Coin Melt Value Calculator
The precious-metal floor under your coins. Enter today's spot price (check any metals site), pick your coins, and see what the silver or gold alone is worth — collector value comes on top.
Defaults are placeholders — update with today's spot prices for accurate results.
Silver coins (90%)
Other silver
Gold coins
How melt value works
Every pre-1965 US dime, quarter, half dollar and dollar is 90% silver. Multiply the coin's actual silver weight (ASW) by the current spot price and you get its melt value — the guaranteed minimum any bullion dealer will recognize. Kennedy halves from 1965–1970 are 40% silver, and wartime nickels (1942–1945 with a large mint mark over Monticello) are 35% silver.
Two warnings from the numismatist's side: never clean coins to "improve" them for sale, and never melt or sell a coin as bullion before checking its collector value — a worn 1916-D Mercury dime is worth about $2 in silver and over $800 to a collector.
Is it legal to melt silver coins?
In the United States, yes — melting silver coins is legal (melting pennies and nickels is not). Most people sell "junk silver" to dealers rather than actually melting it.
Where do I find the current spot price?
Any precious metals site (Kitco, APMEX, JM Bullion) or a web search for "silver spot price" shows the live number. Enter it above for accurate results.
Will a dealer pay full melt value?
Typically 90–98% of melt for common "junk silver", depending on quantity and the dealer. Anything collectible should be priced as a coin, not as metal — scan it first.