Category Archives: Silver

Can you give me a quote for processing electrical contacts that have been removed from busbars? – Chad in Abilene, TX

Hi Chad,

We would offer between $10-$15 per pound depending on the quality and silver content. For those of you who do not know what busbars are, they are used in electrical power distribution and are usually made of copper or aluminum. So, you may be asking yourself where the silver content comes in. Often the joints between high-current bus sections have silver-plated surfaces to reduce contact resistance. These scrap silver electrical contacts can be ideal for refining.

Does silver get black when it gets old and dirty? And does this affect the melt value? – John in Frenso, CA

When silver comes in contact with oxygen it oxidizes or turns black, this process is called tarnishing. No matter what form of silver your items are, sterling silver and pure silver alike tarnishes. The black/greenish substance that rubs off is called silver sulfate. Silver tarnishes not based on the type of silver, but based on the silver item’s environment. When materials like wool, rubber, fossil fuels and latex come in contact with silver it causes the item to tarnish more quickly. Also, the climate can affect this process. High humidity results in silver tarnishing faster and results in a darker and blacker form of tarnish build on the item.

As for the second part of the question, tarnish does NOT affect the melt value of items. Refiners will take silver items, not matter the condition. If you have scrap metal pieces, it could be to your benefit to not clean them. Tarnish does not just lay on the surface of silver, it is chemically bound to it. Harsh silver cleaning treatments could remove some of the silver content and affect its value.

As a warning, you should never clean silver with other metal items. A chemical reaction might occur resulting in a loss of silver off the item.

Note: If you have silver coins, you may want to be more careful in how you clean them. If you use a harsh cleaner or applicator you could destroy the original surface of the coin, significantly decreasing its numismatic value (more than its precious metal value). Consulting a coin dealer before you clean silver coins may be in your best interest.

I have boxes of various silver pieces from a tea set originally from Russia. I would like to know how I could sell it and its worth. Thank you. From AJ in Chicago, Illinois

Hi AJ,

The first thing to check for is if there are any Hallmarks on your silver pieces. Hallmarks are indications of metal content, and sometimes the maker’s mark or signature is also included. You mainly want to determine if your silver pieces are sterling silver, some other metal or plated silver.

In Russia, two-digit numbers refer to zolotnicks, which is a Russian weight measure where there are 96 zolotniki to a troy pound, thus:

96 zolotniki = 96/96 or 1000/1000 parts pure silver or .1000 silver
90 zolotniki = 90/96 or 937/1000 parts pure silver or .937 silver
84 zolotniki = 84/96 or 875/1000 parts pure silver or .875 silver
72 zolotniki = 72/96 or 750/1000 parts pure silver or .750 silver
62 zolotniki = 62/96 or 645/1000 parts pure silver or .645 silver

Usually the zolotniki is indicated by 62, 72, 74, 76, 82, 84, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91.

The hallmark is the only part of the markings that indicate its precious metal value. Sometimes other markings give indications of such things as the date, maker and place of origin. These are all things that might be important to an antiques dealer or silver collector. Typically sterling silver pieces that are dented, broken, scratched or in less than ideal condition are good contenders to sell for their precious metal value to refiners. If you believe that your pieces are valuable based on their craftsmanship or antique qualities you may want to have them professionally appraised.

When silver comes into our refinery, we test it based solely on the silver content that is available to refine. Whether it’s made in the United States or Russia we return 75% of the fine silver value to customers for sterling silver pieces.

I have about 320 pounds of X-ray film. Do you pay per individual X-ray or per pound? From Jim in Chester, Virginia

Hi Jim,

Because we refine X-ray film by the truckload it would be nearly impossible to keep an accurate count of individual X-rays. The amount of silver in one X-ray is negligible. We pay per pound of X-ray film because it is more accurate and easier for us to track.

The amount returned can add up if you have large quantities of X-ray film, especially when silver is trading for more than $18 per troy ounce. You will need to send at least 300-400 pounds of X-ray film, removed from the paper jackets, to receive a payment and recover the shipping cost. We would recommend filling one or two 50 gallon drums of X-ray film and then shipping the film in the drums.

Please let us know if you have any more questions and don’t hesitate to give us a call. Thanks!

Why are some of my Kennedy half dollars from the late 1960’s dirty looking , and yet some of them are pristine and shiny? Does this mean that some of them have more silver than others? Will Arch pay me approx the same amount per coin ( i.e. 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969 ) or might some of them contain more silver? From Seth in New York City.

Hi Seth,

Because your Kennedy half dollars have been in circulation for around 50 years they have no doubt changed hands, pockets, cash registers and who know what else. These coins experience some wear and tear and the coins that look rough around the edges, maybe even with some chips in them, will weigh slightly less than coins in mint condition.

Weight variance between uncirculated and excessively circulated coins can, in some cases, exceed a 10% drop in silver weight.

Additionally, pre-1964 Kennedy half dollars were made with more silver than those minted after 1964. A pre-1964 Kennedy half dollar contains about 0.3617 ounces of silver in mint condition. While a mint condition Kennedy half dollar from 1965-1970 contains about 0.1479 ounces of silver. If you have coins minted 1964 or earlier, you may want to separate these out as this may give you a better idea about how much silver you have.View the difference the these Kennedy half dollars below:

1964 Kennedy Half Dollar – 0.3617 Ounces of Silver in Mint Condition

1965-1970 Kennedy Half Dollar – 0.1479 Ounces of Silver in Mint Condition

Let us know if you need anymore information. Or you can find more information about common silver coins we refine on our website page about silver coin refining.