About scrap silverAs you're going through your jewelry box looking for scrap gold, you'll probably come across some scrap silver, silver jewelry or silver coins. Silver has always been more affordable than gold, and many people have owned it in one form or another. You may have broken pieces of silver, silver you no longer wear, flatware or tableware, or some old coins you've hung onto but weren't sure what to do with them. Although not as valuable as gold, silver has SOME value, and you may want to consider scrapping your silver as well as your gold. The good news is most people who buy scrap gold also buy scrap silver. (See "Where to sell your gold").
until I found out it was worth hundreds of dollars in collector value because it had the "right" hallmark.
Silver flatware and tableware. A lot of flatware and tableware will be marked "Sterling," but sometimes it's difficult to tell if it's solid sterling silver or silverplate. Markings such as "EPNS," "E.P.C.", "Triple", and so on, designate silverplate. European silver and silverplate is especially confusing because there are literally hundreds of manufacturer hallmarks. Here is a good reference guide. Also, there is a lot of "800" marked silver out there that is known as nickel or coin silver, and most of it comes from Germany. It's a lower grade of silver, but is still considered to be in the silver family. Silver coins. Coins minted in 1964 and prior, contain 90% silver, and are easy to sell because they are a recognized standard issued by the government. There are, however, "key date" coins that are worth more then their scrap value. This link will take you to a good website that talks about key date coins, or or click here to price your bullion or scrap silver. As you can see, silver is a bit more diverse than gold, and each piece you are considering selling should be scrutinized very carefully. And don't worry about cleaning your silver (With the exception of silver coins. Don't attempt cleaning a coin or you might ruin it.). Scrap buyers don't care, and collectors like patina!
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