Silver Coins and Bars - Spot Price and More

Silver is traded in all major markets, and because of this, I posted the 24 hour price and the New York 8 hour Spot Price. Prices don't fluctuate too much, but you may be able to make a better deal by quoting an inflated/deflated 24 hour or New York spot price.

24 Hour Silver Price




8 Hour New York Silver Spot Price




All prices are in U.S. Dollars per ounce of silver.

There are lots of reasons to collect silver, and it's not just about making money, although there are certainly lots of great economic opportunities inherent in collecting silver.

1. Silver is beautiful. The moonlike shine from silver is second only to gold, but some people prefer it, featuring silver jewelry and silver coins. A polished silver round in mint condition is like a mirror.

2. Silver is valuable. Silver is one of the most desired commodities in electronics, medical processes, jewelry and more. As long as silver is in demand, it will always be valuable, maintaining its collectibility over the long term.

Uses for Silver:

Batteries
Bearings
Brazing and Soldering
Catalysts
Coins
Electrical Wire
Electronics
Electroplating
Photography
Medical Applications
Jewelry and Silverware
Mirrors and Coatings
Solar Energy
Water Purification

3. Silver is a better investment than gold. Gold is extrememly valuable, and there's nothing like it, but the percent increase in silver over the last 5 years is far greater then the percent increase in gold or any stock market.

4. Silver is a more cost effective investment. For as little as $100 a week, you can invest in OOC coinage, bullion coins and one ounce bars, leave the dealer satisfied as a collector and still have asizable investment potential. Gold, on the other hand, takes a much more sizable investment (over $800 an ounce on 8/25/2008), and although it too is gaining in value, it is harder to swallow when gold prices drop. A drop in silver prices makes for an easy opportunity to buy more silver!

Like all natural resources, as mines are tapped and every source of silver is smelted and processed, silver becomes inexorably more valuable. A long term investment in silver makes a youthful interest in coin collecting into a valuable retirement fund or endowment in your later years. The sooner you get involved in collecting and maintaining your silver stores, the more valuable they will be down the road.

The American Eagle silver coin was first minted by the U.S. Mint in 1986 and new coins are still minted in 2008.

The American Eagle features Adolph A. Weinman's "Walking Liberty", originally used on the 1916 half dollar, on the obverse, and on the reverse is the American Eagle with wings spread, with flag shield in front and 13 stars overhead.

The coin contains one ounce of .999 silver (99.9% silver or "three 9 fine").

The face value of the coin is 1 dollar.

American Eagles are very common and easy to find in coin stores, pawn shops, some jewelry stores and companies that sell bullion online.

Coins can be found as is or in Proof cases for protection which should have certificates of authenticity.

First minted in 1988 by the Royal Canadian Mint, the Canadian Maple Leaf silver coin is still being minted in 2008.

The Canadian Maple Leaf features a detailed maple leaf on the obverse of the coin, and a younger profile of England's Queen Elizabeth the Second on the reverse.

The coin is the only silver coin that contains one ounce of .9999 silver (99.99% silver or "four 9 fine").

The face value of the coin is 5 dollars.

Silver Maple Leafs are very common and easy to find in coin stores, pawn shops, some jewelry stores and companies that sell bullion online.

Coins can be found as is or in Proof cases for protection which should have certificates of authenticity.

Originally and still minted in gold, the Austrian Philharmonic is now minted in silver as well due to great demand.

First made available in 2008 by the Austrian Mint, the silver Austrian Philharmonic features instruments on the obverse and the great organ in the Golden Hall in Vienna's Musikverein, all representing Vienna's Philharmonic Orchestra.

The coin contains one ounce of .999 silver (99.9% silver or "three 9 fine").

The face value of the coin is 150 euros.

Silver Austrian Philharmonics are not common in the states yet but will be widely available due to the demand for the silver version and to the popularity of the identically designed and minted gold Philharmonic.

Coins can be found as is or in Proof cases for protection which should have certificates of authenticity.

The Chinese Silver Pandas are varied and exciting collectible coins, in addition to their inherent silver content, because the design changes every year, and there are 6 different sizes of coins, making for a big collection of varied coins.

Silver Pandas come in a variety of sizes from 1/4 ounce to 1 kg coins, all of which are .999 silver ("three 9 fine"):

1 kilogram - 300 Yuan face value
12 ounce - 100 Yuan face value
5 ounce - 50 Yuan face value
1 and 2 ounce - 10 Yuan face value each
1/2 ounce - 5 Yuan face value
1/4 ounce - 3 Yuan face value

The 1 ounce panda is comparable in size to the Eagle, Maple Leaf and Philharmonic, while the others are larger or smaller based on their silver content.

The minting of Silver Pandas began in 1983 by several state mints within China. Each year's panda has a different panda design on the reverse and the obverse shows the Temple of Heaven in the center along with "Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo" (People's Republic of China) along the top.

Silver Pandas are fairly common in the U.S. and around the world, but are more likely to be found in coin shops, some jewelry shops and most silver dealers.

Proof sets as well as as-is coins are available.

Junk Silver or out-of-circulation American coinage refers to coinage that contains some portion of silver before being mostly done away with in 1965, and used only occasionally in American coinage afterward.

The most commonly collected coins are listed below. Since coins that were formerly in circulation have some wear, coins may be considered to have a lower silver content than is listed.

To get an idea of the value of the value of a silver coin, you can multiply the silver spot price by the actual silver content of the coin.

Example: Spot price of $14 x Morgan Dollar content of .77344 = Value of about $10.83.

The coins listed below are the most sought after by casual silver coin collectors. Older coins are much harder to come by and are often times more valuable than their silver content despite their condition. These include coinage from late 1700s to mid 1800s.

There are also other coins not listed here that have some silver content but are not usually collected for that purpose, including Wartime (Jefferson, 1942-1945) Nickels, which are 35% silver due to the shortage of nickel needed for the war effort. This is not considered a significant amount by most collectors, but a genuine wartime nickel is still prized by coin collectors.

This also does not include special editions of coins struck in silver for commemorative proof purposes, like the new state quarter sets struck in silver. Incidentally, these new quarters are also 90% silver, just like the -1964 quarters, but are sold by the U.S. Mint as proof sets far in excess of the silver value they contain and are valued as collectibles.

Obverse: Newly modeled Liberty Head facing left
Reverse: American Eagle with wings close to body

The Peace Type Dollar is a 90% silver coin containing .77344 ounces of pure silver, minus wear.

Note: The Liberty Head/Morgan and the Peace Type dollars are the most common silver dollars still changing hands.

Obverse: Liberty Head facing left
Reverse: American Eagle wings spread

90% silver coin containing .77344 ounces of pure silver, minus wear.

Note: The Liberty Head/Morgan and the Peace Type dollars are the most common silver dollars still changing hands.

Obverse: President John F. Kennedy facing left
Reverse: American Eagle with wings spread

Released in only one year, the 1965 Kennedy is a silver composite over another silver composite. Considered to contain 40% silver, the content is equal to .1479 ounces of silver, minus wear.

Note: This and the following 4 coins (4 designs), are the most common half dollars collected and available.

Visually identical to 1965 Kennedy Half.
Also released in one year, the 1964 Kennedy has the same composition as half dollars before it, 90% silver, .36169 ounces of silver, minus wear.

Obverse: Founding Father Benjamin Franklin facing right
Reverse: Liberty Bell

Typical composition of pre-1965 half dollars which is 90% silver, consisting of .36169 ounces of silver, minus wear.

Obverse: Liberty walking and gesturing to the left
Reverse: American Eagle facing left, wings arched

90% silver composition, .36169 ounces silver, minus wear.

Obverse: Liberty facing right
Reverse: American Eagle with wings spread

90% silver composition, .36169 ounces silver, minus wear.

Obverse: President George Washington facing left
Reverse: American Eagle with wings spread

Typical of all silver quarters, the Washington is composed of 90% silver, .18084 ounces of silver, minus wear.

This and the following 2 quarters are the most commonly collected and available.

Obverse: Liberty standing in the foreground
Reverse: American Eagle in flight to right

90% silver, .18084 ounces of silver, minus wear.

Obverse: Liberty facing right
Reverse: American Eagle with wings spread

90% silver, .18084 ounces of silver, minus wear.

Obverse: President Franklin D. Roosevelt facing left
Reverse: An olive branch, torch and oak branch

90% silver composition, .07234 ounces of silver, minus wear.

Note: This and the next 2 dimes are the most commonly found amongst collectors and for sale.

Obverse: Liberty with a winged cap facing left
Reverse: An olive branch and fasces

90% silver, .07234 ounces of silver, minus wear.

Obverse: Liberty facing right
Reverse: The words "ONE DIME" surrounded by a laurel wreath

90% silver, .07234 ounces of silver, minus wear.

In addition to junk silver and bullion coins which have an established silver content by the US and other National Mints, silver is available in stamped coins (or rounds) and bars.

Stamped coins and bars are smelted, assayed and certified by companies that specialize in accurate production and distribution of these products.

Knowing the common brands helps you to be certain that the coin or bar that you have is in fact an accurate quantity of silver.

Engelhard - 1 Oz Bar and 1 Oz Round


Johnson-Matthey - 1 Oz Bar and Poured 100 Oz Bar


A-Mark - 10 Oz Bar


Sunshine - 1 Oz Round


Wall Street Mint - 10 Oz Bar and Extruded 100 Oz Bar


All of these companies are sufficiently qualified to produce .999 silver rounds and bars. Any dealer that sells silver will have one or more of these products based on availability.

There are far more dealers than there are mints! A quick Google search will find a dealer near you who has the products you're looking for.

Silver jewelery and silverware are typically terling silver which has a silver quanitiy of .925. All jewelry and flatware that is in fact silver will be stamped with either "Sterling" or ".925". Anything not so stamped is not sterling silver and is either silver-plated, or silver-looking.

Silver-plated flatware often bears the stamp quadruple (or some other version) plate or A-1. Again, the lack of Sterling or .925 on the piece, regardless of what it says, indicates that it is NOT sterling silver.

There are some other caveats with silverware. Forks and spoons should be all sterling silver, but knives are not. Often times, in order to maintain strength, the handle is sterling, but the blade is attached to a tang which is embedded in the handle. The blade and tang are often silver-plated, or a far lower concentration of silver than .925 to give the blade assembly greater strength. Although part of the set for a collection, the actual silver content of the knife in terms of weight and value applies only to the handle.

Some people enjoy collecting silver jewelry, silverware, and antiques like urns and dishes for their aesthetic and historic value.

Others like to collect these items purely for their silver content. Such valuation of the silver content of products contributes to a bullion economy, where the value of the materials is more important than the artistry or design of the resulting product.

Due to the interest in the bullion economy, many smelters have popped around the world who will smelt your gold, silver and other precious metals for a fee, and return the resulting certified rounds and bars to you. Again, a Google search will find a smelter near and convenient to you.

If you're going to search for and collect silver for its content value, you'll need the right tools to do it.