Category Archives: Silver

QUESTION:
I have 13 avoirdupois pounds of Canadian coins that are dated before 1968. These are all from the Canadian Mint. What can you give me for these? – From Bridget in Maine

ANSWER:
Hi Bridget,

Pre 1968 Canadian Silver Coins

Thank you for your inquiry.  Depending on circulation, for Canadian coins up to the year 1967, the silver content was 80% silver by weight.  During the year 1967, the silver composition of circulating coins was reduced from 80% to 50%.  As such, coins were minted that look identical, but are composed of either 80 or 50 percent silver.  If any of your coins are dated 1967, then the silver content could vary and the estimate quoted below would be different.

Based on the day we receive your shipment at our refinery, we return 80% of the N.Y. Comex Spot market based price of Silver per troy ounce. As of right now, the Spot price of Silver is $17.33, per troy ounce.  There are 14.583 troy ounces to every Avoirdupois Pound. Based on this, here is the process that we use to calculate payment.

FIRST TO FIND THE FIND SILVER CONTENT
13 lbs. x 14.583 troy ounces = 189.579 troy ounces x 80% silver content = 151.66 troy ounces of fine silver content

PAYMENT
151.66 troy ounces x $17.33 Spot = $2,628.27 x .80 = $2,102.62, your return, had we received your coins today at the refinery.

Thank you for your question. Please contact us if you would like to send us your material.

^{* Please keep in mind that we are not a coin dealer and cannot give estimates based on the value of collectable, rare or vintage coins. As a precious metal refiner, we only give estimates based on the weight of items and the amount of precious metal available for recovery.}

^{_{* Blog estimates are given on a case by case basis and are not Arch’s final settlement price. Any prices or estimates in blog articles are based on the precious metal prices at the time of the post and can change on a daily basis as the price of precious metals change.}}

^{_{* Read our disclaimer}}

Q: Hi, I have 20 pounds of silver contacts. Please let me know if you take this material and how much my return will be. – From Dawn in Modesto, California

A: Thanks for your question! We get a range of silver contacts to refine. Your 20 pounds of material meets our volume requirements for silver contacts. Silver bearing contacts vary widely in silver content. Typically, the best and worst case scenarios are anywhere from 35 to 90 percent silver.

We can return 65% of the silver dollar value back to the customer. This percentage is due to the presence of cadmium, which emits a potentiality harmful gas when melted. If cadmium is present we must process with an oxidizing wet process. If you choose to ship your material to us for processing, we will analyze and contact you with the silver percentage before processing. Then, with customers consent, we will process and pay for the material. We work as quickly as possible for a fast turnaround for our customers. From the time that we receive your material, it will take approximately 5 business days for us to mail payment.

Thank you for your inquiry and for considering Arch!

_{* Blog estimates are given on a case by case basis and are not Arch’s final settlement price. Any prices or estimates in blog articles are based on the precious metal prices at the time of the post and can change on a daily basis as the price of precious metals change.}

_{* Read our disclaimer}

Q: I have 10KG of silver cell batteries. Do you take this material? — From James in Arlington, TX

Refine Silver Oxide Batteries

A: Thank you for your inquiry! YES, Arch does refine the silver from silver oxide batteries.

The first item to note is that we do not accept co-mingled lots, so you will have to separate these batteries out if they are among other items or other types of batteries. We do not accept lithium batteries for example.

Depending on the volume that is sent in for refining, we typically pay $16 to $25, per pound of silver oxide batteries.  So for your 10 KG (which converts to 22 lbs) we would pay with a Spot price of Silver being today at $18.32 the following:

(22 lbs of Silver Oxide batteries x $27.93, per pound = $614.46, back to you, had we received your batteries today at our refinery)

Thank you for your question! Please let us know if we can be of service.

• HOW TO SHIP
• PACKING SLIP

Please Note:  there is a 5 pound minimum for Silver Oxide Batteries.

_{* Images displayed are only a representation of the items described in this blog post and may not be true images of the items in question.}

_{* While we are happy to give estimates on precious metal items, we are NOT antiques dealers, researchers, or retail sellers. As a precious metal refiner, we only consider the weight and amount of precious metal available to extract during the smelting and refining process.}

_{* Blog estimates are given on a case by case basis and are not Arch’s final settlement price. Any prices or estimates in blog articles are based on the precious metal prices at the time of the post and can change on a daily basis as the price of precious metals change.}

_{* Read our disclaimer}

Question: “I have recently inherited a silver coin collection and the coins have “one troy ounce, .999 fine silver” written on the back of them. What does troy ounce mean, and how much can I expect to get from each of them?” – From Hayden in Portland, Oregon

Hi Hayden,

Thank you for sending us pictures of your troy ounce silver coins. Silver is unique in that, because it is a universal precious metal, there is a standardized measuring method that is used for determining its worth. The American version of ounces does not equate to a troy ounce, which means that when precious metal items are refined or sold they must be weighted and assessed in troy ounces. A great way to determine the difference between a troy ounce and an average ounce is by using our Silver/Gold calculator.

The daily troy ounce prices for silver as well as other precious metals are determined by the New York Comex, and thus fluctuate daily. So if you should decide to send in your silver coins for refining, know that we will be able to give you the silver Comex price for the day we receive them not the day of shipment.
Here are some quick conversions for you:

1 troy ounce = 1.09714286 ounces
1 pound = 14.5833333 troy ounces

Review our shipping materials and packing slip should you decide to send us your silver coins.
Your question was greatly appreciated, thank you Hayden!

Here are some previous blog posts that may be helpful for you:
Silver Tea Set
Silver Powder

*Images displayed are only a representation of the items described in this blog post and may not be true images of the items in question.

“I am looking to sell an unmarked antique sterling silver tea set.  How do I find out if it’s sterling silver? I got it from my grandmother who says it’s real. From Ashley in Pelham, Georgia”

Hi Ashley,

Thanks for the inquiry about your grandmother’s antique Silver Tea Set. Some older Sterling Silver Serving Sets will sometimes have a number i.e., 925 or 825 which prove authenticity, however, some pieces may have no indication at all especially if they are very old or are made in different countries that may have their own markings.

The easiest and quickest way to determine if it is sterling silver at home is through the sterling silver magnet test. Take a magnet and press it against your tea set, if the magnet sticks then the tea set is not made of sterling silver. Though the magnet test is not infallible, it does offer a broader idea of whether your sterling silver set is authentic or plated silver. If it determined to be plated silver it will have little to no precious metal value and is not worth refining.

However, if it does not stick that does NOT mean 100% that you have sterling. There are some acid tests out there that can indicate sterling, but these can be unreliable and degrade the piece if too much acid is used. Some jewelers may be able to help if you bring in your pieces, they may even offer you a price for them for the silver content, but we would recommend shopping around and seeing what Arch can offer you.

If you have a small piece, you can send it in and we can test it for you. Once we let you know what you have, you will have the option of sending the rest or we will send your piece back to you (we do not pay shipping).

Hope that sheds some light on your antique Sterling Silver Tea Set. Here is our packing slip should you decide to sell or have us test a piece of your set: Arch Enterprise Packing Slip

Best of luck!

*Images displayed are only a representation of the items described in this blog post and may not be true images of the items in question.