Value of Old Silver Coins: Melt Value by Coin Type

Old US silver coins are worth at least the value of the silver in them, and at a silver price of $63.73 an ounce that is $4.62 for a pre-1965 dime, $11.55 for a quarter and $23.10 for a half dollar. These melt values are from NGC's coin melt value table, using the silver bid of $63.73 per troy ounce posted on 25 September 2026. Because silver moves every day, the figures on this page will drift; the silver weights do not change.

A coin is worth more than melt when it is a scarce date or mint mark, or in exceptional condition. For common dates in circulated condition, the metal is the value.

Years and silver percentages are from Golden Eagle Coins; silver weights and melt values are NGC's, at $63.73 silver on 25 September 2026.

• War nickels, 1942 to 1945, 35% silver: 0.0563 oz, $3.60.
• Dimes, 90% silver: Barber 1892 to 1916, Mercury 1916 to 1945, Roosevelt 1946 to 1964. 0.0723 oz, $4.62.
• Quarters, 90% silver: Barber 1892 to 1916, Standing Liberty 1916 to 1930, Washington 1932 to 1964. 0.1808 oz, $11.55.
• Half dollars, 90% silver: Barber 1892 to 1915, Walking Liberty 1916 to 1947, Franklin 1948 to 1963, Kennedy 1964. 0.36169 oz, $23.10.
• Kennedy half dollars, 1965 to 1970, 40% silver: 0.1479 oz, $9.45.
• Morgan dollars 1878 to 1921 and Peace dollars 1921 to 1935, 90% silver: 0.7734 oz, $49.40.

The cut-off comes from the Coinage Act of 1965, signed on 23 July 1965, which removed silver from the dime and quarter and cut the half dollar to 40%; the half dollar lost its silver entirely after 1970 (Wikipedia).

Dealers often quote junk silver by face value, so it helps to convert. Using NGC's silver weights and the 25 September 2026 price of $63.73 (our calculation):

• $1 face in 90% dimes (10 coins): 0.723 oz, about $46.
• A $5 roll of 90% dimes (50 coins): 3.615 oz, about $230.
• A $10 roll of 90% quarters (40 coins): 7.232 oz, about $461.
• A $10 roll of 90% half dollars (20 coins): 7.234 oz, about $461.

The formula is: number of coins × silver weight per coin × today's silver price. A dealer's buying price will be lower than melt, so ask for the quote per dollar of face value and compare two or three buyers.

• Date. Dimes and quarters dated 1964 or earlier and half dollars dated 1970 or earlier can contain silver; later circulating ones do not.
• Edge. Clad coins are layers of copper-nickel bonded to a pure copper core (Wikipedia), so the copper shows as a band on the edge. A silver coin's edge is the same colour all the way across.
• Weight. A silver Washington quarter weighs 6.25 grams and a clad one 5.67 grams (Wikipedia), a difference a kitchen scale that reads to 0.1 g will show.
• War nickels from 1942 to 1945 that contain silver are the 35% alloy listed by Golden Eagle Coins.

Before selling by weight, check each coin's date and mint mark against a coin price guide such as PCGS or NGC. Scarce dates, low-mintage mint marks, proof coins and coins in uncirculated condition sell to collectors for more than melt. The quickest filter is condition: a coin with sharp detail and original lustre deserves a look before it goes into a melt lot. Do not clean coins; cleaning lowers collector value.

Photograph both sides of each coin in even light, with the date and mint mark sharp. AntiqLens can read the type, date and likely silver content from the photos. Weigh any coin you are unsure of and compare it with the weights above.

Research and drafting for this page were assisted by AI and checked line by line against the sources listed below. Prices are copied from the named auction house, dealer or guide with the sale date where the source gives one and the date we checked it; asking prices and estimates are labelled as such, and where a figure could not be confirmed we say so rather than estimate. If you find an error, tell us and we will correct it.