US Silver Coin Melt Value Calculator: Dimes, Quarters, Halves, and Dollars (2026)

US silver coin melt formulas and reference weights, including 40% Kennedy halves, historical dollars, Silver Eagles, and the worn 90% coin shortcut.

A US silver coin's metal value depends on its silver content and the price used in the calculation. Date and denomination matter: a 1964 Kennedy half dollar is 90% silver, while a 1965 Kennedy half is 40%. A Morgan dollar also contains a different amount of silver per face dollar than dimes and quarters.

The Silver Calculator uses manual price entry in USD per troy ounce. It does not fetch a live quote. Replace its labeled example price before valuing a collection. All $32 prices below are hypothetical examples.

Calculate From Alloy Weight or Fine Silver Weight#

When you know the coin's alloy weight:

Fine silver troy ounces = Alloy weight in grams × Purity ÷ 31.1034768
Melt estimate = Fine silver troy ounces × Entered price per troy ounce

If you already know the coin's fine silver weight, multiply that weight directly by the price. Do not apply purity again. The NIST conversion table gives the troy-ounce conversion; 31.1035 grams is a convenient rounded value.

For a 1964 Washington quarter at its original 6.25-gram weight and the illustrative $32 price:

6.25 × 0.90 ÷ 31.1034768 = approximately 0.180848 fine troy ounces
0.1808479494 × $32 = $5.79, rounded

Worn coins may weigh less than their original specifications. A mint-weight calculation is a reference estimate, not an assay of a particular circulated coin.

Reference Table for Common US Silver Coins#

Currency results use the weight and purity before rounding the fine-ounce column. The Coinage Act of 1873 established the 12.5-gram half and proportional quarter and dime weights. The US Mint's dollar history documents the historical dollar specification.

The Mint states 1.000 troy ounce of silver weight for the American Silver Eagle. That is already fine silver content; multiplying by 0.999 again would understate it. Modern Morgan and Peace issues have different specifications from the historical 90% coins.

Value a Worn Bag With the 0.715 Convention#

For ordinary worn 90% US dimes, quarters, and half dollars:

Estimated fine silver = Face value in dollars × 0.715
Estimated melt value = Estimated fine silver × Entered silver price

The 0.715 factor is a trading convention for circulated coins, illustrated by APMEX's average-circulated lots. It already includes purity and an allowance for wear. Do not multiply it by 90% again.

The original unworn weights imply about 0.7234 fine troy ounces per face dollar for those denominations. Heavily worn or damaged coins can contain less than the 0.715 estimate.

Morgan and Peace dollars do not belong in this calculation. Neither do 40% Kennedy halves, war nickels, foreign coins, or bullion. The junk silver guide explains sorting and worn-bag estimates.

Identify 40% Kennedy Halves and Later Collector Issues#

The US Mint's 1965 announcement describes 80% silver outer layers and a 21% silver core, producing 40% silver overall. The core is not pure copper.

Kennedy halves dated 1965 through 1970 are 40% silver. The Mint's 1971 release explains that 1970 pieces were made for collector sets and that circulating production resumed in copper-nickel clad composition in 1971.

At the hypothetical $32 price, an original-weight 40% half gives $4.73 in metal versus $11.57 for a 1964 half. Calculate the two groups separately.

Later silver collector issues include both proof and uncirculated products. Standard circulating dimes and quarters changed to copper-nickel clad in 1965, but that does not mean every later dime or quarter lacks silver. Check the exact issue and product specifications; an S mint mark alone does not prove silver content.

Compare the Melt Estimate With a Buyer Offer#

Melt value is a metal-content baseline, not a guaranteed payout or maximum resale price. Date, mint mark, condition, collector demand, and bullion premiums may put an intact coin above melt. Fees and buyer terms can put a scrap offer below it.

For each coin group, record the calculation basis, price and timestamp, gross offer, deductions, and net proceeds. Compare net quotes using the same reference price. There is no universal dealer payout percentage.

Before selling an old coin for metal, check comparable completed sales or obtain a coin-specific assessment. The scrap silver guide covers net offer comparisons for mixed material.