01
Melt value vs numismatic value
Every silver coin is worth at least its metal content. Collectible coins carry a numismatic premium on top of melt, and knowing which one drives your coin is the whole game.
Silver Coin Appraisal
Find out what your silver coins are really worth. Our numismatists value your silver on both its precious-metal content and its collector premium, then hand you an honest number with no obligation to sell.
A silver coin appraisal is an expert assessment of what your silver coin is worth. There are two kinds. An informal appraisal is a fast, free estimate of market value, ideal when you want to know what a coin would sell for today. A formal written appraisal is a signed document used for insurance, estate settlement, or IRS and tax purposes.
Most people start with a free informal valuation. That is exactly what we provide online: send photos and details, and a professional numismatist returns a clear estimate, usually within 48 hours. If you later need a formal written appraisal, we can prepare one and will quote the cost upfront.
The key thing a good appraisal tells you is whether your coin is worth its melt value (its silver content) or a higher numismatic value (its worth to collectors). Selling a key-date Morgan dollar at junk-silver price is the most common way people lose money on silver. If your coins turn out to be collectible rather than bullion, our rare coin appraisal covers what happens next.
Six factors decide what your silver coin is worth. We weigh all of them, then show you the math.
Every silver coin is worth at least its metal content. Collectible coins carry a numismatic premium on top of melt, and knowing which one drives your coin is the whole game.
The live spot silver price times the actual silver weight (ASW) in troy ounces sets the melt floor. A one ounce American Silver Eagle tracks spot closely; older coins vary by series.
Purity matters. Silver Eagles are .999 fine, pre-1965 US coins are 90% silver, war nickels are 35%, and 1965 to 1970 Kennedy halves are 40%. We calculate real silver content, not face value.
Sharpness, luster, and wear are scored on the Sheldon scale from MS-60 to MS-70. A PCGS, NGC, or ANACS grade can multiply a coin far above its melt value.
Low mintage, key dates, and scarce mint marks turn a common silver piece into a rarity. Population data from the grading services tells us how scarce yours really is.
Auction results from Heritage, Stack’s Bowers, and GreatCollections show what buyers are actually paying right now, not what a chart says a coin should bring.
You do not need to drive to a coin shop or mail anything to get started. Our online silver coin appraisal takes three steps:
One rule worth repeating: never clean your silver coins before an appraisal. Cleaning removes original surfaces and toning and can cut a collectible coin’s value sharply. Leave coins in their holders and rolls and let the photos do the work. If you have a full accumulation to sort, our coin collection appraisal handles whole hoards at once.
From modern bullion to classic 90% silver and junk-silver bags, if it is a silver coin we can value it.
The classic 90% silver US dollars, including GSA-holdered Morgans, valued on date, mint mark, and grade.
The 1 oz .999 fine US bullion coin, valued on spot silver plus condition and any proof or burnished finish.
Pre-1965 Roosevelt and Mercury dimes, Washington and Standing Liberty quarters, and Walking Liberty, Franklin, and Kennedy halves.
1965 to 1970 Kennedy half dollars at 40% silver and 1942 to 1945 war nickels at 35% silver.
Older 90% silver series and Trade dollars that often carry strong numismatic premiums above melt.
Canadian Silver Maple Leaf and other .999 fine world silver coins valued on purity and condition.
The silver market attracts buyers who count on sellers not knowing what they hold. Protect yourself with three habits:
A free appraisal costs you nothing and gives you the one thing every confident seller has: an honest, independent number to measure every offer against. Not sure how grades affect that number? Our guide to coin grading breaks it down.
Request Your Appraisal
Fill in a few details and add photos if you have them. An expert reviews your submission and sends back an honest valuation, usually within 48 hours.
Start with the metal: multiply the current spot silver price by the coin’s actual silver weight in troy ounces to get its melt value. For pre-1965 US coins, a quick shortcut is face value times a junk-silver multiplier. Then add any numismatic premium for date, mint mark, rarity, and grade. Sending us clear photos is the fastest way to get all of that priced accurately and for free.
Use an independent expert who is not the same person trying to buy your coins. Get both the melt value and the numismatic value in writing, never clean your coins first, and always compare more than one offer. Our free online appraisal gives you that independent number with no obligation to sell.
Our online silver coin appraisal is free with no obligation. You only pay for a formal written appraisal if you need one for insurance, estate, or tax purposes, and we will quote that cost upfront before any work begins.
Know your coin’s melt value and numismatic value before you talk to any buyer, never clean your coins, and always get more than one offer. A free expert appraisal gives you the independent number you need to compare offers with confidence.
A one ounce silver bullion coin like an American Silver Eagle is worth roughly the current spot silver price plus a small premium. Numismatic silver coins such as key-date Morgan dollars can be worth far more than melt depending on rarity and grade, which is exactly what an appraisal pins down.
Get an independent appraisal first so you know your numbers, work only with reputable, established buyers, and look for real reviews and membership in bodies like the American Numismatic Association (ANA). Certified coins from PCGS and NGC trade more transparently, so slabbed coins are easier to sell for a fair price.
No pressure, ever
Get a free, expert silver coin appraisal today and walk into any sale knowing exactly what your silver is worth.