Category Archives: Silver

I have about 96 ounces of Gorham brand sterling silver. What is this worth?  From Eli in Rogers, Arkansas

Hi Eli,

Thanks for your inquiry about selling sterling silver flatware. While we are not experts in regards to the collectors or market value of specific brands and styles of sterling silverware, we can help estimate its melt value. First, troy ounce is the measurement used for platinum, gold and silver. Troy ounces are actually heavier than standard ounces. If you have 96 standard ounces you have 87.4999 troy ounces (1 ounce = 0.911458333 troy ounce). Today the market price of silver is $18.73 UDS/troy ounce.* With that being said we can offer 75% of the fine silver content by weight for sterling silver. We would recommend that you use our silver value calculator with the current silver price to determine the silver value.

There are a couple of other items to keep in mind. You did not specify exactly what types of silver flatware you have – I am assuming that you have a set or a mix of forks, spoons, and/or knives. It is important to note that knife blades are sometimes stainless steel, making them more durable for cutting. Also, knife handles are sometimes weighted so they fit more comfortably in a user’s grip. If you have not done so already, we would recommend weighing spoons and forks separately from knives. Though sterling silver knives still have value, it can be significantly less than spoons and forks.

Also, since you have branded silverware I would recommend you checking out this previous blog post about sterling silverware that was also Gorham brand.

*Note: the price of silver changes daily.

We have YEARS worth of X-ray and MRI films that we would like removed and destroyed.  They are all in paper jackets on shelves in a storage room here in our office. Not exactly sure how much film by weight, but have enough to fill 4-5 full size pickups for sure. Please get back to me on how to move and refine this material. From Gene in Tallahassee, Florida

Hi Gene,

We do refine and recycle large amounts of hospital X-ray film like you have described. Since you’re located in Northern Florida, we could arrange these sorting and pickup services for you. This just makes things easier for you because we will bring all the necessary materials such as Gaylord boxes, skids and drums, so you won’t have to figure out how to pack and ship the X-ray film.

All of our medical X-ray refining and disposal procedures are done in a HIPAA compliant manor and we offer Certificates of Destruction and documentation of general liability. We have helped many medical offices, hospitals and laboratories clean out years worth of X-ray film from overstuffed storage rooms.

There is virtually no work on your end because we can take care of everything for you from labor and sorting to disposal. Also, because about one-fifth of the world’s silver is used in X-ray film, recycling these items is optimal for the environment. Hope we can help you out with your crowded X-ray film storage room.

I have about 6 pounds of silver oxide batteries from watches. How much silver is in these? What are they worth? From Jennifer in Atlanta, Georgia

I would like an estimate on about 20 pounds of silver oxide, alkaline and lithium batteries. From Jon in Rapid City, South Dakota

Hi Jennifer and Jon,

Thanks for your submissions about refining silver oxide batteries, also known as silver zinc batteries. These batteries are used in many applications such as watches, hearing aids and other small devices. You will find that most refineries will only take silver oxide batteries if you have hundreds of pounds of this material. Since Arch Enterprises refines so much silver, we offer approximately $10 to $15 per pound depending on the quality and quantity of batteries you have to refine. So you have the peace of mind that these batteries are being recycled and disposed of properly and will receive a cash bonus for your efforts. It’s a win-win!

However Jon — we do not take alkaline or lithium batteries, since there is no precious metal available for us to extract. We would only be able give you a return on the silver oxide batteries. Let us know if you have any more questions!

I have about 710 silver dimes that were left to my family.  I’m not sure of the exact weight, but they are all 1964 and previous years, so I think the weight of silver in them is around 51.333 troy ounces.  Where can I sell silver dimes for more than the face value? Thanks! From Anthony in Fort Smith, Arkansas

Hi Anthony,

Thanks for your inquiry. US dimes minted 1964 and earlier are often called “junk silver” as they have silver value but little to no numismatic or collection value. Because they have a high percentage of silver content, they can be sold and refined for much more than their face value of 10 cents. Below are examples of the type of dimes you described.

As you can see the Mercury Dime and Roosevelt Dime have different designs. However, both contain the same amount of silver approximately 0.0723 troy ounces. Based on a silver price of $18 per troy ounce, each dime would be worth about $1.30.

Keep in mind however, that some of these coins may have been in circulation for almost 100 years. Many undoubtedly have experienced significant wear and often have a slight drop in silver weight, around 1-2 percent. The 0.0723 troy ounces of silver is from a coin in mint condition. That is why recommend actually weighing your coins before sending them in as we calculate the melt value based on the actual weight. We typically pay about 75% of the silver value to melt them and put them in a form that can be returned to the industry. Hope this information helps!

I want to sell my sterling silver flatware set.  It is Gorham Greenbrier brand and includes 12 5-piece settings with a butter knife and 8 serving pieces: 2 medium size spoons, 2 medium size forks, a gravy ladle, a sugar spoon and 2 larger size serving spoon/forks. What is all this worth and where can I sell it?  From Karalyn in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Hi Karalyn,

Depending on the condition of your set, you may have a number of options of where to sell your sterling silver flatware. The first thing we would recommend is to find out as much as you can about your silver tableware. Since you already know the make and brand is Gorham Greenbrier, look at the hallmarks and make sure you know exactly what they mean. Other things to look for are the age and country of origin.

Based on this information, you may be able to assess whether the set has much market value or if it is better to sell for its melt value. If you feel the market value is high, a local consignment shop may take them for you, but consider that they will probably take about 40% to 50% of the sale price as their fee to put your set in their store. They will also take into consideration quality, brand, collectability and the completeness of your set whereas precious metal refiners will only look at the weight and purity of the silver content available to extract.

So, if you don’t think your set has much market value or don’t want to deal with the hassle of taking your items to a store or selling on eBay or Craigslist, you can send them in based on the melt value. As a silver refiner, we will pay you on the actual value of silver in your set. You can use our silver value calculator to find the approximate value of your items at market price.

Take into consideration that knife blades are often made from stainless steel. Also, some knife handles and serving piece handles are weighted, meaning that they are filled with another material making them heavier and so they fit better in a user’s hand. This will affect the sterling silver melt value. We would recommend taking the knives out from the group and weighing everything else separately.

Also, silver prices do change regularly so we pay 75% of the fine silver content based on the market price of the day received and can typically process your sterling scrap silver and return payment within 1-2 business days. For delivery we recommend shipping with the US Postal Service’s flat rate shipping boxes. Please request the “Delivery Signature Required” option. Hope this was helpful to you!