Describe your silver
What your silver would be worth if it were 100% pure (.999) at today's spot price. Most items sit below this because sterling and coins are not pure silver.
Spot value of the silver metal in your item (weight x purity x spot). This is the absolute melt floor before any buyer margin.
Because you marked purity as unknown, this shows the realistic range from .800 (low) to .999 (high). Determine the fineness to narrow this down.
Your position is in the green vs. what you paid. Today's melt value alone covers your cost basis. Premium buyers (online dealers, recognized brands) typically pay slightly above melt for bullion.
Your position is below your cost basis at today's spot. Silver spot moves, so this is a snapshot. If you bought during a premium spike, the loss can shrink when premiums normalize.
Already got an offer? Check if it is fair (optional)
Enter the offer a pawn shop, jeweler, or online buyer has given you. We will tell you in 1 second whether it is fair, low for the channel, or a walk-away lowball.
Disclaimers & sources
Educational only. This calculator is not financial, tax, or legal advice. Consult a CPA or attorney before any major sale or rollover.
Heads up: Some silver sales trigger a dealer-issued Form 1099-B at set thresholds (for example 1,000 oz silver bars, or 90% silver US coin bags of $1,000 or more in face value). Gains on physical silver are taxed at the 28% collectibles rate, not long-term capital gains. See the IRS Form 1099-B instructions and Pub 544, and consult a CPA.
State law notice. California, New York, Florida, and Texas (and others) require precious metals dealers to register and observe holding periods (CA 30 days, FL 15 days). Verify a dealer's state license before mailing items.
Sources. Channel payout ranges reflect published pawn-industry guidance, coin-dealer and junk-silver references, and refiner schedules (retrieved June 2026): pawn payout around 50 to 75% of melt; recognized .999 bullion buys back near spot; sterling and scrap via a refiner around 75 to 90% of melt after refining; 90% junk silver around 90 to 97% of melt, and in 2026 sometimes at or below melt because of a refinery bottleneck. Ranges are illustrative and updated periodically; your quote depends on quantity, product, and the day's market. References: Gainesville Coins, CoinWeek, Mid-States Recycling, Phoenix Refining, JM Bullion, and pawn-industry buyer guides. Tax note: IRS Form 1099-B instructions and Pub 544.
How we make money. Goldiew may earn a referral fee if you click through and request a kit or quote from a partner. We never adjust the calculator math or the channel ranges based on these relationships.
Next steps Pick your next move
Not sure it is solid silver? Check the stamp, and ask a jeweler or coin shop for an acid or XRF test before you sell. A plain magnet test does not confirm silver on its own.
Saving keeps your weight, purity, and any offer on this device, so your numbers are ready the next time you open this page. Nothing leaves your browser.
How this calculator works
Where the spot price comes from
Spot silver is pulled from goldapi.io, which references COMEX (the US futures market that sets the global silver benchmark). The current spot is shown at the top of this calculator with a freshness timestamp so you always know how recent the price is. Spot is refreshed at least once a day; small intraday moves rarely change the verdict materially for household-scale sums.
Why we show a range, not an exact price
Every buyer adds a margin. Refiners deduct a melt loss (silver lost in slag and processing) plus a fixed assay fee. On top of this, the buyer adds their own margin for overhead, inventory turn, and dealer risk. Pawn shops, coin shops, online mail-in buyers, and refiners each have typical margin ranges based on published references. The numbers here reflect those ranges, not promises.
What this calculator estimates
Strictly melt value, the value of the silver metal alone. It does not account for: numismatic premium (rare or collectible coins), brand premium on bullion (some recognized brands trade slightly higher), a named-maker design premium on sterling flatware, or stones and non-silver fittings on jewelry (subtract their weight from your total).
For purity = unknown
The output shows a range from .800 (low) to .999 (high). A jeweler or coin shop can confirm fineness with a quick acid or XRF test. We recommend doing this before accepting any larger offer.
Why the day-of rate matters for silver
Silver moves more than gold on a percentage basis from day to day. A quote that is good this morning can shift by the afternoon. For larger lots, confirm the buyer's rate on the day you sell, and get more than one quote when the dollars are meaningful.
Your inputs stay in your browser. We never store the weight, purity, buy price, or offer values you type. Privacy policy · Your Privacy Choices (CCPA).
Live spot from goldapi.io (COMEX-referenced), with realistic payout percentages sourced from coin-dealer references, refiner schedules, and pawn industry data. No signup, no email; your inputs stay in your browser.
Use the tool above to estimate the silver-content value of your coins, flatware, or bullion, see what each type of buyer typically pays, and (if you already have an offer) check whether it is fair before you sign anything.
How to estimate your silver value in 5 steps
- 1Weigh your silverUse a kitchen scale that reads to 0.1 grams, or one that switches to troy ounces. A $12 scale on Amazon is enough. Weigh each piece or coin lot on its own if you can.
- 2Find the fineness stampLook on the back of a coin, under a spoon handle, or on a bar face. You will see 999 (fine), 958 (Britannia), 925 or STERLING or STER, 900 or COIN (US 90%), 835, or 800. No stamp? Pick Unknown in the calculator and we will show you a range from 0.800 to 0.999.
- 3Pick what kind of silver it isJunk 90% or 40% coins (pre-1965 dimes, quarters, halves), a bullion coin (Silver Eagle, Maple, Britannia), a .999 bar or round, sterling flatware or jewelry, a numismatic dollar, or silver-plated ware.
- 4Read your four offersThe calculator shows what pawn shops, coin shops, online mail-in buyers, and bullion dealers typically pay. Pick the channel that matches your speed-versus-payout preference.
- ✓Got an offer already? Check itScroll to Quote Check, paste the dollar amount, and see in one second whether it is fair, low for the channel, or a walk-away lowball.
Four buyer channels: who pays what for silver
The same silver can fetch wildly different prices depending on where you sell. The calculator shows the realistic range for each of these four channels, based on coin-dealer and junk-silver references, refiner schedules, bullion buyback disclosures, and pawn-industry buyer guides.
| Channel | Sterling scrap | Recognized bullion | Speed | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pawn shop | 40 to 65% of melt | 65 to 85% of spot | Cash same day | Fast cash, low-value scrap |
| Coin shop / local jeweler | 55 to 75% of melt | 92 to 98% of spot | Same day or 1 to 3 days | Recognized coins, like-new pieces |
| Online mail-in / refiner | 75 to 90% of melt (flatware 80 to 85%, bulk .999 lots up to 90%+) | 93 to 100% of spot | 5 to 7 days | Bulk lots, no local options, $500+ lots |
| Bullion dealer (APMEX, JM Bullion, SD Bullion) | Usually declined (route to refiner) | 95 to 100% of spot | 1 to 5 days | Bullion coins, bars, recognized brands |
Ranges sourced from coin-dealer and junk-silver references, refiner schedules (Mid-States Recycling, Phoenix Refining), bullion buyback disclosures (JM Bullion), and pawn-industry buyer guides. In 2026, 90% junk silver has at times cleared at or below melt because of a refinery bottleneck (CoinWeek, Gainesville Coins). Last methodology review: June 2026. Full sourcing in the calculator methodology card.
Why do pawn shops pay so much less than silver dealers?
Pawn shops are not the villain in this story. They are running a different business model than a refiner or a dealer, and the math behind their offer is structural, not personal. Here is what is actually happening behind the counter.
- 1The pawn shop is not the end buyerThey do not melt silver. They accumulate scrap and sterling for two to six weeks, then ship a sealed lot to a refiner (Mid-States Recycling, Phoenix Refining) who pays them a percentage of melt after assay. The ceiling on what they could ever pay you is set by that refiner schedule before they earn a dime.
- 2Refining loss is realSterling and mixed scrap lose a few percent during melting and assay. Silverplate is worse: it is near-zero silver content, so a lot of what looks like silver yields almost nothing. The shop prices that risk in upfront because they cannot send it back if it under-yields.
- 3Cash conversion is not freeThat cash in their till is working capital. It sits in your flatware for three to six weeks before the refiner check clears. That is a real annualized cost of capital, the same as any short-term lender.
- 4Lending arbitrageA pawn loan is the higher-margin product. Every lot bought outright is a lot that did not generate monthly interest as loan collateral. They underprice outright purchases on purpose, hoping to nudge you toward a loan instead.
- 5Storefront overheadLease, loose-asset insurance, security, compliance, state pawnbroker reporting. Add a fixed cost per transaction, which hurts most on low-dollar silver lots.
- 6Walk-out psychologyMost sellers do not drive to a second shop. The lowball works because friction is the seller’s enemy and the buyer’s friend.
Bullion dealers like APMEX or JM Bullion can pay 95 to 100% of spot for recognized coins and bars because they skip the storefront, take volume from refiners directly, and resell to investors at a premium. Their margin lives in the spread between spot and the retail premium they charge on new sales, not in lowballing buybacks.
Worked example: what is $50 face of 90% junk silver worth today?
Before you sell: 5 things to verify
- 1Weigh in front of youWatch the buyer weigh your silver on a calibrated scale. Do not let coins or pieces leave your sight before pricing.
- 2Confirm the test methodA plain magnet test does not confirm silver. A reputable buyer uses an acid test or X-ray fluorescence at the counter. Ask which method and watch it.
- 3Get a written offerDemand the offer in writing with weight, fineness, and spot price referenced. A verbal offer is not an offer.
- 4Ask for the fee breakdownSome buyers deduct an “assay fee” or “refining fee” off the top, and it bites hardest on scrap. Confirm before signing.
- ✓Know your walk-away numberUse the calculator above before you walk in. If the offer is below the bottom of the channel range, walk.
When this calculator is not the right tool
This calculator estimates the silver-content value only, the value of the silver metal alone. It cannot value rare or graded coins (numismatic premium), collectible dollars, or silverplate (EPNS and “silver plated” ware is not solid silver and carries near-zero silver content).
For Morgan or Peace dollars, key dates, or any graded coin, check the value beyond melt first before selling anything to a scrap buyer, because a collectible sold for melt is money left behind. For sterling jewelry set with gemstones, see a jewelry buyer who pays for the stones too. If you are not sure whether your piece is actually silver (rather than silver-plated or fake), run the home tests first.
Frequently asked questions
Do pawn shops pay spot price for silver?
No. Pawn shops almost never pay spot. The typical pawn payout is 60 to 82% of melt for 90% junk silver and 40 to 65% of melt for sterling scrap. The reasons are structural (refiner margin, capital cost, overhead, lending arbitrage). For something closer to spot, sell recognized bullion to a bullion dealer (95 to 100% of spot) or a coin shop (92 to 98% of spot).
How much is an ounce of silver worth today?
At current spot near $63.97 per troy ounce (about $2.06 per gram), one troy ounce of .999 fine silver has a melt value equal to spot. For 90% junk silver, $1 in face value contains 0.715 troy ounces of pure silver, so a $50 face lot holds 35.75 ounces. A pawn shop would typically pay 60 to 82% of that melt, an online mail-in buyer 90 to 98%, and a bullion dealer 90 to 100%. These values update daily with the silver market; use our calculator above for the exact current pricing.
Is 90% junk silver worth more than its face value?
Yes, far more. Pre-1965 US dimes, quarters, and half dollars are 90% silver, and $1 in face value contains 0.715 troy ounces of pure silver. At any modern silver price that melt value is many times the coin’s face value, which is why these coins trade by weight, not by denomination. 40% Kennedy halves from 1965 to 1970 hold 0.2958 ounces of pure silver per dollar of face value.
Do I owe tax when I sell silver?
Possibly. Certain silver sales trigger a dealer-issued IRS Form 1099-B at defined thresholds, for example 1,000 ounce silver bars or 90% silver US coin bags of $1,000 or more in face value. Gains on physical silver are taxed at the 28% collectibles rate rather than the long-term capital gains rate. See the IRS Form 1099-B instructions and Publication 544, and consult a CPA for your situation. We do not report your sale and the calculator math is never adjusted for tax.
How do I tell sterling from silverplate?
Look for the stamp. Solid sterling is marked 925, STERLING, or STER. Silverplate is marked EPNS, A1, “silver plated”, or simply has no fineness stamp. Britannia is 958, US coin silver is 900 or COIN, and European pieces read 835 or 800. A plain magnet test does not confirm silver either way; an acid or X-ray fluorescence test at a jeweler does. Silverplate carries near-zero silver content, so most buyers decline it.
Why does the calculator show a range instead of an exact price?
No buyer pays exact spot. Every buyer adds a margin to cover refining costs, refining time, overhead, and market risk. For sterling scrap, pawn shops typically pay 40 to 65% of melt and online refiners pay 75 to 90%. For recognized .999 bullion, coin shops pay 92 to 98% of spot and bullion dealers 95 to 100%. For 90% junk silver, payouts run 60 to 100% of melt, and in 2026 have sometimes sat at or below melt because of a refinery bottleneck. The range shown for each channel reflects industry-reported norms, not a promise.