Where to Sell Silver Coins Near You (and Online)

The best place to sell silver coins for most people is a local coin shop or bullion dealer, because they pay by weight, pay on the spot and are easy to compare. Online dealers can pay competitively on larger lots if you're comfortable shipping. Pawn shops and online marketplaces work, but each comes with trade-offs in price, fees or risk.

Which one wins for you depends on what you're holding: a few worn dimes, a $100 face bag of 90% silver, a tube of Silver Eagles, or a handful of nice Morgan dollars. Here's how each option compares, then a set of real-world scenarios.

First, know what your silver is worth today

Every offer should be measured against melt value. Silver moves through the trading day, so check the spot price right before you call or walk in.

For 90% coins, dealers often price by face value. One dollar face of worn 90% dimes, quarters or halves holds about 0.715 troy ounces of silver, currently worth about $37.83. A Morgan or Peace dollar holds 0.77344 ozt, about $40.96 per coin today. A 1 oz American Silver Eagle holds a full troy ounce.

Local coin shops

A coin shop is the default answer for good reason. You walk in, they weigh or count your coins, quote a price and pay you, often the same visit.

• Pros: fast payment, no shipping risk, can tell junk silver from collectible coins, can be visited twice in a day for comparison.
• Cons: offers vary a lot between shops; small shops may pay less on large lots; you're limited to what's within driving distance.
• Best for: 90% and 40% coins, bullion, and mixed lots where some coins may be worth more than melt.

Call ahead and ask, "What are you paying for 90% silver per dollar face today?" A shop that gives a straight answer over the phone is usually one worth visiting.

Online bullion and coin dealers

Large online dealers publish buy prices that move with spot. You lock a price, ship your coins insured, and get paid once they arrive and are checked.

• Pros: transparent posted prices, competitive on bigger lots and on bullion like Silver Eagles and Maple Leafs.
• Cons: shipping and insurance costs, a waiting period for payment, minimum order sizes at some dealers, and the stress of mailing valuables.
• Best for: sellers with a larger quantity who've already sorted their coins.

If you go this route, read our guide on shipping coins safely before you box anything.

Coin shows

A coin show puts dozens of dealers in one room. That makes it the easiest place to collect several offers in an afternoon.

• Pros: instant comparison shopping, specialists for better-date coins.
• Cons: only happens on certain weekends; you need to carry coins through a crowd.

Our tips on buying and selling at coin shows cover etiquette and safety.

Pawn shops

Pawn shops buy silver, but most aren't coin specialists. Many price everything as scrap, and their offers often run lower than a coin shop's because they have to resell or pass the coins on to someone else. They're convenient and open long hours, and that convenience has a price. The full comparison is in pawn shop vs coin shop.

Online marketplaces and private sales

Selling directly to collectors through an online marketplace can earn more than a dealer pays, especially for collector-grade coins. You also take on platform fees, shipping, photos, buyer questions and possible returns or disputes. Private local sales skip the fees but bring safety and payment risks. We compare the trade-offs in selling coins online vs to a dealer.

Side-by-side comparison

Red flags at any buyer

Most dealers are honest, but a few habits should make you slow down, wherever you sell:

• One lump offer for everything. A single number for a mixed box hides how each coin was priced. Ask for it broken down by type.
• No answer on pricing. If a buyer won't say whether they're paying per ounce, per dollar face or a percentage of melt, you can't compare them to anyone else.
• Pressure to decide now. "This price is only good if you sell right now" is a sales tactic. Spot does move, but a fair buyer will quote again later.
• Weighing out of your sight. Coins should be counted or weighed where you can watch, on a scale you can read.
• Calling every coin "just junk." Some are. But if a buyer won't even look at dates or mint marks on Morgan dollars or early silver, get a second opinion.

The opposite signs are reassuring: posted buy prices, an itemized receipt, and a dealer who tells you a coin is worth more than melt even when you didn't ask.

Which venue fits your situation?

If you have a few dollars' face in worn silver

Take it to the nearest coin shop. On a small lot, the difference between buyers is a few dollars, and shipping costs would eat any online advantage.

If you have a large bag of 90% silver

Get quotes from two local shops and one online dealer on the same morning. Larger lots are where a better rate actually adds up. Our junk silver selling guide covers how bags are priced.

If you have bullion coins

Silver Eagles, Maple Leafs and Britannias are priced closely to spot, so posted buy prices online make comparison easy. A local shop that matches them saves you shipping.

If you have Morgan or Peace dollars in nice condition

Don't sell them by weight until someone who knows dollars has looked. Date, mint mark and grade can lift some coins well above melt. Start with our pillar guide on how to sell old coins for the sorting steps.

A worked example with two offers

Say you have $20 face value in worn 90% silver dimes, 200 coins. At 0.715 ozt per dollar face, that's about 14.3 troy ounces. Use round numbers and say silver is $40 an ounce, so melt is about $572.

• Shop A offers 85% of melt: about $486.
• Shop B offers 92% of melt: about $526.
• A pawn shop offers a flat $400, about 70% of melt.

Two phone calls earned you $40 more than the first offer and $126 more than the pawn shop. Run your own numbers with the live junk silver calculator:

Before you sell, run this checklist

• Sort out anything that might be collectible.
• Check the live silver price and work out melt.
• Ask each buyer for a price per dollar face or per ounce, not a lump sum.
• Collect at least two quotes taken close together in time.
• Get a written receipt, and keep it with your tax records. Coins are collectibles for IRS purposes, so confirm any tax questions with a tax adviser.