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Scrap Silver Calculator — Melt Value by Purity & Weight

Calculate scrap silver melt value from purity (sterling, coin, fine), weight, and spot price. Includes estimated dealer payout percentage.

Updated

Enter today's spot price — check kitco.com or your local dealer for the current rate.

Dealers typically pay 60–90% of melt value to cover refining, assaying, and overhead.

Melt Value (100% of gold content)
$243.81
Estimated Dealer Payout
$195.05

Melt value = weight (converted to grams) × purity × (spot price ÷ 31.1035 g per troy oz). Spot price fluctuates constantly — always enter today's rate rather than relying on a saved figure. Dealer payout is an estimate only; actual offers vary by buyer, item condition, gemstones or other non-metal content (not counted here), and local market competition. Get multiple quotes before selling.
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Reference Values

Last verified:
Category Range What It Means Status
Fine Silver (.999) ★ 99.9% pure Purest common form — used in bullion bars and coins. Too soft for most everyday jewelry. ★ Best
Britannia Silver (.958) 95.8% pure UK standard, higher purity than sterling. Good
Sterling Silver (.925) 92.5% pure Most common silver jewelry and flatware standard in the US and UK — marked '925' or 'Sterling.' Good
Coin Silver (.900) 90.0% pure Historic US coin standard, also found in some older flatware — marked '900' or 'Coin.' Okay
European/Continental (.800) 80.0% pure Common on older European silver — marked 800, 830, or 835 depending on country. Okay

Source: Standard millesimal fineness marks (parts per 1,000 silver content); typical dealer payout ranges 60–90% of melt value

Worked Examples

Sterling Silver Flatware Set, 200 grams, Silver Spot $30/oz

Purity
925 (Sterling)
Weight
200 g
Spot Price
$30/troy oz
Melt value: $178.44 · Est. dealer payout (75%): $133.83

200g × 0.925 × ($30 ÷ 31.1035g) = $178.44. Flatware often carries some collector or pattern value above melt — check for a maker's mark before scrapping a full set.

Coin Silver Item, 50 grams, Silver Spot $30/oz

Purity
900 (Coin)
Weight
50 g
Spot Price
$30/troy oz
Melt value: $43.40 · Est. dealer payout (75%): $32.55

50g × 0.900 × ($30 ÷ 31.1035g) = $43.40. Coin silver is slightly less pure than sterling, so melt value per gram is correspondingly lower.

How to Use This Calculator

  1. 1

    Select Silver and choose the purity

    Pick the millesimal fineness mark on your item — sterling (925), coin (900), fine (999), Britannia (958), or European (800).

  2. 2

    Enter weight and unit

    Enter the weight in grams, pennyweight, troy ounces, or grains.

  3. 3

    Enter today's silver spot price

    Check a live source like Kitco for the current spot price per troy ounce.

  4. 4

    Optionally set an estimated dealer payout percentage

    Default is 80%, within the typical 60–90% range. Adjust based on actual quotes you've received.

What Each Value Means

Melt Value ($)
The value of an item's pure silver content at current spot price, calculated as weight × purity × price per gram — assumes 100% recovery with no refining costs or dealer margin.
Millesimal Fineness (fineness (parts per 1,000))
Silver purity expressed in parts per 1,000 pure silver. Common marks: .999 (fine silver), .958 (Britannia), .925 (sterling), .900 (coin), and .800 (European/Continental).
Dealer Payout ($)
The estimated cash amount a buyer would actually pay, typically 60–90% of melt value after accounting for refining costs, assaying, and business margin.

Related Calculators

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you calculate scrap silver value?
Melt value = Weight (in grams) × Purity (as a decimal, e.g. 0.925 for sterling) × (Spot Price per troy oz ÷ 31.1035 grams per troy oz). For example, a 200-gram sterling silver flatware set at a silver spot price of $30/oz: 200 × 0.925 × (30 ÷ 31.1035) = $178.44 melt value.
What does '925' or 'Sterling' mean on silver?
925 (or 'Sterling') means the item is 92.5% pure silver by weight, with the remaining 7.5% typically copper for added strength — pure silver alone is too soft for most everyday items. Millesimal fineness marks work the same way for any purity: move the decimal two places to get the percentage (.925 = 92.5%, .800 = 80%, .999 = 99.9%).
How is coin silver different from sterling silver?
Coin silver (marked '900' or 'Coin') is 90% pure silver, slightly less than sterling's 92.5%. It was the historic US silver coin standard and is also found on some older American flatware and hollowware predating widespread sterling adoption. The lower purity means slightly less melt value per gram than an identically weighted sterling item.
Is my silver worth more than melt value?
Sometimes — antique silver, pieces from recognized makers (Tiffany, Gorham, Georg Jensen, and similar), and complete flatware patterns can carry collector or pattern value well above scrap melt value. Before scrapping any marked or ornate silver, especially full sets or hollowware, it's worth a quick appraisal or a search for the maker's mark and pattern name — you may be leaving significant value on the table by melting rather than selling intact.
What's a realistic dealer payout for scrap silver?
Similar to gold, silver dealers typically pay 60–90% of melt value to cover refining, assaying, and business margin. Sterling flatware and jewelry usually falls toward the higher end of that range since sterling is a well-established, easily verified standard; unmarked or mixed-purity scrap may get lower offers due to the added verification effort.

References & Sources

  1. [1]
    US Mint — Coin Specifications (opens in new tab)

    Supports: Evidence used for silver purity glossary: sterling, coin, britannia & more, including related formulas, definitions, or reference values.

    Verified

  2. [2]
    MGS Refining — 5 Easy Ways to Test Silver (opens in new tab)

    Supports: Evidence used for silver purity glossary: sterling, coin, britannia & more, including related formulas, definitions, or reference values.

    Verified

  3. [3]
    Replacements, Ltd. — Silver Pattern Identification (opens in new tab)

    Supports: Evidence used for selling silver flatware: pattern value vs. melt value, including related formulas, definitions, or reference values.

    Verified