Silver scrap covers a broad range: hallmarked sterling silverware, old jewellery, broken cutlery, and pre-decimal UK coinage. Valuing it starts with identifying what you actually have, because silver-plated items (EPNS) contain only a microscopic film of silver and are worth effectively nothing as scrap, while solid sterling (.925) has real melt value.
Look for hallmarks. UK sterling silver carries the lion passant and a fineness mark, plus a date letter and maker’s mark. If an item is marked “EPNS”, “A1” or “plate”, it is silver-plated base metal, not solid silver — do not include it in a scrap lot. A magnet will not help (silver is non-magnetic either way), but weight and hallmarking will. When in doubt, a dealer or assay test settles it.
Pre-decimal UK coins are a common source of silver scrap. Coins dated pre-1920 are 92.5% silver (sterling); coins dated 1920–1946 are 50% silver; coins from 1947 onwards contain no silver. A jar of old shillings, florins and half crowns can add up to a meaningful amount of metal. Our silver coin calculator prices common coins by their silver content at the live rate.
Once you know the weight and fineness, the melt value is straightforward: weight × fineness × live silver price per gram. Our scrap silver and sterling silver calculators do this for you and show a typical dealer offer range (around 70–90% of melt). Because silver is bulky relative to its value, small lots often attract lower percentages — consolidating items usually improves the rate.
Before selling, check for collector value. Antique sterling tea services, designer pieces (Georg Jensen, Asprey) and rare coins can be worth far more than melt at auction. Selling a rare 1900 crown for scrap would be a costly mistake. When in doubt, get a specialist opinion on anything old or distinctive before consigning it to the scrap pile.