01 — Melt value at the live silver price
Scrap Silver
Calculator
Live silver price. See the melt value, the cash offer a buyer will likely make, and whether your piece is worth more sold whole.
- Silver
- $49.25/ozt
- Sterling
- $1.46/g
- Gold
- $3,876.40/ozt
Updated 2:59 AM EST
Melt value $146.48. Likely cash offer $102.54 – $131.83.
Broken or unmarked pieces usually sell for melt. Get two quotes and compare them with the offer range above.
DocketYour tally
Add items to total everything you plan to sell, silver and gold together.
Read the mark before you weigh
- 01
Maker's mark
Who made it. Useful for dating a piece and for spotting collectible makers worth more whole, but it says nothing about purity.
- 02
Purity word
STERLING means at least 92.5% silver. Watch for look-alikes such as "Nickel Silver" or "German Silver", which contain no silver at all.
- 03
Fineness number
Parts per thousand of pure silver: 925 is sterling, 800 and 835 are common on European pieces, 999 is fine silver. This is the number the calculator uses.
- 04
Pattern or serial number
A catalogue or pattern number, not a purity mark. Don't mistake a stray 800-something here for 800 silver.
What people bring in
STERLING · 925Flatware
Forks and spoons are usually solid. Knives are not: most sterling knives have hollow handles filled with cement around a steel blade, so weigh the silver handle only as a fraction.
Photo: Abigail Chiazzaro / Unsplash
925 · STERJewelry
Look inside the band or on the clasp. Stones, steel clasps and springs add weight that is not silver, so take them off or subtract them.
Photo: Rodri Caruso / Unsplash
≤ 1964 · 90%Coins
US dimes, quarters and half dollars dated 1964 or earlier are 90% silver. Pick Coins in the calculator; worn coins weigh a little under their minted weight.
Photo: Emma Renly / Unsplash
EPNS? · PLATE?Teapots & trays
Most are silver plate, marked EPNS or Quadruple Plate, and melt for almost nothing. Sterling candlesticks and bowls are often weighted with filler.
Photo: Eric Prouzet / Unsplash
Silver price per gram today, by purity
| Purity | Per gram | Per troy oz | Per pennyweight |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1.58 | $49.20 | $2.46 | |
| $1.52 | $47.19 | $2.36 | |
| $1.46 | $45.56 | $2.28 | |
| $1.43 | $44.33 | $2.22 | |
| $1.32 | $41.13 | $2.06 | |
| $1.27 | $39.40 | $1.97 |
How the scrap silver calculator works
Worked example — 100 g of sterling
Melt value vs. what you'll be offered
Melt value is a ceiling, not a price tag. Pawn shops, coin dealers and mail-in refiners keep a margin for refining and profit, so their offers land below melt. Knowing the melt value tells you how far below.
Scrap silver questions
01How much is sterling silver worth per gram?
At today's spot price, sterling (.925) is worth about $1.46 per gram in melt value. Expect cash offers below that.
02How do I know if my silver is sterling?
Look for 925, STERLING or STER, or the British lion mark. Marks like EPNS, EP or A1 mean silver plate, which has almost no melt value. Silver is not magnetic, so a strong pull from a magnet means plate or base metal.
03Should I use troy ounces or regular ounces?
Silver prices are quoted per troy ounce (31.1 g). A kitchen scale reads avoirdupois ounces (28.35 g). Pick the unit that matches your scale; the calculator converts it.
04Why is the offer lower than the melt value?
Buyers pay for refining, assay and their own profit. Getting two or three quotes is the easiest way to land near the top of the range.
05Is silver flatware worth more than scrap?
Often, yes. Complete sets and popular sterling patterns can sell above melt to replacement services and collectors. Silver-plated flatware is a different story: it has little melt value at all.
