What Is Junk Silver?
Don't let the name fool you. "Junk silver" is what collectors call the everyday silver coins that got spent, dropped in jars and passed from hand to hand for decades. They're worn, they're common, and every single one is real silver.
Why "junk"?
It's a trade term, not an insult. Junk silver means circulated silver coins that are valued mostly for the silver in them, with little or no extra for rarity or condition. Common dates, honest wear, real metal.
Here's the thing: these are the coins your grandparents bought groceries with. A worn Bluenose dime or a Walking Liberty half has been places. Calling it junk is kind of hilarious.
What counts as junk silver
| Coin | Silver | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Canada 10¢, 25¢, 50¢ | 80% | up to 1966, plus most 1967 |
| Canada 10¢, 25¢ | 50% | some 1967, some 1968 |
| Canada 5¢ "fish scale" | 92.5%, then 80% | up to 1919, then 1920–1921 |
| US 10¢, 25¢, 50¢ | 90% | 1964 and earlier |
| US 50¢ (Kennedy) | 40% | 1965–1970 |
| US 5¢ (war nickel) | 35% | 1942–1945 |
Silver dollars from both countries are silver too, but they're big enough that most collectors treat them as their own thing. See Canadian Silver Dollars and Silver Dollars of the USA.
Counting it by face value
Junk silver is often counted by face value, since every coin of the same type carries the same silver. That makes the math easy:
| Face value | Silver inside |
|---|---|
| $1 in Canadian 80% dimes, quarters or halves | about 0.6 oz |
| $1 in US 90% dimes, quarters or halves | 0.7234 oz new, about 0.715 oz worn |
So ten Canadian dimes, four quarters or two halves all land on the same 0.6 oz. Neat, right?
Junk today, key date tomorrow
Before you toss a coin in the junk pile, check the date. A few common-looking coins are anything but:
- 1948 Canadian dime: only 422,741 made, the lowest of any silver dime from 1937–1966.
- 1948 Canadian half: only 37,784 made.
- 1947 maple leaf: a tiny leaf next to the date on some Canadian coins.
- 1916-D Mercury dime: only 264,000 made.
- 1932-D and 1932-S Washington quarters: 436,800 and 408,000 made.
Full lists in Canada's Small Silver and America's Small Silver.
Start your pile
Every bundle is genuine circulated silver. Canadian: dimes · quarters · halves · fish scales. US: dimes · quarters · halves.
Keep learning
- Sorting the Coin Jar: pull the silver out of any pile of change.
- Why People Love Silver: 5,000 years of silver in one page.
Or browse all our coin bundles.