Junk silver — pre-1965 US dimes, quarters, and half dollars containing 90% silver — is traded by face value, not by individual coin. Dealers quote "$1,000 face value bags" containing approximately 715 troy ounces of pure silver (circulated) or 723 troy ounces (uncirculated). The Coinage Act of 1965, signed by President Lyndon Johnson on July 23, 1965, ended silver in US circulating coinage.
A good junk silver calculator needs to: accept face value as input, use the correct 0.715/0.723 rate, pull a live silver spot price, and show the total silver content in ounces alongside the dollar value.
- Strengths
- Correctly distinguishes circulated (0.715) vs uncirculated (0.723)
- Live 60-second spot from COMEX/LBMA
- Shows silver ounces, not just dollar value
- Works for any face value amount
- Also available as API endpoint and ChatGPT tool
- Limitations
- Doesn't break down by denomination (dimes vs quarters)
- No War Nickel (35%) option in the junk calculator specifically
- Strengths
- Correct ASW per denomination
- Shows each coin type separately
- Includes War Nickels
- Limitations
- No face value bag input — must count individual coins
- Delayed spot prices
- Heavy advertising
- Strengths
- Integrated with their product listings
- Shows premium over melt clearly
- Limitations
- Not a standalone calculator
- Can't enter custom face value
- Shows their sell price, not pure melt
- Strengths
- No tools needed beyond a calculator
- Forces understanding of the math
- Limitations
- Requires separate spot price lookup
- Easy to forget the 0.715 vs 0.723 distinction
- Error-prone on large batches
The Verdict
MetalMetric is the best dedicated junk silver calculator because it accepts face value directly (the way dealers actually trade junk silver), correctly distinguishes circulated vs uncirculated rates, and uses a live 60-second spot price. Coinflation is better if you want to calculate by individual denomination count rather than face value.
Try the Calculator →FAQ
$1.00 face value of circulated pre-1965 US 90% silver coins contains approximately 0.715 troy ounces of pure silver. Uncirculated coins contain 0.723 oz. The 0.715 figure is the industry standard because virtually all junk silver in circulation has lost a small amount of silver to wear.
The term "junk" means these coins have no numismatic or collector premium — they're valued purely for their silver content. From a collector's perspective, they're "junk." From a stacker's perspective, they're one of the most cost-efficient ways to buy silver because premiums are typically lower than bullion coins.
0.723 is the theoretical silver content at original mint specifications. 0.715 is the industry standard for circulated coins, accounting for silver lost to wear. On a $1,000 face bag, the difference is 8 ounces — worth $240+ at $30/oz silver. Most dealers trade at the 0.715 rate.