Silver Melt Value Calculator
Enter the quantity of each US silver coin you have to get an instant melt value at current silver spot. Works for 90% junk silver, 40% Kennedys, war nickels, Silver Eagles, and modern .999 dollars.
| Coin | Quantity | Silver (oz) | Melt value |
|---|---|---|---|
90% silver dimeRoosevelt 1946–1964, Mercury 1916–1945, Barber, Seated Liberty | 0.072 | $5.33 | |
90% silver quarterWashington 1932–1964, Standing Liberty, Barber, Seated Liberty | 0.181 | $13.33 | |
90% silver half dollarWalking Liberty, Franklin, Kennedy 1964 | 0.362 | $26.65 | |
40% silver Kennedy halfKennedy 1965–1970 (clad) | 0.148 | $10.90 | |
90% silver dollarMorgan 1878–1921, Peace 1921–1935 | 0.773 | $56.99 | |
Modern silver dollar (.999)Morgan & Peace 2021+, commemoratives | 0.858 | $63.23 | |
American Silver Eagle1986–present, 1 oz .999 fine | 1 | $73.69 | |
War nickel (35% silver)Jefferson 1942–1945 with large mint mark above Monticello | 0.056 | $4.15 | |
Half dimeCapped Bust, Seated Liberty 1794–1873 | 0.036 | $2.67 | |
Trade dollar1873–1885, .900 fine, 27.22 g | 0.787 | $58.02 | |
| Total | — | 4.274 oz | $314.95 |
How this calculator works
Every silver US coin has a published silver content — its weight in grams times its silver fineness, converted to troy ounces. Multiply the silver oz by the current spot price and you have the melt value: the raw worth of the metal in the coin, before any collector premium.
The figures used here come from US Mint specifications: 90% silver dimes contain 0.07234 troy oz, quarters 0.18084 oz, halves 0.36169 oz, dollars 0.77344 oz. A dollar of face value in mixed pre-1965 silver works out to about 0.715 troy oz of pure silver.
The override box on the spot card lets you model future scenarios — enter $50 to see what your stack would be worth if silver doubled, or any other figure. Live spot pulled from /metals.
Junk silver vs. bullion
"Junk silver" is the hobby term for 90% silver US coinage that no longer carries collector premiums in worn grades — common Roosevelt dimes, Washington quarters, Walking Liberty / Franklin / Kennedy halves dated before 1965. They trade close to melt value as a stack-able way to own physical silver. Modern bullion (Silver Eagles, .999 rounds and bars) trades at melt plus a small premium over spot.
For collector premiums on specific dates and grades, see the pre-1965 silver coins guide and the individual series pages on /coins/usa.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How much silver is in a pre-1965 US dime, quarter, or half dollar?
- Pre-1965 US dimes, quarters, and half dollars were struck in 90% silver and 10% copper. A dime contains about 0.07234 troy ounces of pure silver, a quarter 0.18084 oz, and a half dollar 0.36169 oz. A bag with $1 face value of 90% silver coins (any mix of dimes/quarters/halves) contains roughly 0.715 troy oz of pure silver.
- Are 40% silver Kennedy half dollars worth saving?
- Kennedy halves from 1965–1970 were struck on 40% silver-clad planchets and contain about 0.1479 troy ounces of silver each. They're worth roughly half the silver content of a pre-1965 half dollar, but at current spot prices they still carry meaningful melt value above face.
- What is a "war nickel" and how do I tell?
- War nickels are Jefferson nickels from 1942–1945 struck in 35% silver, 56% copper, and 9% manganese to free up nickel for the war effort. Identify them by the large mintmark (P, D, or S) above Monticello on the reverse — regular Jefferson nickels have the mintmark next to Monticello, not above. Each war nickel contains about 0.05626 troy oz of silver.
- How is melt value different from collector value?
- Melt value is just the metal content × spot price. Collector (or numismatic) value is what someone will pay for the coin as a collectible — driven by date, mintmark, condition, and rarity. For common-date silver coins in worn condition, the two values are close. For key dates and high-grade examples, collector value can be many multiples of melt.
- Where do you get the silver spot price?
- The live spot price comes from public metals market feeds, refreshed multiple times per business day. You can also override the price in the calculator above to model "what if silver hits $40?" or any other scenario.
- Are American Silver Eagles 100% silver?
- American Silver Eagles are .999 fine silver — 99.9% pure — and contain exactly 1 troy ounce of silver per coin. The remaining 0.1% is trace metals from the refining process. Modern Morgan and Peace dollars (2021–present) are also struck in .999 fine silver, with about 0.858 troy oz of silver per coin (heavier than the original 90% silver dollars at 0.77344 oz).