Silver Melt Value Calculator
Got a coffee can of old dimes, a roll of halves or a stack of bars? Weigh them or count them, enter today's spot price, and see what the silver inside is worth as metal.
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, by appointment
Live spot prices
- Gold Loading
- Silver Loading
- Platinum Loading
- Palladium Loading
Spot is the going market rate for a troy ounce of pure metal. Treat it as a yardstick, not an offer.
Figure the silver in your coins and bars
Enter a weight, or count coins with the helper. Choose the purity, add a current spot price, and the estimate appears.
The spot price changes throughout the trading day. Please enter the figure currently quoted for silver.
Your melt estimate
Add a weight and a spot price, then press Work out melt value.
This figure covers the metal only and is not an offer. A real offer also reflects testing, the confirmed weight and fineness, the market that day, the buyer's margin and any collector premium.
The silver table behind the coin helper
These are the figures the helper uses. The last column lets you skip counting and work from the face value of a roll or a jar instead.
| Coin | Weight | Silver share | Per coin | Per dollar of face |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dime, 1964 or earlier | 2.50 g | 90% | 0.0723 | 0.7234 |
| Quarter, 1964 or earlier | 6.25 g | 90% | 0.1808 | 0.7234 |
| Half dollar, 1964 or earlier | 12.50 g | 90% | 0.3617 | 0.7234 |
| Kennedy half, 1965 to 1970 | 11.50 g | 40% | 0.1479 | 0.2958 |
| War nickel, 1942 to 1945 | 5.00 g | 35% | 0.0563 | 1.1253 |
| Morgan or Peace dollar, original series | 26.73 g | 90% | 0.7734 | 0.7734 |
Pocket wear takes a little off
Decades in circulation rub away some metal. For worn 90% coins, much of the trade works from about 0.715 troy ounce per dollar of face, a bit under the 0.7234 of a fresh coin.
A quick face value shortcut
A roll of forty quarters dated 1964 or earlier is ten dollars face, or about 7.2 troy ounces of silver in new condition. Twenty war nickels make one dollar face.
Silver melt value in three moves
Weight, then purity, then spot. That is the entire recipe.
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Enter a weight or a coin count
Type grams or troy ounces, or use the coin helper to turn a count of dimes, quarters, halves or dollars into a weight.
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Apply the silver fraction
Use 0.90 for U.S. coins dated 1964 or earlier, 0.40 for Kennedy halves from 1965 to 1970, 0.35 for war nickels and 0.999 for bullion.
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Multiply by spot
Troy ounces of pure silver times the spot price per troy ounce is melt value, before refining or dealer costs.
A roll of halves, worked by hand
Twenty half dollars dated 1964 or earlier weigh 250 grams. Nine tenths of that, 225 grams, is silver, which equals 7.234 troy ounces.
With silver at thirty-five dollars an ounce, the silver in that roll would be worth roughly two hundred fifty dollars.
When silver is worth more than its weight
Melt value treats every piece as raw metal. For some coins, that leaves money on the table.
Metal may only be the starting point
- Morgan and Peace dollars with sharp detail or a scarce mint mark
- Key dates, such as scarce Mercury dimes or early Standing Liberty quarters
- Proof sets and uncirculated rolls still in their original packaging
Usually sold on metal alone
- Worn dimes, quarters and halves from common dates
- Circulated 40% Kennedy halves from 1965 to 1970
- Generic bars and rounds with no collector following
The silver coins page covers which dates deserve a closer look. Full albums and big holdings are on selling a coin collection, and everything else is on our page about selling silver.
Entering bars, rounds and Silver Eagles
Bullion is the easy case. The fine silver weight is stamped right on it, so choose .999 fine and enter what the stamp says.
- A Silver Eagle or one-ounce round. Enter 1 troy ounce.
- Ten and hundred ounce bars. Enter 10 or 100 troy ounces.
- Bars stamped in grams. Switch the unit to grams and type the stamped figure.
- Morgan and Peace dollars dated 2021 or later. These are .999 fine. Enter 26.73 grams on the .999 bullion setting, not the 90% coin setting.
Bar sizes, mints and assay cards are explained on our bullion page.
Want someone to look at the silver itself?
Call or send a request for a weekday appointment in McKinney. A rough count of rolls, dollars and bars helps us set aside the right amount of time.
Silver melt questions
Which nickels have silver in them?
Only certain nickels from 1942 to 1945. Turn the coin over: the silver ones carry a large P, D or S above the dome of Monticello. No big letter there means no silver.
Are my 1965 and later dimes and quarters worth weighing?
Not if they came out of circulation. From 1965 on, everyday dimes and quarters are copper and nickel with no silver. Kennedy halves are the exception, holding 40% silver through 1970. Silver proof sets also contain 90% silver dimes, quarters and halves (.999 fine from 2019), and the 1976-S bicentennial silver issues are 40% silver. Keep those in their Mint packaging, separate from pocket change.
Should I enter grams or troy ounces?
Whatever your scale or the stamp shows. Most bars and rounds are marked in troy ounces and most digital scales read grams. Set the calculator to match and it converts for you.
Do you see the numbers I enter?
No. The calculator runs entirely in your browser and nothing you type reaches us. If you would like us to look at the silver in person, use the request form near the end of the page.
Set up your appointment
- Based in
- McKinney, TX, serving Collin County
- Hours
- Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, by appointment
- Where we meet
- At our private McKinney office, your home or a secure location such as your bank
- Have ready
- Your photo ID and the pieces you plan to sell
Our office address stays off the web for everyone's safety. We give it to you by phone once a time is booked.
You receive an offer to buy, which is different from a written appraisal prepared for insurance, probate or tax purposes.
Request a quote
Takes under a minute. We ring you back on a weekday, or you can call (469) 249-8420 now.