Silver coins in Denver
Sell Pre-1965 Silver Coins in Denver
Dimes, quarters and half dollars dated before 1965 are 90% silver, and we buy them by the coin, the roll or the coffee can. We also buy 40% Kennedy halves and wartime silver nickels from sellers across the Denver metro.
Private appointments across the Denver metro. We call back the same business day.
How silver coins are priced
Most pre-1965 silver is priced by face value and silver content. One dollar in face value of 90% dimes, quarters or halves holds about 0.715 troy ounces of silver, and we price that against the live spot price. Before we total anything, we pull out any coin with a scarce date or high grade so it can be priced on collector demand.
$1 face value of worn 90% dimes, quarters or halves at today’s spot price
24.71 grams × 90% silver = 0.7150 troy oz × spot today’s price = call for today’s value in metal
Melt value only. Collector value, when a coin has it, is priced separately and shown to you at the table.
What decides the price of silver coins
- Dimes, quarters and halves dated before 1965 are 90% silver.
- Kennedy halves from 1965 to 1970 are 40% silver.
- War nickels from 1942 to 1945 hold 35% silver.
- Face value and the live spot price set the number for common coins.
- A scarce date or high grade lifts a coin out of the melt pile.
Silver coins we buy
- Dimes dated before 1965
- Quarters dated before 1965
- Half dollars dated before 1965
- Kennedy halves from 1965 to 1970
- Wartime silver nickels
- Rolls and bank bags of silver change
- Silver proof sets
- American Silver Eagles
What happens when we meet
- 1
Call or send the form
Tell us roughly what you have. We call back the same business day and set a private appointment at a time that suits you.
- 2
Bring everything as it is
Don't clean, polish or sort. Bring the jars, albums and jewelry box, plus a government-issued photo ID if you plan to sell.
- 3
Watch each piece get checked
Date, mint mark and grade for coins. Karat for gold. Non-destructive testing and a calibrated scale, right in front of you.
- 4
Take the written offer, or don't
Say yes and get paid that visit by cash, check or wire. Say no and leave with everything plus the item-by-item list.
Selling in Denver
Silver coins in Denver jars, drawers and bank bags
Silver dropped out of everyday change in the mid-1960s. New dimes and quarters dated 1965 and later carried no silver, and the Kennedy half fell to 40% silver until 1970. People who noticed pulled the old coins aside, and their jars and coffee cans still turn up in closets from Arvada to Englewood.
Plenty of the coins in those jars carry a D from the Denver Mint on West Colfax. On most silver dimes and quarters, the D only tells you where the coin was made. A few date and mint mark pairs are scarce enough that collectors want them, and we read every date before we add up the silver.
War nickels confuse a lot of sellers. Most nickels from 1942 and all of them from 1943 to 1945 are 35% silver, so a jar of ordinary nickels can hide some silver ones. We sort them out by date and price them on their silver content. A nickel from outside those years is just a nickel.
Kennedy halves need sorting by date too. A 1964 half is 90% silver, halves dated 1965 to 1970 are 40% silver, and most later circulation halves have none. They look alike at a glance, so we go by the date and confirm the metal with non-destructive testing. That means no acid and no scratching, and every group goes on a calibrated scale before we write down a figure.
We price common silver by face value. One dollar in face value of 90% coins holds about 0.715 troy ounces of silver, and ten worn dimes hold about the same silver as two worn halves. Your written offer lists the face value in each group and ties it to the live spot price, so you can check our math against the day's silver price. Any scarce date we pull out gets its own line.
A few bank bags or a full coffee can of silver is a lot of weight to carry. If you have a large amount, or the coins are part of an estate, ask about a home visit. Otherwise we set a private meeting place when you book, anywhere from Thornton and Commerce City to Lakewood and Littleton. Bring a government-issued photo ID, call 303-401-0104, and we will return your call the same business day.
Sellers come from
Questions
Common questions
What is junk silver?
Junk silver is the trade name for worn, common-date U.S. coins bought for their silver. Pre-1965 dimes, quarters and halves are 90% silver, and $1 in face value holds about 0.715 troy ounces. Despite the name, these coins are worth their silver. Collectors just don't pay extra for them, so silver content sets the price.
Are Kennedy half dollars silver?
Some are. The 1964 Kennedy half is 90% silver, and halves dated 1965 to 1970 are 40% silver. Most later halves made for circulation have no silver. Sort them by date if you like, or bring them all, and we will check each one and price the silver halves against the live spot price.
How do I tell if a nickel is a war nickel?
Check the date. Most 1942 nickels and all nickels dated 1943 to 1945 are 35% silver. If you have nickels from those years, set them aside or bring the whole jar, and we will sort them in front of you. The silver ones are priced on their silver content, and the rest are just nickels.
Do you buy small amounts of silver coins?
Yes. A handful of dimes is worth checking, because one of them could turn out to be a scarce date. Call 303-401-0104 first so we can set a time and talk through what you have. Small lot or large, every coin is checked and priced in writing, and you are paid the same visit if you accept.
Are silver coins worth more if they carry a D mint mark?
Usually not. Most Denver silver coins are common and are priced on their silver. A few date and mint mark pairs are scarce, and those are priced on collector demand. We read every date and mint mark before we total the silver, so a better coin never gets priced as melt by mistake.
Find out what your coins and gold are worth. Then decide.
- Free evaluation, with no obligation to sell
- Every piece checked in front of you
- A written offer, item by item
- Paid the same visit if you say yes
Request your free offer
Three quick questions. We call back the same business day.
or call (303) 401-0104