Before you sell
Is the Dealer's Offer Fair?
List what you're selling and type in the dealer's offer. You'll see the melt value of the lot, the offer as a percent of melt, and how it compares with what dealers commonly pay for each kind of coin.
1. What you're selling
Tap each kind of item you have, then enter how many. Add a line twice if you want to split it up.
Nothing added yet. Tap a coin type above to start your list.
2. Today's spot prices
Estimated gold price. Enter today's spot price for an exact figure.
Estimated silver price. Enter today's spot price for an exact figure.
3. The offer you received
The dealer's total for everything on your list.
Your result
Melt value of your lot
$0.00
The offer
—
Offer as % of melt
—
Add what you're selling to see its melt value and what dealers commonly pay for it.
Check for collectible coins before you take a melt price.
Rare dates, mint marks and high grades can be worth far more than their metal. Look up your coins withIs My Coin Silver? and theMorgan dollar,Peace dollar andWalking Liberty half pages, and set aside anything unusual before you sell the rest as metal.
Before you say yes
- Ask the dealer to break the offer down item by item and to tell you what percent of melt each line is.
- Keep metals sorted: 90% apart from 40% silver, and each karat of gold in its own bag, so nothing is priced at the lowest rate.
- Get a second offer. Find coin shops near you. Where there are enough reviews, each dealer page shows how many recent Google reviews describe fair offers and how many describe lowball offers.
- Compare quotes from more than one buyer. A published price from another shop is an example, not a guarantee of what you will be offered locally.
The link holds your list and offer in the address after the # sign. Nothing is saved on our end.
Published buy-price examples
These examples were checked on October 9–10, 2026, and come from posted buy lists, dealer guides and trade press. They are not a representative market survey or live dealer quotes. A shop can offer more or less on a given day. Where no one publishes a figure, we say so.
| Category | What the sources say |
|---|---|
| 1 oz gold bullion coins95% to 98% of melt | Money Metals and Express Gold Cash told AARP in March 2026 they pay up to 98% of the gold price for pure gold coins. A North Carolina shop posts 95% of spot and up for gold coins.Sources: AARP: selling gold and silver (Mar 2026) · Raleigh Coin Dealers: posted buy prices |
| Silver Eagles and 1 oz rounds90% to 100% of melt | A North Carolina shop posts spot minus 4% for Silver Eagles, minus 5% for Silver Maple Leafs and minus 7% for silver Krugerrands. CoinWeek reported in March 2026 that shops pay closer to spot for .999 bars and Silver Eagles than for 90% coins, because they sell faster.Sources: Raleigh Coin Dealers: posted buy prices · CoinWeek: why 90% junk silver is trading below spot (Mar 2026) |
| 90% silver coins (junk silver)80% to 98% of melt | USAGOLD says dealers buy 1% to 3% under silver value. A North Carolina shop posts 36 times face value and up, about 84% of melt at a $60 silver price. CoinWeek reported in March 2026 that refiner backlogs led many shops to pay well below spot for junk silver.Sources: USAGOLD: 90% silver coins guide · Raleigh Coin Dealers: posted buy prices · CoinWeek: why 90% junk silver is trading below spot (Mar 2026) |
| 40% halves and war nickelsBelow the 90% rate; some shops not buying | Few shops publish a price for these. One North Carolina shop lists 40% halves and war nickels as not buying now, and CoinWeek reported in March 2026 that many refiners had halted or sharply limited purchases of 40% coins. Expect less than 90% silver brings. With no published figures, the 60% to 90% used here is a rough guide, not a reported norm.Sources: Raleigh Coin Dealers: posted buy prices · CoinWeek: why 90% junk silver is trading below spot (Mar 2026) |
| Morgan and Peace dollarsAbout the 90% silver rate for common coins; more for better dates | Common, worn dollars are bought for their silver. A North Carolina shop posts $38 for a common Morgan and $37 for a Peace dollar, about 80% of melt at a $60 silver price. Better dates and grades are priced as collectibles and can bring far more.Sources: Raleigh Coin Dealers: posted buy prices |
| Pre-1933 U.S. goldNear melt for common dates; far more for scarce ones | A North Carolina shop posts 95% of spot and up for gold coins. Common dates are bought mostly for their gold. Scarce dates and high grades sell as collectibles.Sources: Raleigh Coin Dealers: posted buy prices · NGC: U.S. gold coin melt values |
| Scrap gold jewelry80% of melt or more at large buyers; pawn shops 30% to 50% | JM Bullion guarantees at least 80% of melt on gold jewelry. A South Carolina coin dealer says pawn shops typically pay 30% to 50% of melt.Sources: JM Bullion: jewelry payout terms · Clemson Coins: what 90% silver is worth (pawn shop pay) |
| Sterling silver70% of melt or more at large buyers | JM Bullion guarantees at least 70% of melt on sterling silver.Sources: JM Bullion: jewelry payout terms |
How to read your result
Melt value is the metal alone: the pure gold or silver in your coins times today's spot price. The offer as a percent of melt is the number to compare. It works the same for a roll of dimes or a $20 gold piece, and it lets you line up two shops' offers side by side.
Example: at a $60 silver price, $10 face of 90% silver coins holds about 7.15 troy ounces, worth $429.00. An offer of $365 is 85.1% of melt. That is inside the published example range for junk silver, toward the low end.
Why dealers pay less than melt
A dealer who buys your coins has to resell them or ship them to a refiner, and carries the price risk until then. In March 2026, CoinWeek reported that refiners were backlogged, many had halted or sharply limited purchases of 90% and 40% silver coins, and payment could take up to eight weeks. Shops buy at a discount to cover the wait. That is one reason junk silver offers vary so much from shop to shop.
Bullion coins are easy to resell, so the spread is tighter: two buyers told AARP they pay up to 98% of the gold price for pure gold coins. Scrap jewelry has to be tested and refined, so it pays the least.
When more than melt is normal
Morgan and Peace dollars and pre-1933 gold have collectors behind them. Common, worn dates trade near their metal value. Scarce dates, mint marks and high grades are priced as collectibles. A dealer who pays above melt for a silver dollar is usually paying for that collector value, which is a good sign. Before you sell anything at melt, check the dates with Is My Coin Silver?, and use the coin grading cost calculatorto see whether a coin is worth sending to PCGS or NGC.
If the offer looks low
- Ask for the offer line by line, and ask what percent of melt each line is. A straight dealer will tell you.
- Keep purities in separate bags so nothing gets priced at the lowest rate.
- Get a second offer from a coin dealer near you. Where there are enough reviews, our dealer pages show how many recent Google reviews describe fair offers and how many describe lowball offers.
- Read how to sell a coin collection before you sell a large or inherited lot.
More free tools
Price one category in detail with the junk silver calculator, thescrap gold calculator, the gold coin melt value calculator or thesterling silver calculator.
Questions
What percent of melt do coin dealers pay?
It depends on what you sell. Commonly reported dealer pay runs about 95% to 98% of melt for 1 oz gold bullion coins, about 90% to 100% for Silver Eagles and rounds, and 80% to 98% for 90% silver coins. Scrap pays less: JM Bullion publishes a floor of 80% of melt for gold jewelry and 70% for sterling.
Do coin shops pay spot price?
Usually a little under it for common bullion, because the dealer has to resell or refine what it buys. A few percent under spot on Silver Eagles or 1 oz gold coins is normal. One North Carolina shop, for example, posts spot minus 4% for Silver Eagles.
Why would a dealer pay more than melt?
Because some coins are worth more to collectors than their metal. Morgan and Peace dollars and pre-1933 gold often trade above melt, and scarce dates or high grades can be worth many times melt.
Why are junk silver offers lower in 2026?
CoinWeek reported in March 2026 that refiners were backlogged, many had halted or sharply limited purchases of 90% and 40% silver coins, and payment could take up to eight weeks. Dealers buy at a discount to spot to cover that wait and the risk that silver falls in the meantime.
Is a pawn shop offer fair for gold?
A venue alone does not tell you whether an offer is fair. Compare the offer with metal value and get a second quote. The published examples on this page are dated and do not establish what every pawn shop or coin dealer pays.
How do I get a better offer for my coins?
Ask for the offer item by item and as a percent of melt, keep metals and purities sorted, and set aside anything that might be collectible. Then get a second quote, because offers on the same coins can differ a lot between shops.
Sources: AARP: selling gold and silver (Mar 2026) · Raleigh Coin Dealers: posted buy prices · USAGOLD: 90% silver coins guide · CoinWeek: why 90% junk silver is trading below spot (Mar 2026) · JM Bullion: jewelry payout terms · Clemson Coins: what 90% silver is worth (pawn shop pay) · NGC: U.S. gold coin melt values · Wikipedia: Krugerrand · Wikipedia: Canadian Gold Maple Leaf. Updated 2026-10-10.