World Silver Coin Melt Values and Collection Total

World silver coin calculator

Transfers selected quantities as one pure-metal-content row so the collection-level quote and fees stay single.

Silver standards changed by country and year

This catalog distinguishes sterling, 90%, 83.5%, 80%, 72%, 62.5%, 50%, and modern bullion issues. Match the country, denomination, date, and type before using a row; a familiar coin name can cross several incompatible metal standards.

Transition-year traps are explicit

Canadian 1967–1968 dimes and quarters were produced in multiple compositions and cannot reliably be separated by appearance alone. Swiss 5-franc coins exclude the cupronickel 1968 issue, and Australian and British pre-decimal rows separate sterling from later 50% silver.

Canada and Mexico: match denomination, date, and design

For Canada, the listed circulation rows move from sterling through 1919 to 80% silver, followed by the difficult 1967–1968 dime and quarter transition. For Mexico, do not treat every peso alike: the 1920–1945 Un Peso, 1951–1954 Cinco Pesos, and 1957–1967 Morelos peso contain very different amounts of silver. Read the denomination and identify the design before selecting a row.

Britain and Australia: use the composition cutoffs

The British rows separate sterling issues ending in 1919 from 50% silver issues dated 1920–1946; the modern Silver Britannia is a separate bullion coin. Australia used sterling for the listed pre-decimal issues through 1945 and 50% silver afterward, with denomination-specific end dates. The round 1966 fifty-cent coin is a separate 80% silver issue; the Royal Australian Mint distinguishes it from the dodecagonal copper-nickel coin introduced in 1969.

Austria, France, and Germany: separate similar-looking series

Austria's one-ounce Silver Philharmonic is modern bullion, while the 1780-dated Maria Theresa Thaler is a continuing restrike with 23.39 grams of fine silver, as documented by the Austrian Mint. French Hercules and Sower rows and German Empire, Reichsmark, and Deutsche Mark rows each use different weights and standards. Do not apply the silver 1951–1974 5 Deutsche Mark row to its later copper-nickel successor; the Bundesbank lists both compositions.

Russia and the Soviet Union: identify the regime and denomination

The table separates late Imperial issues from early Soviet issues. Rubles and 50 kopeks use the larger 90% silver standard shown, while smaller 20-, 15-, 10-, and 5-kopeck rows use the 50% standard and much less contained silver. Match the script, date, denomination, and mint details; later Soviet and modern commemoratives are not covered by these circulation rows.

Switzerland and the Netherlands: watch interrupted ranges

The Swiss 5-franc row covers 1931–1967 and the later 1969 silver issue but deliberately excludes 1968; the smaller Swiss denominations end in 1967. Dutch 2.5-guilder rows are split because the 1929–1940 and 1959–1966 coins contain different amounts of silver, so year and denomination both matter.

How to identify and sell a world silver coin

First record the country, denomination, date, design, and edge. Then compare the measured weight with the correct row; use a magnet only to reject magnetic pieces, not to prove silver. For transition-year or high-value coins, use specific-gravity testing or a coin specialist. Before selling, sort coins by country and purity, keep possible collector pieces separate, and compare written offers against the calculated melt total.

Two useful rows the competitor omits

The table includes Canada's 1920–1921 80% silver five-cent coin, Australia's 1947–1964 50% silver threepence, and the 1966 round Australian 80% silver fifty-cent coin. It also uses corrected silver contents for the Canadian sterling half dollar and Dutch 1954–1967 guilder.

Melt value is not a collector appraisal

Foreign silver can be less familiar to local buyers, but rarity and condition can still put value far above melt. Never clean a coin; sort by country and purity, verify the exact issue, and compare specialist offers.

Primary specification sources

Modern and transition specifications were checked against the Royal Canadian Mint, Banco de México, Royal Mint, the Royal Australian Mint, Perth Mint, the Austrian Mint, the Bundesbank, Swissmint, and the Royal Dutch Mint.

Frequently asked questions

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