were minted from 1878 to 1904 and again for one more year in 1921. While most of your Morgan Dollars would be considered “junk silver,” meaning they do not have numismatic or collection value, you might want to look up if there were any special editions made that you could have in your stash. If these are in decent condition, you may receive more money from a coin collector than from a refiner like us. Below is an example of the US Morgan Dollar.

A Morgan Dollar can contain up to 0.7735 troy ounces of silver in mint condition. So using the spot price of silver today at $17.29 UDS/troy ounce,* one Morgan Dollar at market price can be worth up to $13.37. We can typically pay about 90% of the fine silver content by weight on these coins after refining and converting into a pure form.

Please weigh your coins before you ship them. If you only look up how much silver is in a mint condition Morgan Dollar, your estimate could be off slightly. Due to significant wear from years in circulation, coins often experience a slight drop in silver weight, around 1-2 percent.

*Note: the price of silver changes daily.

How much would 370 Washington silver quarters, minted between 1951 and 1964, and 97 Franklin and Liberty silver half dollars be worth melted? From Melissa in Tampa, Florida

Hi Melissa,

We do buy silver coins like yours for the silver value of the coins. Turning these older coins into a refiner is extremely profitable. We buy them for 90% of their fine silver value by weight which makes them worth well over their currency face value.

Today Washington quarters are made out of an alloy of 91.67% copper and 8.33% nickel that is also called clad or “sandwich metal.” However, Washington quarters minted with the date 1964 and earlier typically contain about 90% silver. Sometimes you can tell the difference by the clink sound of the coins. Instead of a ring, the silver coins against others sound like a thud.

An important item to note is that coins that have experienced significant wear often have a slight drop in silver weight, around 1-2 percent. That is why we recommend weighing your coins before you ship.

Because you have a significant amount of coins we would recommend using the US Postal Service’s flat rate shipping boxes and choosing the “signature required on delivery” option.

Visit our website for more information about our silver coin refining service.

I have several silver dollar coins that I would like an estimate on. They are as follows:

Year / Number

1923 / 48
1922 / 30
1924 / 10
1925 / 10
1926 / 4
1927 / 3
1800’s / 47

Thanks! From Jordan in Cleveland, Ohio

Hi Jordan,

Thank you for your question. We would be able to pay you for 90% of the fine silver value on your silver dollars that you have described. However, we do not take into account the numismatic or collection value of any coins that we refine. Please send them to us if you know that the actual silver value is more than what you could get if you took them to a coin dealer.

I would especially recommend taking your coins from the 1800’s to a coin dealer to check on their collection value. Even coins that are not in pristine condition can still have collection value that may exceed its silver content value.

Let us know if you would like to refine your silver coins based on their silver content. Thanks!

I have about 22 pounds of silver dimes that date before 1964. What is the value of these items please? From Matt in Rochester, New York

I have 277 Washington Quarters and 560 Roosevelt Dimes. What are these worth refined? From Jody in Olympia, Washington

Hi Matt and Jody,

We do buy dimes and quarters with a mint date of 1964 and earlier. We can pay you for 90% of their fine silver value by weight. Contact us for an estimate at current silver prices. Please weigh your silver coins before sending them in and indicate the weight on the packing slip.

Jody – please check and make sure your quarters and dimes are dated 1964 and earlier.

Also, it is important to note that coins that have experience significant wear often have a slight drop in silver weight, around 1-2 percent. We mention this because if you simply take the weight of a freshly minted coin, it will almost always be more than one that has been in circulation for years. Long story short, weigh your coins before sending them in.

We recommend shipping small, heavy items such as silver coins in the US Postal Service’s flat rat shipping boxes. Also request the “Delivery Signature Required” option with your shipment. For list of shipping pricing please refer to a previous blog entry about shipping costs.

I have 45 rolls of US War Nickels, which is 1,800 coins. What are these worth? From Nathan in Birmingham, Alabama

Hi Nathan,

Because of the significant amount of copper in War Nickels, the refining process takes quite a bit longer and requires more energy. This makes extraction more expensive and time consuming because the precious metal material has to go through extra treatments for longer periods of time.

We pay 40% of War Nickels’ silver by weight. This percentage is lower than some other coins that do not contain so much copper. Old quarters, dimes and half dollars usually contain more silver and less copper, allowing us to return a higher percentage on these items. Examples of junk silver coins include:

• Mercury Dime (1916-1945)
• Roosevelt Dime (1946-1964)
• Washington Quarter (1932-1964)
• Liberty Half Dollar (1916-1947)
• Franklin Half Dollar (1948-1963)
• Kennedy Half Dollar (1964)
• Kennedy Half Dollar (1965-1970)
• Morgan Dollar (1878-1921)
• Peace Dollar (1921-1935)
• Eisenhower Dollar (1971-1976)

For more information about junk silver coins, visit our website.

I have 3 Morgan coins – 2 coins dated 1921 and 1 dated 1880. And 1 Peace coin dated 1924. These coins were my grandmothers and are in pretty good condition. Could you tell me how to get a good price for my coins? From Katara in Severna Park, Maryland

Hi Katara,

Your coins do contain silver, but four coins are not worth very much based solely on their silver content. Since you mentioned that the coins are in good condition, a coin collector may be a better option for you.

As a precious metal refiner we only buy coins for their scrap silver value, not for the collection value or “numismatic” value. I recommend bringing them in person to a coin collector. I would also advise getting several appraisals from professionals.

Some coin collectors will buy coins for their silver content and then sell them in bulk to refiners. This price will probably be significantly lower than if your coins are collectables. Make sure you know if they are buying your coins for the silver or for the collection value.

I have a large number of rolls of 35% silver WWII nickels. Can you refine them into a 100 oz silver bar for me?  From Tim in Schuerch, Arkansas.

Hi Tim,

We can buy your nickels but we cannot refine them into a silver bar and send the bar back to you. We pay for 40% of their silver value by weight for “war” nickels.

Silver “war” nickels were produced by the United States from mid-1942 through 1945 and are in fact 35% silver and of course worth more than their currency value of .05 cents. The government used silver instead of nickel because nickel was in higher demanded for manufacturing military supplies. Today, nickels are made of about 75% copper and 25% nickel.

Knowing if your nickels are “war” nickels is to your advantage because they are worth more refined than spent in a vending machine. However, when the price of silver rose in the 1960s many of these valuable nickels disappeared, but every once in a while you can find one in your change. Here are a few ways you can tell the difference between “war” nickels and the others.

• Usually war nickels are a little darker in color than others.
• On the backside of war nickels there is a P, D, or S marked above the building (Monticello’s dome) and under E Pluribus Unum. (On nickels distributed today this marking is on the face side under the year.)

Visit our website for more information about where to sell silver coins.

I have quite a few silver coins: 33 quarters and 39 half dollars. I’ve been watching silver prices and thought now would be a good time to sell these. How much are these silver coins worth refined? – Terri in Carrollton, Texas

Hi Terri,

You’re right, silver prices are at an all time high and now would be an ideal time to add a little extra money to your pocketbook when you’re ready to sell. The first thing to look at is if your coins are “junk silver” coins where the silver content is worth more than their numismatic value. The most common quarters and half dollars we see at Arch are as follows:

• (1932-1964) Washington Quarter
• (1916-1947) Liberty Half Dollar
• (1948-1963) Franklin Half Dollar
• (1964) Kennedy Half Dollar
• (1965-1970) Kennedy Half Dollar
• (1920-1967) Canadian Quarter
• (1920-1967) Canadian Half Dollar

If your silver coins are in-fact junk silver and you have 33 quarters and 39 half dollars we would estimate their melt value to be $258 per pound based on a silver price of $17.75/troy ounce. We will retain a small 10% fee of the $258.

I have some old silver coins that I would like to sell.  What is the best way to go about this? — Amber in Pensacola, FL

If you are looking into selling silver or gold coins, the first step to consider is whether or not your coins have numismatic value. Coins with numismatic value are those that are worth more than their precious metal content. The value of rare coins is determined by four criteria:

1. Rarity
2. Quality
3. Grade
4. Popularity

For these types of coins, we recommend working with a rare coin dealer as you don’t want to sell them for their melt value.

Other silver coins are commonly referred to as “junk silver.” These coins have no value beyond their silver content. In the United States, most silver coins minted before 1964 have a fair amount of silver content and have value based on this precious metal content.

Here are a few examples of the most common junk silver coins we at Arch see.

• (1942-1945) Silver War Nickel
• (1916-1945) Mercury Dime
• (1946-1964) Roosevelt Dime
• (1932-1964) Washington Quarter
• (1916-1947) Liberty Half Dollar
• (1948-1963) Franklin Half Dollar
• (1964) Kennedy Half Dollar
• (1965-1970) Kennedy Half Dollar
• (1878-1921) Morgan Dollar
• (1921-1935) Peace Dollar
• (1971-1976) Eisenhower Dollar
• 1920-1967 Canadian Dime
• 1920-1967 Canadian Quarter
• 1920-1967 Canadian Half Dollar
• 1935-1967 Canadian Dollar