Junk silver calculator
Enter the face value of your old silver coins to see their melt value at today's silver price. Works for US 90% and 40% coins, war nickels and Canadian 80% silver.
Common questions
What is junk silver?
Junk silver is common, circulated silver coins that are worth about their silver content rather than any collector premium. In the US that usually means dimes, quarters and half dollars dated 1964 and earlier, which are 90% silver.
How much silver is in $1 face value of 90% coins?
$1 face value of 90% silver dimes, quarters or half dollars contains 0.7234 troy ounces of silver when the coins are new. Because circulated coins are slightly worn, many dealers figure 0.715 troy ounces per $1 face instead.
How do I tell if a coin is silver?
Check the date first: US dimes, quarters and halves dated 1964 and earlier are 90% silver. On clad coins from 1965 on, a copper stripe shows on the edge. Silver coins have a plain silver-colored edge.
Are 1965 and later quarters silver?
No. US dimes and quarters from 1965 on are copper-nickel clad with no silver. Kennedy half dollars from 1965 to 1970 are 40% silver, and halves from 1971 on have no silver except special collector issues.