Sell Junk Silver & Sterling Flatware in Atlanta

Two kinds of silver come across our counter more than anything else: bags of pre-1965 U.S. coins, and the flatware chest that came out of a parent's dining room. Both are priced on the silver actually in them, quoted against live spot in writing, at our Chamblee counter or on an insured prepaid label if you would rather not travel. This page is about those two specifically — for bullion, coins and everything else, see selling gold, silver and coins in Atlanta.

What Counts as Junk Silver

“Junk” is a misnomer that has stuck. It does not mean damaged — it means the coin carries no collector premium above its metal, so it trades on silver content alone. Most of what people inherit falls into this category, and it is worth real money.

• 90% silver, dated 1964 and earlier — Morgan and Peace dollars, Walking Liberty, Franklin and 1964 Kennedy half dollars, Washington quarters, Mercury and Roosevelt dimes
• 40% silver — Kennedy half dollars dated 1965 through 1970
• 35% silver — “war nickels,” Jefferson nickels struck from 1942 through 1945 with the large mint mark over the dome

Anything dated 1965 or later, apart from those Kennedy halves and a few modern collector issues, contains no silver at all. If you are not sure what you have, bring it in — sorting it is part of what we do, not an extra.

How We Price It

Junk silver is priced by weight against live spot, not by face value and not by counting coins. Circulated 90% coin works out to roughly 0.715 troy ounces of silver per dollar of face value once you allow for wear, which is why a worn Mercury dime and a sharp one are worth close to the same thing.

You do not need to clean, sort or roll anything first. Cleaning old silver coins can damage a piece that had collector value, so if in doubt, leave it exactly as it is and let us look.

Want a number before you come in? Run the scrap calculator for sterling and silver by weight, or the buyback calculator for recognised coins and bars.

Sterling or Plated? How to Tell Before You Load the Car

This is the single most common disappointment at a silver counter, and it is worth five minutes at your own kitchen table.

• Sterling is marked. Look on the back of a spoon handle or the underside of a bowl for STERLING, STER, 925 or .925. American sterling is almost always marked.
• Plate is also marked, differently. EP, EPNS, A1, triple plate or the word silverplate all mean a microscopically thin silver layer over a base metal. There is no recoverable silver value in it.
• A beautiful set can still be plate. Weight, heft and a fitted wooden chest tell you nothing about the metal. Plated sets were the wedding gift of choice for decades and many are heavier than sterling.

If your pieces are unmarked or you cannot read the stamp, bring them anyway. We test on an XRF spectrometer at the counter and you watch the reading — see how testing works. We would rather tell you it is plate for free than have you wonder.

Flatware: Weighed as a Lot, With Two Exceptions

Sterling flatware is normally bought by weight as a single lot rather than piece by piece. Two things change that arithmetic, and we will raise both with you before anything is weighed:

• Knives are not solid silver. Sterling knife handles are hollow and filled with a cement or resin bolster, with a stainless blade. They weigh far more than the silver in them, so they are valued separately from spoons and forks. A dealer who weighs your knives with everything else and quotes one number is not doing you a favour.
• A complete set in a sought-after pattern can be worth more intact. Some patterns carry a collector market well above melt, particularly complete services with serving pieces and the original chest. If yours is one of them we will tell you, because melting it would be the wrong outcome for both of us.

Hollowware — trays, bowls, candlesticks, tea services — is the same story. Weighted candlesticks and reinforced bases contain pitch or plaster that is not silver, and we account for it openly rather than quietly.

Two Ways to Sell

At the counter in Chamblee

Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are preferred — selling a collection moves faster with a specialist set aside for you. Call 404.815.8893. Bring the items and a government-issued photo ID; Georgia law requires dealers to record identification on precious metals purchases. Everything is weighed and tested in front of you, your offer is quoted against live spot in writing and itemized, and you are paid the same day you accept by check, wire or ACH.

By insured shipping

We send fully-insured prepaid shipping, open your package on camera, and quote against live spot. You approve the figure before payment; decline it and the items ship back insured, free.

Visit Us

Alex Lexington
3335 Chamblee Dunwoody Rd
Chamblee, GA 30341
404.815.8893

Hours: Monday – Friday, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM Eastern; closed weekends. Free parking on site, minutes from I-285 and Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, and an easy run from Dunwoody, Brookhaven, Sandy Springs, Buckhead and Decatur.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is junk silver?

Junk silver is circulated U.S. coinage that carries no collector premium above its metal content, so it trades on silver alone. The name is misleading — it is ordinary pre-1965 coin, and it is worth real money.

Which U.S. coins actually contain silver?

Dimes, quarters, half dollars and dollars dated 1964 and earlier are 90% silver. Kennedy half dollars dated 1965 through 1970 are 40% silver. Jefferson nickels struck from 1942 through 1945 with the large mint mark over the dome are 35% silver. Almost everything else dated 1965 or later contains none.

How do you price junk silver?

By weight against live spot at the moment we make the offer, not by face value and not by counting coins. Circulated 90% coin works out to roughly 0.715 troy ounces of silver per dollar of face value once you allow for wear.

Is my flatware sterling or plated?

Look on the back of a spoon handle for STERLING, STER, 925 or .925. Marks reading EP, EPNS, A1, triple plate or silverplate mean a thin silver layer over base metal with no recoverable value. If the piece is unmarked, bring it in and we will test it on the spectrometer at the counter while you watch.

Should I sell a complete flatware set or melt it?

Sometimes intact is worth more. Complete services in sought-after patterns, especially with serving pieces and the original chest, can carry a collector market above melt. If yours is one of them we will tell you rather than weigh it.

Do you buy silver-plated items?

No. Plated pieces hold no recoverable silver value. We will tell you at the counter, for free, rather than after you have driven home.

Why are knives valued separately from the rest of the set?

Sterling knife handles are hollow and filled with a cement or resin bolster, with a stainless blade, so they weigh far more than the silver in them. Valuing them with the spoons and forks would misstate the lot.

Can I ship my silver instead of driving in?

Yes. We send fully-insured prepaid shipping, open your package on camera, and quote against live spot. You approve the figure before payment; decline it and the items ship back insured, free.

Do I need to clean my silver first?

No, and please do not. Cleaning can damage a coin or a piece that had collector value above its metal. Bring it exactly as it is.

More Resources

• Sell Gold, Silver & Coins in Atlanta — everything else we buy
• Coin Dealer in Chamblee — when a coin is worth more than its silver
• Scrap Calculator — estimate sterling and silver by weight
• The Gold-to-Silver Ratio — how to time a silver sale
• Assay & Authentication — how XRF testing works
• Buy silver — the other side of the counter
• Contact Us