Silver comes in many different forms, and not all silver items have the same purity, value, or resale market. At Oakton Coins & Collectibles in Skokie, we help customers identify and sell sterling silver, silver coins, silver bullion, silver jewelry, silver flatware, foreign silver, and other silver items.

One of the most common points of confusion is the difference between sterling silver, coin silver, .999 fine silver, and silverplate. They may all look “silver,” but they are not valued the same way.

Sterling Silver (.925 Silver)

Sterling silver is one of the most common forms of silver used in jewelry, flatware, tea sets, serving pieces, and household items. Sterling silver is usually marked “Sterling” or “.925”, meaning it contains 92.5% pure silver.

We regularly buy sterling silver items, including sterling silver flatware, serving pieces, trays, tea sets, bowls, cups, candlesticks, and silver jewelry.

Coin Silver and 90% Silver Coins

Coin silver usually refers to silver that contains 90% pure silver. In the United States, this most often means dimes, quarters, half dollars, and dollar coins minted in 1964 and earlier.

These coins are often called 90% silver, junk silver, or constitutional silver. They are usually valued based on silver content, although better dates, better condition coins, and certain collectible coins may be worth more than melt value.

You can read more on our page about selling U.S. silver coins.

.999 Fine Silver Bullion

Fine silver is usually marked “.999” or “Fine Silver”, meaning it is 99.9% pure silver. This is the purity most often found in modern silver bullion bars, rounds, and many investment-grade silver coins.

Examples include silver bars, silver rounds, American Silver Eagles, Canadian Silver Maple Leafs, and other government-issued bullion coins. These items are usually bought and sold close to the silver market, depending on form, demand, and current premiums.

Learn more about buying and selling silver bullion on our bullion page.

Foreign Silver and European Silver

Foreign silver items can be confusing because different countries used different purity standards and hallmark systems. Some pieces are marked clearly, while others require experience to identify.

Common examples include .800 silver, .830 silver, .835 silver, .900 silver, and other purities. These are often found in European flatware, decorative items, jewelry, and older foreign coins.

We also buy many types of world coins, including foreign silver coins and mixed coin collections.

Mexican Silver

Mexican silver jewelry and decorative items are often marked “.925”, “Sterling”, or with maker and location marks such as Taxco. Many Mexican silver pieces are sterling, but purity and resale demand can vary depending on age, style, workmanship, and condition.

We evaluate Mexican silver in person and separate silver value from any potential design, maker, or collectible value.

Silverplate Is Not the Same as Sterling Silver

Silverplate is one of the most common things people confuse with sterling silver. Silver-plated items are made from a base metal, such as copper, brass, or nickel alloy, with a thin layer of silver on the outside.

Silverplate usually has very little intrinsic silver value compared with sterling. Some silverplate has decorative or resale value, but most common plated flatware and serving pieces are worth much less than solid sterling silver.

If you are not sure what you have, bring it in. You can also read more on our silverplate page.

How Silver Is Valued

Silver is usually valued based on purity, weight, form, condition, demand, and the current silver market. A .999 silver bar, a sterling fork, a 90% silver quarter, and a silver-plated tray may all look related, but they are not priced the same way.

For many silver items, melt value is the main factor. For some coins, jewelry, antique pieces, or unusual items, collector value or resale demand may also matter. We evaluate items in person and explain what we are seeing.

Current silver prices can move quickly. Our gold and silver spot price page can help explain how market pricing affects silver values.

We Buy Silver in All Forms

Oakton Coins & Collectibles buys many types of silver, including:

• Sterling silver flatware and serving pieces
• Silver jewelry
• 90% U.S. silver coins
• Silver dollars, half dollars, quarters, and dimes
• .999 silver bars, rounds, and bullion coins
• Foreign silver coins and world silver
• Mexican silver and European silver
• Some silverplate and estate silver items

Not Sure What Kind of Silver You Have?

You do not need to sort everything perfectly before visiting. Many customers bring in mixed boxes of coins, jewelry, flatware, serving pieces, and estate items. We are used to separating sterling from silverplate, silver coins from common coins, and bullion from collectible pieces.

If you inherited silver, are cleaning out a home, or simply found items you are unsure about, Oakton Coins can help identify what has value and what does not.

You can see more categories on our What We Buy page, or visit our main silver buying page for more information about selling silver in Skokie and the Chicago area.