Silver was a popular metal used in coins for centuries, until its price reached the point that the metal in the coins exceeded the face value of the dimes, quarters, and half dollars that used it. While its price is significantly less per ounce than that of gold, some choose to melt old silver coins that are too damaged to have collector value to recover the silver in them.

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It should be more than large enough to hold the coins you want to clean. Place a sheet of aluminum foil at the bottom of your container. Unroll a sheet of aluminum just large enough to cover the bottom of your container and cut to size.

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Boil water and pour it into the container. Pour water into a saucepan and bring it to a boil on a stovetop. You may want to wear gloves or oven mitts in case the water splashes. Add salt and baking soda to the container. Measure half a cup g of baking soda and one tablespoon 14g of salt.

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Add them both to the water. Use a stirring stick to help the two substances dissolve in the water. Drop the coins into the solution. Be careful not to drop the coins too quickly, as this could cause the water to splash and burn you. Make sure the coins are placed on the foil in a single layer. Remove the coins from the solution. Place them on a soft cloth and allow them to cool. Scrub any remaining grime with water and baking soda.

If the coins are still dirty after their dip in hot water, you may need to give them a good scrub. Run the tap, keeping the water warm but not too hot. Take a pinch of baking soda, rubbing it onto the coin under the tap. The baking soda will mix with the water, creating a paste that makes for an efficient, non-abrasive cleaner.

You can use an old toothbrush to help scrub the grime from the coin. Make sure the coins are rinsed thoroughly, clean of any grime or baking soda. Turn off the tap and use a dry cloth to scrub the coins dry. Wear the right safety gear.

At the very least, you should wear safety goggles to prevent heat or debris from harming your eyes. Consider wearing an apron and gloves to protect yourself as well. Place the coins in a crucible. Crucibles are typically made of fire clay, and can withstand temperatures that would melt metal. Try to lay the coins down in a single layer. It will take more time for heat to travel to coins laying at the bottom of a pile.

Some blowtorches have a self-starting system with a trigger; for these, simply press the trigger to light the torch. Other torches are manual and need a striker to start. For these torches, turn the knob to let the gas flow, then place the striker near the mouth of the torch. Squeeze the striker to create a spark. Hold the flame on the silver coins. Make sure to pass the flame over the coins evenly.

Keep in mind it will take several minutes of heating for the coins to start melting. Then, the coins will start glowing bright red before finally melting.

Mold the molten silver. Pour evenly to prevent the silver from splashing. Alternatively, you let the silver cool in your crucible or on your brick. It will solidify into a nugget that you can keep, store and melt down later.

What should the oven temperature be set at? Pure silver melts at a temperature of 1, degrees F. Your oven's not hitting that Not Helpful 4 Helpful Who could I sell the melted silver to?

Defacing US currency and selling it is illegal if you're doing it in large amounts. You technically could sell it to anyone who is willing to purchase silver, but I wouldn't recommend it. Not Helpful 5 Helpful 0.

Already answered Not a question Bad question Other. If this question or a similar one is answered twice in this section, please click here to let us know. Tips Despite rumors to the contrary, it is not illegal to melt U.

It was illegal from to to do so, during which time the government recalled as much silver coinage from circulation as it could. Since then, it is legal to melt silver coinage, as there is little, if any, in circulation.

Check with the regulations for other countries regarding salvaging silver from their coinage. Work in a well-ventilated area to avoid being overcome by the heat or by any trace gases liberated during the melting process. Warnings Do not use the above steps to melt U. As with the law barring melting silver coinage, the reason it is illegal is to prevent profiteering from the fact that the base metal value of the copper and nickel used in these coins exceeds their face value.

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How to Melt Silver Coins: 13 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow

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