Silver Purity Glossary: Sterling, Coin, Britannia & More

July 16, 2026

Silver purity marks look like arbitrary numbers stamped into metal, but each one has a precise meaning that directly determines scrap value. Here’s what each term means for the scrap silver calculator.

Millesimal Fineness

Purity expressed in parts per 1,000 pure silver by weight. Move the decimal two places to get a percentage: .925 = 92.5%, .900 = 90.0%, .999 = 99.9%. This is the standard purity notation used on modern hallmarks worldwide, and it’s the number the scrap silver calculator uses directly in its melt-value formula.

Sterling Silver (.925)

92.5% pure silver, with the remaining 7.5% typically copper added for strength — pure silver alone is too soft for most everyday jewelry, flatware, and hollowware. Sterling is the most common purity standard for US and UK silver items and is usually marked “925” or “Sterling.”

Fine Silver (.999)

99.9% pure silver, the standard for silver bullion bars and coins rather than everyday jewelry or flatware — too soft for most practical use without an alloy. If an item is marked .999 or “Fine Silver,” it’s almost certainly investment-grade bullion rather than a wearable or usable piece.

Coin Silver (.900)

90% pure silver — the historic US silver coin standard used before 1965, and also found on older American flatware and hollowware that predates widespread sterling adoption. Slightly lower purity than sterling means slightly less melt value per gram at an identical weight.

Britannia Silver (.958)

95.8% pure silver, a UK standard historically used as a higher-purity alternative to sterling, more common on older or specialty British silverware than in everyday modern pieces.

European/Continental Silver (.800, .830, .835)

Purity marks common on older European silver, particularly German, French, and other Continental pieces, ranging from 80% to 83.5% pure — noticeably lower than sterling, which affects melt value proportionally. See scrap silver value examples for how this purity difference plays out in actual dollar terms.

Hallmark

A stamped mark on a silver item indicating its purity, and often also its maker and country of origin. Hallmarks are the fastest way to identify purity, but they aren’t foolproof — see how to identify and test silver purity at home for why a hallmark alone isn’t always sufficient confirmation.

Melt Value

The value of an item’s pure silver content at current spot price, assuming cost-free conversion with no refining costs or dealer margin: weight × purity × price per gram. This is always higher than what a dealer will actually pay — see selling silver flatware: pattern value vs. melt value for when melt value isn’t the right number to compare against at all.

Ready to calculate a real item’s value? Use the scrap silver calculator with your item’s exact purity mark and weight.