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I have a large number of rolls of 35% silver WWII nickels. Can you refine them into a 100 oz silver bar for me?  From Tim in Schuerch, Arkansas.

Hi Tim,

We can buy your nickels but we cannot refine them into a silver bar and send the bar back to you. We pay for 40% of their silver value by weight for “war” nickels.

Silver “war” nickels were produced by the United States from mid-1942 through 1945 and are in fact 35% silver and of course worth more than their currency value of .05 cents. The government used silver instead of nickel because nickel was in higher demanded for manufacturing military supplies. Today, nickels are made of about 75% copper and 25% nickel.

Knowing if your nickels are “war” nickels is to your advantage because they are worth more refined than spent in a vending machine. However, when the price of silver rose in the 1960s many of these valuable nickels disappeared, but every once in a while you can find one in your change. Here are a few ways you can tell the difference between “war” nickels and the others.

• Usually war nickels are a little darker in color than others.
• On the backside of war nickels there is a P, D, or S marked above the building (Monticello’s dome) and under E Pluribus Unum. (On nickels distributed today this marking is on the face side under the year.)

Visit our website for more information about where to sell silver coins.

I have approx. 5 pounds of “silver flake” extracted from scrap x-ray film 15 years ago. I’m not certain of the purity. I used to sell it to a buyer in the Reno area. Do you have a buyer in the Las Vegas area? – From Jay

We do not have a buyer in the Las Vegas area, but we have people ship silver to us from around the US every day. If you send it to us we can pay you much quicker than a remote buyer or broker since we are the refiner. Please let us know if you would like to send it in, I can obtain an estimate for you. We will be able to pay you 75-85 percent of the silver value for the silver flake.

Because about one-fifth of the world’s silver is used in x-ray film, recycling these items is optimal for the environment. All the silver that Arch Enterprises refines is sold directly back into industries that utilize silver such as the medical industry, photography industry, jewelry industry and more.

I have an 18k gold plated wall sconce light fixture. It retailed for $2300 new. Since it was so expensive, I’m wondering if it has more than just the typical thin layer of gold plating and if so, would it be possible to salvage the gold? – From David

Hi David,

Without seeing or testing the light fixture I cannot say for certain if the gold on your light fixture is more than a plating. However, usually the retailer and/or manufacturer will let the buyer know if an item contains a significant amount of gold because it would be a major selling point for them.

Also, it can be easy to get hung up on the retail price of an item, but it is very different from the melt value of the item. Even though the retail price is high does not mean that price translates to the precious metal value, which is the only value that refiners take into consideration.

If the piece is not damaged, I would guess that the retail value of it would be worth more than the precious metal value. Arch Enterprises would not be able to offer you a return for the gold plated item because there would not be enough gold to extract. I would check to see if your wall sconce is a brand name and even if you could sell pieces of it separately. Hope this helps!

I have thermocouple wire to sell/refine. Total weight is about 2000 grams. Half is pure platinum, the other half is 87% platinum, 13% Rhodium. Do you buy from the general public. Also, do you pay for the rhodium content or only the platinum? – Steven from Virginia

Hi Steven,

We are a precious metal refiner that does buy from the public. We will pay you for 70% of the fine platinum content by weight. We do pay on rhodium, but the rhodium amount you described is too small to offer a payment. You can find more information about our platinum recovery services on our website.

How does your medical x-ray film recycling work? Do I have to send in my x-rays? – Sara in Memphis, TN

We recommend finding a dealer that will come to you. Arch will conduct on-site purging of x-rays and x-ray refining in eight states: Alabama, Northern Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Tennessee. This just makes things easier for you because we will bring all the necessary materials such as Gaylord boxes, skids and drums.

Another feature to look for in your refining service is if they are HIPAA compliant and offer Certificates of Destruction and documentation of general liability and environment insurance policies. You can also find a service that will sort and remove the x-ray films for you.

If you do not live within the above locations, you can send in your x-rays to a refiner, but the shipping costs will fall on you. Look around your area and try and find a refiner that will conduct on-site x-ray film recycling.