Category Archives: Silver

It has been a little while! But we are still here and want to let you know that you can still keep sending us your questions! If we don’t respond right away on our blog please contact us more directly on our website contact form here: http://www.archenterprises.com/contact-us.asp.

Question: I have silver contacts on copper. Can I leave the contacts on the copper or do you need them off? — From Jason in Boston, Massachusetts

Hi Jason,

Thanks for your question. Please remove the copper from the silver and only send the silver contact material into refine. We pay on the weight of the silver, so by doing this you can also have an accurate idea about how much silver you have and also save on shipping.

For heavy items we recommend going with USPS flat rate boxes. The largest box you can mail with flat rate boxes is 23 5/8” x 11 3/4” x 3”.

We would recommend taking the copper to a scrap metal recycling facility in your area.

*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.

Question: What would be the minimum amount of black and white negatives I would need in order for your firm to purchase them? I have had a long career in photography, and have closed up shop. Thanks! From Ed in Columbus, Ohio

Hi Ed,

Thanks for your question. The black and white negatives you have from your photography business contain silver and are the ideal material to send to a precious metal refiner. We normally recommend you have about 300 pounds of material or more to refine to receive a return.

For those of you that do not know, we specify “black and white” film, because color film/negatives do not contain silver. So please separate this out before sending in only the black and white film/negatives you have.

Keep in mind that different types of film contain different amounts of silver. Typically we can pay back 75% of the pure silver value that is recovered from the film. We recommend sending in gallon size drums. If you have hundreds or thousands of pounds of material, we may be able to help with the freight.

*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.

Question: I have a large amount of .925 beads of all kinds including letter beads, clasps and toggle clasps – probably about 2+ pounds. How much is this worth and when can I receive a payment?  From Gina in Jackson, Michigan

Hi Gina,

Thanks for your question! The scrap silver items you describe sound ideal for a precious metal refiner, as your scrap pieces have a significant value for their silver content. We could refine your material and pay a return back to you in 3-5 business days.

We would recommend plugging in the amount of silver you have with the price of silver currently at *$30.36 USD/troy ounce into our silver value calculator. This will give you the market price of your silver scrap (not the purchase price).

Note how we have selected 0.925 silver as we are assuming that all of your silver items are sterling. If not all your items are sterling, the return will be less. Typically we can return 75% of the silver back to you for sterling silver.

We work with many customers who have gold and silver scrap for jewelry making that have found that working with a precious metal refiner price will yield a higher return than trying to resell it for jewelry making as many pieces can become outdated or undesirable to use again.

Hope that helps you!

*This price may not reflect the current price of silver when this blog entry was posted. The output from the calculator is not a confirmation of the purchase price from Arch Enterprises.

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.

Question:
I have sterling silver flatware. I have weighed all of the items EXCEPT knives. They are made by Wallace Sterling. Pattern is Spanish Lace. I wasn’t sure if you would want the knives, or if I should separate the blades from the handles. Thanks from Jimmy in Indianapolis, IN.

Hi Jimmy,

Thanks for your question!

Great to hear that you have weighed your sterling silver knives separately from your forks and spoons. That something that we recommend to all our customers that have sterling silver sets, as it can really skew the weight and expected return when those are all weighed together.

Separating the stainless steel blades from the handles could save you on the shipping cost of your items. So this may be worth it for you to separate if you have the time and means. Otherwise, we are equipped to separate for you. Also, if the handles are weighted, it may be difficult to remove the content of the handle. Again if you can separate, it will cost less to ship and will give you a better idea about how much silver you actually have.

Finally, make sure that you are 100% sure that you want to sell to a precious metal refiner before you start to take a part the knives beyond repair. You mention Wallace Sterling, which is a brand name in the industry and so if you pieces are in good condition, you may want to check the resale value online.

Here are some more blog posts about sterling silver that may also help:

Where to Sell Sterling Silver Flatware Sets

Refine Towle Sterling Silver

Silver Cake Server and Serving Spoons

*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.

Question: I would like to have my silver dimes, mercury dimes and barber dimes refined. How much are they worth? From Gary in Raleigh, North Carolina

Hi Gary,

Thanks for your question. To start we would need to know a few more things about your coins to give you a better idea about the silver value for them.

(1) The type and date factor into the value of your coins because different coins were made with different amounts of silver at different points in time. That is why coin dealers make an entire living know which coins hold the most value. Can you tell what the dates are on your coins?

Here are some common types of coins that we refine: Refine Silver Coins. You will also find the amount of silver that is available in each that you can multiply with the current price of silver to get a market price of the silver value in your coin.

Doing this research can not only let you know how much silver is available for recovery, but you should also make sure that your coins do not have collectible value that is worth more than the silver value. For example, if your barber dimes are 1895-O they could be worth between $250+ depending on the condition. Other barber dimes that have been known to have collectible value include the 1892-S, 1901-S and 1904-S. A fun story about the Barber dimes is that the 1894-S is one of the most valuable coins ever produced by the United States mint. Only 24 were produced. In 2007 one of them sold for $1.9 million.

Of course the majority of Barber coins are not going to fall within the collectable group of coins mentioned above. Most Barber coins that are made with 90% silver and 10% copper are ideal for refining.

(2) The amount of coins that you have is also a factor when you want to refine for the silver content. This is because so much energy has to go into refining silver coins that the more material you have to refine at once, the higher your return will be.

1916-1945 Mercury Dime (below)

1946-1964 Roosevelt Dime (below)

*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.

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.

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.