Pre-1965 Silver Coin Melt Values Hit 30-Year Highs

It takes little recognition to realize silver coin melt values for pre-1965 U.S. coins are surging with each successive push of fresh 30-year high silver prices. However, the level of their gains in even shorter time periods can be shocking.

In early October, a poor quality 1963 Franklin half dollar had a melt value of $8.29. A worn out 1964 Washington quarter was worth $4.14. Today, that half dollar is worth 75 cents more at $9.04 and the quarter is up 40 cents to $4.52. More mind-numbing, this year alone their respective melt values have increased $2.89 and $1.45, respectively.

At these premiums, it easy to understand why more people are not only looking through their old jarred up change to make some money, but also buying and selling bulk bags and rolls of pre-1965 US silver coins as an alternative investment vehicle.

For a deeper perspective on how recent silver prices have affected old coin values, the following tables show coin melt values in 1999, 2009 and 2010.

Pre-1965 Silver Coin Melt Values

Silver Coins	Coin Melt Values (Silver at $5.33 on Dec. 30, 1999)	Coin Melt Values (Silver at $16.99 on Dec. 31, 2009)	Coin Melt Values (Silver at $25.00 on Nov. 3, 2010)	Near 12-Year Gain	2010 Gain
1942-1945 Jefferson Nickels	$0.30	$0.96	$1.41	$1.10	$0.45
1916-1945 Mercury Dimes	$0.39	$1.23	$1.81	$1.42	$0.58
1946-1964 Roosevelt Dimes	$0.39	$1.23	$1.81	$1.42	$0.58
1932-1964 Washington Quarters	$0.96	$3.07	$4.52	$3.56	$1.45
1916-1947 Walking Liberty Half Dollars	$1.93	$6.15	$9.04	$7.11	$2.89
1948-1963 Franklin Half Dollars	$1.93	$6.15	$9.04	$7.11	$2.89
1964 Kennedy Half Dollars	$1.93	$6.15	$9.04	$7.11	$2.89
1965-1970 Kennedy Half Dollars	$0.79	$2.51	$3.70	$2.91	$1.19
1878-1921 Morgan Dollars	$4.12	$13.14	$19.34	$15.22	$6.20
1921-1935 Peace Dollars	$4.12	$13.14	$19.34	$15.22	$6.20

 

U.S. coins minted before 1965 contain 90 percent silver. Taking wear and tear into the equation, that means $10 worth of pre-1965 US silver coins contain about 7.15 ounces of silver. Or, $1.40 of the coins contain about one ounce of silver.

If the number crunching causes headaches, this site’s melt calculator can be used to quickly find junk silver coin values based on silver prices. It can also calculate bid and ask spreads based on percentages.