Category Archives: Silver
Information on Silver Refining
Is it worth recycling 160 pounds of old negatives?
Written on November 19, 2009, by Arch Enterprises
We are clearing out our office and realized we still have about 160 pounds worth of old negatives from our monthly publication. Wonder if these are worth recycling? – Dixie in Berkeley, CA
Hi Dixie,
The amount of negatives you have is not enough for us to pay you for them. This is because the cost for us to extract the silver is more than what the precious metal would be worth. We will gladly recycle them but you would have to pay the shipping charges to get them to our facility.
How much would 33 quarters and 39 half dollars be worth refined?
Written on November 17, 2009, by Arch Enterprises
I have quite a few silver coins: 33 quarters and 39 half dollars. I’ve been watching silver prices and thought now would be a good time to sell these. How much are these silver coins worth refined? – Terri in Carrollton, Texas
Hi Terri,
You’re right, silver prices are at an all time high and now would be an ideal time to add a little extra money to your pocketbook when you’re ready to sell. The first thing to look at is if your coins are “junk silver” coins where the silver content is worth more than their numismatic value. The most common quarters and half dollars we see at Arch are as follows:
- (1932-1964) Washington Quarter
- (1916-1947) Liberty Half Dollar
- (1948-1963) Franklin Half Dollar
- (1964) Kennedy Half Dollar
- (1965-1970) Kennedy Half Dollar
- (1920-1967) Canadian Quarter
- (1920-1967) Canadian Half Dollar
If your silver coins are in-fact junk silver and you have 33 quarters and 39 half dollars we would estimate their melt value to be $258 per pound based on a silver price of $17.75/troy ounce. We will retain a small 10% fee of the $258.
What is the best way to sell silver coins?
Written on October 1, 2009, by Arch Enterprises
I have some old silver coins that I would like to sell. What is the best way to go about this? — Amber in Pensacola, FL
If you are looking into selling silver or gold coins, the first step to consider is whether or not your coins have numismatic value. Coins with numismatic value are those that are worth more than their precious metal content. The value of rare coins is determined by four criteria:
- Rarity
- Quality
- Grade
- Popularity
For these types of coins, we recommend working with a rare coin dealer as you don’t want to sell them for their melt value.
Other silver coins are commonly referred to as “junk silver.” These coins have no value beyond their silver content. In the United States, most silver coins minted before 1964 have a fair amount of silver content and have value based on this precious metal content.
Here are a few examples of the most common junk silver coins we at Arch see.
- (1942-1945) Silver War Nickel
- (1916-1945) Mercury Dime
- (1946-1964) Roosevelt Dime
- (1932-1964) Washington Quarter
- (1916-1947) Liberty Half Dollar
- (1948-1963) Franklin Half Dollar
- (1964) Kennedy Half Dollar
- (1965-1970) Kennedy Half Dollar
- (1878-1921) Morgan Dollar
- (1921-1935) Peace Dollar
- (1971-1976) Eisenhower Dollar
- 1920-1967 Canadian Dime
- 1920-1967 Canadian Quarter
- 1920-1967 Canadian Half Dollar
- 1935-1967 Canadian Dollar
Is there an easy way to tell what grade a silver item is?
Written on September 21, 2009, by Arch Enterprises
Is there an easy way to tell what grade a silver item is? — Austin in Naperville, IL
The easiest way without testing equipment or chemicals is to look for hallmarks that indicate whether an item is sterling silver.
You may notice small markings on items, usually found in the inside of rings, on clasps of necklaces or on the back of plates. These markings are called hallmarks and can indicate what type of metal you have and how much it may be worth. They are often extremely small so you may need a magnifying glass to read them. As long as you bought the item from a reputable source, they tend to be very accurate.
Sterling silver items are called Sterling, Sterling Silver or Solid Silver and they are typically marked with 925, 925/1000, 92.5 or .925. The abbreviation SS is also commonly seen for sterling silver. These markings reveal that the item is made from 925 parts out of 1000 of fine silver, the minimum allowable quality for an item to be considered sterling. It is the law that the name or U.S. registered trademark of the company or person is on a quality marked silver item. We will often ask people the brand and make of their silverware so that we can help them determine whether their silver flatware is sterling or plated although our testing equipment ultimately tells us for sure once we get the items into our facility.
For older pieces, silver may come in many more varieties. 800 silver which was 800 parts silver was very common outside of the United States and before the 1900s as were other 750, 825, and 830.
Another common form of silver on older items is 900. It refers to coin silver which is 90% silver and 10% copper. It’s composition was dictated by United States FTC guidelines and established in the 1820s for minting silver coinage. As such, it is often called “coin silver.”
For further information, see video on refining silver flatware.
Refining Silver Flatware and Tableware
Written on July 22, 2009, by Arch Enterprises
As one of the largest silver refiners in the U.S., we process thousands of different silver items every year. One of the most common is silver flatware. In today’s less formal world, many of you apparently just don’t have a need for that set of sterling you inherited or those silver candlestick holders you got as a wedding gift years ago. Check out this video where we explain some of the issues related to valuing silver flatware and weighted items.
