If you have inherited or collected coins in Madison County and want to know what they're worth, you can have them evaluated — and sold, if you choose — at our Charlottesville office, a straight 35-to-40-minute run south on Route 29. We handle U.S. silver coins, junk silver, silver dollars, and gold coins, checking each one for collector value before defaulting to its metal content so you are never paid melt for a coin worth more.
That distinction — melt value versus collector value — is the single most important thing to understand before you sell a coin to anyone. The sections below explain which coins are silver, how grading and key dates change the math, and why a careful, coin-literate evaluation matters more here than raw weight.
Quick Answer
- U.S. dimes, quarters, and halves dated 1964 or earlier are 90% silver; 1965–1970 Kennedy halves are 40%.
- Common circulated silver ("junk silver") trades on silver content; scarce dates trade on collector value.
- We check date, mint mark, and grade on every coin and pay the higher of melt or collector value.
- Most inherited groups should not be cleaned, graded, or slabbed before selling — bring them as-is.
- About 35–40 min south on Route 29 from Madison; free evaluation, same-day cash or check.
Which U.S. coins are silver, and what counts as junk silver?
The first thing we sort on the bench is silver from clad. The rule for most circulating U.S. coinage is the 1964 cutoff: dimes, quarters, and half dollars dated 1964 or earlier are 90 percent silver, and from 1965 onward they switched to copper-nickel "clad" with no silver. The one exception worth knowing is the Kennedy half dollar, which stayed 40 percent silver from 1965 through 1970. War-nickels from 1942 to 1945 also carry 35 percent silver.
"Junk silver" is the trade term for common-date circulated coins in that 90 percent group — worn Mercury and Roosevelt dimes, Washington quarters, Walking Liberty and Franklin halves. The word "junk" only means they carry no collector premium; the silver in them is very real. We price junk silver as a bag off the live silver spot, using the standard content figure (roughly 0.715 troy ounces of silver per dollar of face value), and we show you the multiplier we are applying.
How do you decide whether a coin is worth more than melt?
Every coin gets weighed against three questions before we ever default to its metal value. First, the date and mint mark: a small letter on the coin (CC, S, O, D, or none for Philadelphia) identifies where it was struck, and certain combinations are scarce. Second, condition, which collectors call grade. Third, demand — some series are simply more collected than others. If a coin is a key date, an early type, a low-mintage year, or in unusually high grade, it carries a premium over melt, sometimes a large one.
If none of those apply, the coin sells for its silver or gold content, and that is perfectly normal — the majority of inherited circulated coins are bullion-grade. The point of a real coin evaluation is to make sure the exceptions get caught. We physically pull the collector-grade pieces out of the pile and price them on their own, rather than running the whole jar across a scale. You can read more about how we approach this in our Charlottesville coin dealer overview.
| Coin | Silver content | Typically valued on |
|---|---|---|
| Dime/quarter/half, 1964 & earlier | 90% silver | Melt, unless key date or high grade |
| Kennedy half, 1965–1970 | 40% silver | Melt |
| War nickel, 1942–1945 | 35% silver | Melt |
| Morgan/Peace dollar, common date | 90% silver | Modest premium over melt |
| Morgan key date (e.g. 1893-S) | 90% silver | Collector value, far above melt |
| Modern clad, 1965+ | No silver | Face value only |
What are key dates, and why do silver dollars need a closer look?
A key date is a specific year-and-mint combination that was minted in small numbers or rarely survived, making it scarce now. Morgan silver dollars are the classic example for Madison County collections, because they show up constantly and the range of value is enormous. A common-date Morgan trades for a small premium over its silver. But an 1889-CC, 1893-S, or 1895 can be worth many multiples of that — the mint mark is everything. That is exactly why we never weigh a tube of silver dollars as bulk bullion without reading each one.
The same caution applies to early type coins, Carson City issues (the prized "CC" mint mark), and anything that looks barely circulated. If you have a run of dollars or a binder of older coins, it is worth the few extra minutes at the bench to check them properly, and we are happy to walk you through what we find.
What do coin grades mean, and should I clean or slab coins first?
Grading describes how much wear a coin has, on the 70-point Sheldon scale. Circulated coins fall in named ranges — About Good, Good, Fine, Very Fine, Extremely Fine, About Uncirculated — while a coin that never circulated is graded Mint State, from MS-60 to a perfect MS-70. For a genuinely collectible coin, the jump from Fine to Mint State can multiply the value many times over. For common-date silver, grade barely matters because the coin trades on metal regardless.
Two honest cautions. First, never clean a coin. Polishing or scrubbing leaves hairline scratches that collectors spot instantly and can cut a coin's value sharply — original surfaces, even toned ones, are worth more. Second, you usually should not pay to have common coins professionally graded and slabbed; the fees only make sense on scarce or high-grade pieces. Bring everything as-is, and we will tell you plainly if a specific coin is worth submitting before you spend a dime on it.
What do Madison County clients most often bring?
Madison is a long-tenured rural county with deep family roots, and the coins reflect generations of quiet saving. We regularly see jars of mixed 90 percent silver, partial Whitman folders of Mercury dimes and Washington quarters, rolls of Walking Liberty and Franklin halves, and tubes of Morgan and Peace dollars. Foreign coins and commemoratives turn up in most estate groups too. Alongside the coins, many families bring gold — if that is your situation, our pages on selling gold coins and estate jewelry and coin buying cover the rest of the picture.
How far is the drive, and how do I book from Madison County?
It is a simple, straight shot south on Route 29. From the town of Madison plan on about 35 to 40 minutes; Brightwood is closer at 25 to 30; Hood, Pratts, and the lanes off Route 230 run 35 to 50 depending on where you start; and Etlan and the eastern edge of the county are longer but still typically under an hour. You drive in to 1020 Carrington Place, park near the entrance, and call or text — we meet you at the door and bring you back to a private office, no counter and no other customers.
Book on the calendar on our main page or call or text 434-995-0404. We are open Monday through Thursday 4 to 7 PM and Saturday and Sunday 9 AM to 5 PM, with same-week, same-day, and sometimes same-hour appointments available. The evaluation is always free and there is never an obligation to sell.
Honest Coin & Gold Buying for Madison County
A short drive south on Route 29 turns your gold, silver, and coins into a fair, market-based check. Book a private appointment today.