World Silver Coin Melt Values

Silver coin purities vary more widely by country and era than gold coins. Common purities include 92.5% (sterling, used by British Empire countries pre-1920), 90% (Germany, France for some denominations, Mexico for older pesos), 83.5% (France and Switzerland for most denominations), 80% (Canada from 1920–1967), 72% (Mexico and Netherlands), and 50% (British coins 1920–1946, Australian post-1946, Canadian 1967–1968). Modern bullion coins from all countries are 99.9% pure or higher.

The melt value formula is the same regardless of purity: pure silver weight in troy ounces multiplied by the current silver spot price. The tables above show the pure silver content for each coin, so you don't need to calculate purity adjustments yourself. This calculator uses live silver prices updated every 60 seconds for the most accurate values.

World Junk Silver by Country

In the US, "junk silver" refers to pre-1965 90% silver coins. Each country has its own equivalent. Canada has pre-1968 80% coins — dimes, quarters, half dollars, and dollars that are readily available and trade near melt value. The UK has pre-1947 50% silver coins and the more valuable pre-1920 sterling silver coins. Australia has pre-1966 coins in both sterling and 50% silver. Mexico has older pesos in 72% silver.

These circulated silver coins trade at or near melt value and are a popular way to accumulate physical silver affordably. Unlike modern bullion coins that carry 10–20% premiums, junk silver from most countries can be found at or slightly above melt, making it an efficient way to stack silver by weight.

Late Imperial Russian and early Soviet silver coins (1886–1931) form another junk silver category, with smaller denominations in 50% silver and rubles and 50 kopeks in 90% silver.

Silver Purity by Country and Era

Understanding when each country changed its coinage composition is essential for identifying silver coins. British Empire countries (UK, Australia, Canada, India) used sterling silver (92.5%) until roughly 1920, then dropped to 50% or 80% depending on the country, and eliminated silver entirely by the 1960s–1970s. Continental Europe (France, Switzerland, Germany) used 83.5–90% silver. Latin America (Mexico) used 72–90% silver for various denominations.

The transition dates vary: Britain switched from sterling to 50% in 1920, Canada switched from sterling to 80% in 1920 and removed silver entirely after 1968, and Australia went from sterling to 50% in 1946 and dropped silver after 1963. These dates are your guide to quickly sorting foreign silver coins by value.

Late Imperial Russia and the early Soviet Union used a consistent silver standard from 1886 to 1931. Higher denominations (1 ruble, 50 kopeks, and the short-lived 25 kopeks) were struck in 90% silver, while smaller denominations (20, 15, 10, and 5 kopeks) used 50% silver. The Imperial 1 ruble of Nicholas II weighs 19.996 grams and contains 0.5786 troy ounces of pure silver. After the 1917 revolution, the Soviet Union briefly continued silver coinage from 1921 to 1931, with the Soviet 1 ruble (minted 1921, 1922, and 1924) matching the Imperial standard at 20 grams. Silver was eliminated from Soviet coinage entirely after 1931.

Selling World Silver Coins

World silver coins are harder to sell than US junk silver because fewer dealers are familiar with them. Local coin shops in the US may offer lower percentages on foreign coins simply because they're less liquid inventory. Online platforms, precious metals forums, and dealers who specialize in world coins typically pay closer to melt value. eBay can be effective for larger lots of sorted foreign silver.

Sorting by country and purity before selling gets better offers. A mixed bag of unsorted foreign coins will fetch less than neatly separated lots of British sterling, Canadian 80%, and Mexican 72% coins. Weigh each lot and calculate the melt value using this page so you know the fair price before negotiating.

Russian Imperial and early Soviet silver coins are particularly tricky to sell at fair prices. Many local US coin shops are unfamiliar with kopek denominations and Cyrillic dates, often quoting straight bullion prices that ignore numismatic premiums on rarer dates and mint marks. Imperial 1 rubles in higher grades and Soviet 1 rubles from 1921, 1922, and 1924 frequently carry premiums above melt value. Pre-1886 Imperial rubles, struck under Alexander II and Alexander III, are almost always worth more than melt and should be evaluated as numismatic coins rather than bullion. Always weigh the coin and calculate the melt value here as your floor price, then check completed eBay sales for the specific date and mint mark before accepting any offer below numismatic value.

For US silver coin melt values, see our US silver coin melt values page. For gold world coins, visit world gold coin melt values. Or return to the melt value calculator homepage.