The Morgan silver dollar, named for its designer, is the most common silver dollar, and varieties in worn conditions such as very fine are valued in the $20 to $30 range. When buying online, be suspicious of unusually high shipping costs. You can search our ever-growing list of articles that address which of these coins are collectible. However, even common-date Barber coinage and Standing Liberty quarters are numismatically collectible in the grade of About Good-3 or even cull state. When dealing with silver, people often say "ounces" when they mean "troy ounces", which can result in some confusion. Why Buy Junk Silver Coins? This is also the reason we think junk silver is a great way to buy silver. They also have the crossover marketability as collectible coins, with the chance that some may contain overlooked varieties or errors. Bear in mind that investing in silver isn’t usually a game of profitable overnight flips. Both are good reasons to avoid it. Nickels minted from 1942-1945 are 35% silver. It probably isn't worth the time and hassle of melting down silver coins unless: In fact, if you’re looking to sell the silver, it will likely be easier to liquidate it in the form of coinage rather than in privately made bars or other objects. Often the lot will include war nickels and other coins. That means the coins aren’t too well worn, damaged, or otherwise pose a risk that you’re actually getting substantially less silver than you would ordinarily expect for the deal. Pawn shops will pay different prices for silver depending on the individual store, and these prices change day by day. The 40 Washington quarters in that roll are worth a cumulative total of approximately $144.68. BOTTOM LINE: Any silver coin worth only its bullion value could be considered "junk silver," but the phrase usually refers to common 90% silver U.S. coins. Both silver rounds and silver coins have their pros and cons. Most silver bullion coins are sold in weights of no less than one ounce. These coins are sometimes called "junk silver", but I really dislike that term. I suspect that selling silver in non-standard weights and amounts may be a way for sellers to make a little extra money from unsuspecting buyers. Be sure you only sell your silver to reputable coin dealers or bullion brokers who are accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB). The current spot price today is about $27.04 / troy oz. Typically, junk silver is sold by "face value", which is the $ amount on the face of the coin. If this question were asked anytime in the 1960s or earlier, the answer would have been an unequivocal and enthusiastic “YES!” However, over the past decades banks across the United States stopped stocking silver dollars as precious metals prices have increased. A $1 bag of 90% junk silver contains 0.715 troy ounces of .999 fine silver; A $100 bag of 90% junk silver contains 71.5 troy ounces of .999 fine silver; A $500 bag of 90% junk silver contains 357.5 troy ounces of .999 fine silver; A $1000 bag of 90% junk silver contains 715 troy ounces of .999 fine silver BOTTOM LINE: Junk silver coins and investment-grade bullion each have their own advantages and disadvantages. An acid testing kit can be used to determine silver content. This table should only be used as a guide for buying and selling silver coins. All silver coins struck in 1964 or earlier were minted with 90% silver and 10% copper. When this happened, many in the public found it more profitable to hoard these silver coins for their valuable precious metal content rather than to spend the coins for face value. In the past people could search through rolls of coins from the bank and find a few junk silver coins. Basically, the coins used a pure copper "sandwich" between two copper-nickel outer layers. Like silver bars, silver rounds represent one of the cheapest avenues for buying silver. A little polishing will usually fix the damaged spot. There's several coin grading systems in use. A device called The Fisch can help verify the dimensions and weight of various coins. The eagles are $3 over spot, so they cost $23 each. But you might find you get a little more silver for your money when buying 90% junk silver coins. They represent the "gold standard" in coin shops. Premiums often increase when the spot price is decreasing. Morgan silver dollars in uncirculated condition are usually sold for $40 to $80. Circulated, pre-1965, U.S., 90% silver dimes, quarters and half-dollars are referred to as 'junk silver' because they cannot be considered numismatic or collectible. To convert the spot price in troy ounces to face value you multiply the spot price by 0.714. BOTTOM LINE: The easiest method for selling your silver is to consult a reputable coin dealer or bullion broker.