Apmex Junk Silver Calculator
Junk Silver Calculator works out Melt value and Value at the payout entered from Spot price per troy ounce (from your dealer or price feed), US silver coin series and Face value of coin. The default figures on this page give melt value of 17,361.40; change any entry and the result, the working and the sources update together.
Your figures
Updates as you typeHow this is worked out
4 steps
- $1 face = 25.00 g of coin at .900 fine = 22.50 g fine silver.
- $10 face value x 22.5 g fine per $1 = 225 g of fine silver.
- Fine metal = 225 g / 31.1034768 g per troy ounce = 7.23392 ozt.
- Melt value = 7.23392 ozt x 2400 = 17361.4.
Its 5 worked examples are re-run on every release, last on 15 September 2026. What changed
Sources and references
4 sources
What the Junk Silver Calculator calculates
Converts a weight and purity of gold, silver, platinum or palladium - or a face value of US silver coin - into fine metal content and its melt value at the spot price you supply, plus a dealer scrap offer at a chosen payout.
How to use this Junk Silver Calculator
Enter Spot price per troy ounce (from your dealer or price feed), US silver coin series, Face value of coin and Valuation. Melt value updates as you type. Change one figure at a time to see what drives the result.
How the result is worked out
Open “How this is worked out” beside the result for the step-by-step calculation behind Melt value, Value at the payout entered and Fine metal fraction.
The method follows NIST Special Publication 811, Guide for the Use of the International System of Units - the 1959 international yard and pound agreement fixes 1 grain = 64.79891 mg exactly, so 1 troy ounce = 480 grains = 31.1034768 g, FTC Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals, and Pewter Industries, 16 CFR 23.4 - karat is 1/24 part fine gold, United States Mint, Coin Specifications - weights and compositions of US circulating silver coinage and LBMA precious metal prices - the benchmark the spot price input should be taken from (licensed live data; supply it yourself).
What you can compare
Change one input at a time to see how it affects Melt value, Value at the payout entered and Fine metal fraction. The inputs you can vary are Spot price per troy ounce (from your dealer or price feed), US silver coin series, Face value of coin, Valuation and Dealer payout, as a percentage of melt.
Understanding Melt value, Value at the payout entered and Fine metal fraction
A metal-content valuation only. It uses the spot price you enter, applies no bid/ask spread, refining loss, assay, numismatic premium or tax, and is not an offer or an appraisal.
Results are general information, not financial, tax, legal, medical or engineering advice. Check any decision that matters with a qualified professional.
See something wrong? Report a problem with this calculator
Frequently asked questions
How to calculate junk silver value?
Converts a weight and purity of gold, silver, platinum or palladium - or a face value of US silver coin - into fine metal content and its melt value at the spot price you supply. Open “How this is worked out” beside the result to see each step for your own figures.
What is the current price for junk silver?
On the figures this page opens with — spot price per troy ounce (from your dealer or price feed) 2,400 currency/ozt — the melt value is 17,361.4. No single number fits everyone: change any figure above and the answer updates as you type, with each step of the arithmetic beside it.
How much silver is in $1 of junk silver?
It needs Spot price per troy ounce (from your dealer or price feed), US silver coin series, Face value of coin, Valuation and Dealer payout, as a percentage of melt. Nothing else is required, and the figures stay in your browser.
What is 1 pound of junk silver worth?
Converts a weight and purity of gold, silver, platinum or palladium - or a face value of US silver coin - into fine metal content and its melt value at the spot price you supply. On this page it is computed from Spot price per troy ounce (from your dealer or price feed), US silver coin series and Face value of coin and shown as Melt value, Value at the payout entered and Fine metal fraction.
What information do I need for the Junk Silver Calculator?
You need Spot price per troy ounce (from your dealer or price feed), US silver coin series, Face value of coin, Valuation and Dealer payout, as a percentage of melt. The page opens with default figures that give melt value of 17,361.40, so you can see the scale before entering your own.
What does this Junk Silver Calculator show?
It shows Melt value, Value at the payout entered, Fine metal fraction, Gross weight, Fine metal content, Price per gram of fine metal, Melt value per gram of item and Basis, with the working and any warnings for your entries.