Junk Silver Bag: What It Is, What’s Inside and What It’s Worth
A junk silver bag is a bag of circulated U.S. 90% silver coins (dimes, quarters or half dollars dated 1964 and earlier) that is bought and sold by its face value. The standard bag is $1,000 face value. It holds about 715 troy ounces of pure silver and weighs about 55 pounds. Smaller $100, $250 and $500 face value bags are common too.
American Rarities has bought junk silver bags of every size since 1990. This page explains what is in a bag and how a bag is valued. For tips on getting the most money when you buy or sell, see Best Price for Junk Silver Bags. For coin-by-coin details on dimes, quarters, halves and war nickels, see Buying and Selling 90% Silver Coins.
What Is a Junk Silver Bag?
“Junk silver” is the trade name for circulated silver coins that are worth about their silver content rather than a collector premium. Banks and the U.S. Mint once moved coins in canvas bags of $1,000 face value, and the bag became the standard trading unit for 90% silver. The Coinage Act of 1965 removed silver from dimes and quarters after 1964, so every dime, quarter and half dollar dated 1964 or earlier is 90% silver (see the U.S. Mint coin specifications).
Today a “bag” describes an amount of silver as much as the container. A $1,000 face value bag may arrive in an original canvas bag, a box of rolls or a stack of tubes. Bags are usually sorted by denomination (all dimes, all quarters or all halves), though mixed bags also trade. 40% silver Kennedy halves from 1965 to 1970 are kept in separate bags because they hold less silver. Read more about the history of junk silver.
What’s Inside a $1,000 Face Value Junk Silver Bag?
Because dimes, quarters and half dollars contain silver in exact proportion to their face value, every $1,000 face value bag of 90% silver holds about the same amount of silver, whichever coins are inside:
| Bag type ($1,000 face) | Coins in the bag | Silver per coin (new) | Pure silver in a circulated bag |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90% silver dimes (1964 and earlier) | 10,000 | 0.0723 oz | about 715 oz |
| 90% silver quarters (1964 and earlier) | 4,000 | 0.1808 oz | about 715 oz |
| 90% silver half dollars (1964 and earlier) | 2,000 | 0.3617 oz | about 715 oz |
| 40% silver Kennedy halves (1965–1970) | 2,000 | 0.1479 oz | about 296 oz |
New coins held 723.4 troy ounces of silver per $1,000 face value. Circulated coins have lost a little to wear, so the market standard for a circulated bag is about 715 ounces. A full bag of 90% silver weighs about 55 pounds.
Junk Silver Bag Sizes: Rolls, Partial Bags and Full Bags
Junk silver trades by the roll for small amounts and by the bag for larger ones. Every size is priced the same way, by face value, so it is easy to compare amounts:
| Lot size | Face value | Approximate pure silver (90%) |
|---|---|---|
| Roll of dimes (50 coins) | $5 | about 3.6 oz |
| Roll of quarters (40 coins) or halves (20 coins) | $10 | about 7.2 oz |
| Partial bag | $100 | about 71.5 oz |
| Quarter bag | $250 | about 179 oz |
| Half bag | $500 | about 357.5 oz |
| Full bag | $1,000 | about 715 oz |
You don’t need a full bag to sell. We buy 90% and 40% silver in any amount, from a single roll to many full bags.
How a Junk Silver Bag Is Valued
The starting point is the bag’s silver value:
(Face value) × 0.715 × (silver spot price per ounce) = approximate silver value
For example, if silver were $50 per ounce, a $1,000 face value bag would hold about 715 × $50 = $35,750 of silver. The spot price moves throughout the day, so check the live Kitco silver chart or the NGC coin melt values guide, and see our coin melt value table.
A bag’s actual price can be above or below its melt value, depending on how much demand there is for 90% silver at the time. How bag prices are quoted, the premiums and discounts to spot, and how to get the most for your bag are covered on our junk silver bags best price page.
Check Your Bag for Better Dates Before You Sell
Most coins in a junk silver bag are common dates, but bags put together years ago sometimes hide coins worth more than their silver, such as scarce dates and mint marks, or coins in better condition. When we evaluate a bag, our buyers look through it for these coins and pay the collector premium where it applies.
Please don’t clean your coins, because cleaning lowers their value. We offer free in-house grading, and as a PCGS and NGC authorized dealer and ANACS submission center we can help you submit any coins that merit certification.
How to Sell a Junk Silver Bag
- Count the face value of your coins by denomination: 90% dimes, quarters and halves, plus any 40% Kennedy halves. An approximate count is fine.
- Email staff@americanrarities.com, text 720-600-4740 or use the form below to send a list or photos of your silver.
- We reply with a free written appraisal and offer, typically within 24 hours, though larger collections may take longer. If so, we’ll let you know. With no obligation to sell.
- For larger holdings we can visit you at your home or business anywhere in the country. Or ship to us fully insured with no deductible, with free or discounted shipping on selected collections.
- Once we receive your silver, we pay you immediately by company check, wire or ACH.
Why Sell Your Junk Silver Bag to American Rarities
- Rare coin dealer since 1990, with more than 30 years of experience and over $400 million in coins and collections purchased
- ANA Life Members, PCGS and NGC authorized dealer, and ANACS submission center
- Free in-house grading and XRF testing to confirm silver content
- Free written appraisals, typically within 24 hours, though larger collections may take longer. If so, we’ll let you know. With no obligation to sell
- Immediate payment by company check, wire or ACH
- Nationwide home visits for larger holdings
- Mail-in shipments fully insured with no deductible, and free or discounted shipping on selected collections
Related pages: Best Price for Junk Silver Bags · 90% Silver Coins · Sell 90% Silver Coins · Junk Silver Buyers · Sell Silver & Gold Bullion
Junk Silver Bag: Quick Answers
How many coins are in a $1,000 junk silver bag?
A $1,000 face value bag holds 10,000 dimes, 4,000 quarters or 2,000 half dollars. A mixed bag holds any combination of the three that adds up to $1,000 face value. Because 90% silver coins contain silver in exact proportion to face value, the coin count does not change the silver content; every full bag holds about the same amount of silver.
How much silver is in a $1,000 face value bag of junk silver?
About 715 troy ounces of pure silver, allowing for wear. New coins held 723.4 ounces per $1,000 face, and the market uses 715 for circulated bags. A $1,000 face bag of 40% silver Kennedy halves from 1965 to 1970 holds about 296 ounces, so those are always priced separately. To estimate a bag’s silver value, multiply 715 by the current silver spot price.
How much does a bag of junk silver weigh?
A $1,000 face value bag of 90% silver dimes, quarters or half dollars weighs about 55 pounds, or about 25 kilograms. Because of that weight, a full bag is usually split into two or more boxes when it is mailed. We can also visit you at your home or business for larger holdings, so you do not have to ship heavy boxes.
Which coins in a junk silver bag are worth more than silver?
Look for key dates and better-condition coins. Examples include the 1916-D Mercury dime, the 1921 and 1921-D Mercury dimes, the 1932-D and 1932-S Washington quarters, the 1921, 1921-D and 1921-S Walking Liberty halves, and Barber and Seated Liberty coins in nicer grades. Proof coins and uncirculated rolls also carry premiums. When we evaluate a bag, our buyers look through it and pay the collector premium where it applies.
Are silver war nickels part of a junk silver bag?
No, wartime Jefferson nickels are traded separately. Nickels dated 1942 to 1945 with a large mint mark above Monticello contain 35% silver, about 0.0563 troy ounces each, so they do not fit the 90% formula. They are usually sold by the roll or by face value in their own lots. We buy them along with your 90% and 40% silver.
Free Appraisal for Your Junk Silver Bag
Email, Text, or Use This Form To Send Us Your Inventory List or Pictures
Email: staff@americanrarities.com | Text: 720-600-4740
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