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Do you have old silverware or sterling silver flatware in your home? It could be worth a good chunk of change – but how do you know what you have? And is sterling silver flatware valuable?
This guide goes over how you can determine the type of antique silverware you have, and estimate how much it may be worth. We’ll even cover how to go about selling it!
Absolutely! However, it depends on the type of silver. If it’s sterling silver, it’s worth quite a bit. If it’s silver-plated flatware, it may not be worth much at all.
In the past, the majority of silverware was made out of sterling silver. Sterling silver is 92.5% silver and 7.5% other metals (usually copper). These days, however, standard silverware is made out of cheaper metals, like stainless steel.
So, how do you tell what you have, and if it’s worth anything?
The first thing to look for is a physical stamp on your silverware that says something like Sterling, Sterling Silver, or SS. If your flatware has this stamp, it’s likely sterling silver. It may also be stamped “925”, indicating it’s 92.5% silver.
There are many other stamps that may indicate your item is sterling. There’s a huge database of silver stamp marks at 925-1000.com that you can browse.
If there is no stamp, it’s likely not made of silver. Standard silverware that isn’t sterling silver isn’t worth much at all. That said, if it’s an old set (50+ years old), it may still be worth checking by visiting a local coin dealer or pawn shop (more on this later).
The only way to know for sure if your items are genuine sterling silver is to take them to an experienced silver buyer, coin shop, or pawn shop. Here, the dealer will examine the items and test the material if necessary to confirm that it’s sterling silver.
Sterling silverware may be worth as much as $5-$30+ per item, depending on the weight, condition, and purity.
Most of the time when you sell sterling silver flatware, it will be sold to a refiner and melted down into pure silver. This process can be costly, so you won’t get the full value of the silver (because the dealer and refiner have to cover the cost of refining). For instance, if a sterling silver collection has a melt value of $100, a dealer might pay you $50-$70 for it. Pawn shops tend to pay even less.
To guesstimate how much your silver is worth, you’ll need a kitchen scale that measures in grams (not a bathroom scale).
The value of silver fluctuates, but it’s currently around $25 per troy ounce (31.1 grams). That’s for pure silver, however, whereas sterling silver is only 92.5% silver. At current prices, sterling silver is worth approximately $23 per troy ounce.
But what does this mean in terms of actual silverware values? Well, a typical silver salad fork will likely weigh somewhere between 30 and 60+ grams (1-2+ troy oz). With silver at $25 per ounce (and sterling at around $23), a single fork could be worth somewhere between $23 and $46. With refining costs, that number will drop significantly – a trustworthy dealer might pay you around $12-$30+ for the same fork.
Even so, remember that we’re talking about a single fork! If you have an antique silverware collection, it could be worth easily hundreds of dollars.
If your items are indeed sterling silver, you can likely sell them to a local coin shop or “we buy gold” business. Make sure to check reviews to make sure you’re working with a trusted company.
If you’re in the Pacific Northwest, come into Bellevue Rare Coins to sell silverware for top dollar. BRC has locations in Bellevue, Issaquah, Lynnwood and Tacoma, and we pay much more than local pawn shops and gold buyers. Bellevue Rare Coins has been in business since 1979, and has become a trusted source for both buying and selling valuables in the Seattle region.
If you’re not in the area, you have a few options:
Bellevue Rare Coins is your trusted buyer of valuables like sterling silver flatware, jewelry, bullion, gold, and much more. Learn more about selling to Bellevue Rare Coins, or stop by one of our stores (Tacoma, Lynnwood, Bellevue, Issaquah) today!
