What is junk silver?
Junk silver is the trade name for worn, common-date US silver coins bought and sold mainly for their metal. The name undersells them: they are genuine, government-struck silver in small, recognizable units. Here is what qualifies, how much silver they contain, and what to check before you treat a coin as junk.
By Changes Hands Research · Updated Nov 3, 2026 · 4 min read
What counts as junk silver
Until 1964, US dimes, quarters and half dollars were struck in 90% silver and 10% copper. The Coinage Act of 1965 removed silver from the dime and quarter and cut the half dollar to 40% silver, and by 1971 the half dollar was copper-nickel clad as well. Pre-1965 coins that are worn and common, with no collector premium worth separating, are what dealers call junk silver.
The usual suspects are Mercury and Roosevelt dimes, Washington quarters dated 1964 and earlier, and Walking Liberty, Franklin and 1964 Kennedy halves. Older Barber coins also appear in bulk lots when heavily worn. The word junk refers only to the lack of collector value, not the coins' quality or authenticity.
How much silver is in junk silver
Because the coins were made to a fixed standard, their silver content is predictable. These are the figures for a coin at full mint weight:
- Dime: 2.50 grams, containing 0.0723 troy ounces of silver.
- Quarter: 6.25 grams, containing 0.1808 troy ounces of silver.
- Half dollar: 12.50 grams, containing 0.3617 troy ounces of silver.
- Ten dimes, four quarters or two halves (one dollar face value): about 0.723 troy ounces of silver when new.
Why face value is the unit
Because every denomination holds silver in proportion to its face value, junk silver is traditionally quoted per dollar of face value, and larger lots by the bag. A mix of dimes, quarters and halves adding up to one dollar face value contains the same silver regardless of the mix. Circulated coins have lost a little metal to wear, so dealers commonly assume slightly less than the full-weight figure when pricing worn coins.
The price of junk silver follows the spot price of silver, plus or minus a premium that rises when demand for small silver is strong and shrinks when it is weak. That premium can change quickly.
Close relatives that are not 90% junk
Several other coins are often lumped in with junk silver but trade separately because their silver content differs.
- 1965 to 1970 Kennedy half dollars: 40% silver, about 0.1479 troy ounces each. They weigh 11.50 grams, not 12.50.
- Jefferson war nickels, mid-1942 to 1945: 35% silver, 0.0563 troy ounces each, recognizable by the large mint mark above Monticello. See the Jefferson nickel guide.
- Morgan and Peace silver dollars: 90% silver, 0.7734 troy ounces each, but they nearly always carry a collector premium and trade as their own series.
Checking that a coin is really silver
Most of the time the date tells you, but altered and plated coins exist, and clad coins get mixed into lots. A few quick checks catch most problems.
- Look at the edge. Silver coins show a solid silver-gray edge; clad coins show a copper stripe.
- Weigh it. A clad quarter weighs 5.67 grams against 6.25 for silver; a clad dime 2.268 grams against 2.50.
- Listen and look. Silver has a brighter ring and a different color as it tones, though these tests take practice.
- Use a magnet. US silver coins are not magnetic; a coin that sticks is fake or plated steel.
Pull the keys before you call it junk
Every so often a valuable coin ends up in a bag of junk. Before you sell silver by face value, check the dates. The ones worth pulling include the 1916-D Mercury dime, the 1921 and 1921-D Mercury dimes, the 1932-D and 1932-S Washington quarters, the 1921 and 1921-D Walking Liberty halves, the 1938-D Walking Liberty half and the 1949-S Franklin half. Even common dates in higher grades, say Very Fine or better, often bring more as collector coins than as silver. Our series pages list the keys for each design.
Junk silver compared with silver bullion
Bullion coins and bars, such as the one-ounce American Silver Eagle, are .999 fine and come in round weights. Junk silver is less pure and comes in odd fractional amounts, but many people value it for the same reasons it was once money: the coins are small, widely recognized and easy to count. Neither is automatically better; they serve different purposes and carry different premiums over spot.
Buying and selling junk silver sensibly
Because junk silver is a commodity with a little history attached, the things that matter are the same as for any metal purchase: the premium over melt value, the spread between buying and selling prices, and the cost of storing and moving it. Compare offers on a per-ounce basis, not per coin, so that a roll of dimes and a roll of halves can be judged side by side.
Dimes are the most divisible unit but the most tedious to count; halves hold the most silver per coin. Heavily worn coins contain slightly less metal, which reputable buyers allow for. Whatever you buy, keep the coins in inert tubes or bags in a dry place, and never clean them: cleaning adds nothing to melt value and destroys any collector premium a better coin might have had.
Junk silver on Changes Hands
Changes Hands lists circulated 90% silver in three bulk classes, one coin per unit: dimes, quarters and halves. Every coin is checked for the copper edge stripe and reeded edge, and lots are spot-checked for metal content. Key and semi-key dates are pulled during screening and listed in their own classes so they do not disappear into a bulk lot. Read more on the 90% junk silver page.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called junk silver?
Because the coins have no collector premium beyond their metal. The name refers to their numismatic value, not their quality. They are genuine 90% silver US coins.
How much silver is in one dollar face value of junk silver?
About 0.723 troy ounces when the coins are at full weight, whether the dollar is made up of ten dimes, four quarters or two half dollars. Worn coins contain slightly less.
Are 1965 quarters silver?
No. Dimes and quarters dated 1965 and later are copper-nickel clad, apart from special collector issues. Half dollars from 1965 to 1970 contain 40% silver.
Are war nickels junk silver?
They are often traded alongside it, but they are only 35% silver, with 0.0563 troy ounces each, so they are priced separately from 90% coins.