Sell Silver Coins and Junk Silver in Philadelphia

Northeast Philadelphia is coffee can country. In the rowhouses and twins off Roosevelt Boulevard, in Mayfair, Frankford and Fox Chase, pocket change had a way of piling up in a can on the closet shelf for years. When those cans finally come down, a few silver coins are often mixed in with the copper and clad.

Telling silver from newer coins is easy once you know the dates. Dimes, quarters and half dollars dated 1964 or earlier are 90% silver. Kennedy halves dated 1965 to 1970 are 40% silver. From 1965 on, the dimes and quarters that went into circulation are not silver, so a quick look at the dates splits most cans in a few minutes. Silver proof sets are the exception worth setting aside, since many years carry 90% silver coins.

The war nickel is a Philadelphia story of its own. Most five-cent pieces from 1942 to 1945 were struck in a 35% silver alloy, and the ones made here carry a P mint mark, the only time Philadelphia marked its coins before 1979. The letter did not return until the Susan B. Anthony dollar in 1979, and most other coins picked it up in 1980. Plenty of people have spent a war nickel without noticing the silver or the P.

Sorting comes before weighing. A can of junk silver can hide Bust or Seated Liberty pieces from the 1800s, which collectors want in most grades, or an uncirculated roll that deserves a closer look. We pull those first and price them on collector demand. The rest goes on a calibrated scale and is priced by silver content against the live spot price, using the rule that $1 face value of 90% coins holds about 0.715 troy ounces.

A private appointment suits this kind of selling. You can bring a can, a few rolls or a shoebox of halves and spread it on a table with only one buyer present, instead of counting coins at a busy counter. We set where to meet when you book, and a big lot from an estate is a good reason to ask about a home visit.

We buy silver coins from sellers in the city and in Bucks, Montgomery, Delaware and Chester counties, plus Cherry Hill, Trenton and Wilmington. If you accept the written offer, payment comes that same visit. To sell, bring a government-issued photo ID. Call 215-798-9204 and we will ring you back that same business day.