# Converting Sterling silver to silver bars



## tribby01 (Jun 2, 2014)

I want ya'lls opinion on this. I have a bunch of sterling silver that I can change to Silver bars. Is it worth doing this?

And If so Is there any companies yall would recommend to do this.


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

What purpose would you have for turning these items into bullion?
If you intend to keep them for investment means, to hold on to for a long period of time, then I'd just keep them as they are. Their value won't change by changing their shape.
If you intend to have silver for trading in a grid down situation, you might look into having them made into different size rounds. These are coins of different sizes that are marked to be a certain weight.
These would be slightly more usable than a full Troy Ounce bar.


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## budgetprepp-n (Apr 7, 2013)

How much does this cost to have done? They go by the ounce or what?


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## StarPD45 (Nov 13, 2012)

When you say a "bunch of sterling silver", what form are you talking about exactly? Jewelry? silverware? etc? 
Without knowing that it's hard to suggest what your best course of action would be.


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## tango (Apr 12, 2013)

There are smelters who do this.
Talk to jewelers, PM dealers in your area for recommendations.
Be cautious.


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

Sterling silver is jewelry grade silver and not bullion grade. Sterling is only 92.5% silver and the rest is copper or other "junk" metal. I have a lot of sterling in the "beads" that jewelers use to cast rings and brooches. It is recognized as sterling (92.5%) silver and as valuable for trade as any other form. (100 grams of sterling is worth the same as 92.5 grams of .999 pure silver)


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## alterego (Jan 27, 2013)

most Sterling Silver Is Plated So The Amount Of Silver That You Will Get Out Of It Is So Minor The Silver Billion Reclaim Would Not Pay For The Natural Gas To Run The Furnace To Melt it.


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

alterego said:


> most Sterling Silver Is Plated So The Amount Of Silver That You Will Get Out Of It Is So Minor The Silver Billion Reclaim Would Not Pay For The Natural Gas To Run The Furnace To Melt it.


I'm not sure why I noticed it, but I couldn't help but realize you capitalized the first letter of every word... except the ones at the beginning and the end of the sentence. :lol:


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## alterego (Jan 27, 2013)

Kauboy said:


> I'm not sure why I noticed it, but I couldn't help but realize you capitalized the first letter of every word... except the ones at the beginning and the end of the sentence. :lol:


I Have Some ReAlly WhackySshit Going On With My Cell Phone Auto Correct. It Is Driving Me Crazy And I Can Not Make It Stop.


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## budgetprepp-n (Apr 7, 2013)

You know I usually agree with you guys or get put in my place.
But on this one I'm looking at it from the view of a post SHTF bartering kind of man.
I want to have a trading post and I will accept silver as payment I will also buy your stuff with silver
if you like-- You can spend it later right here at the trading post.

But,,,,,, I don't want you Grandmothers tea pot or candle stick holder. I just don't know what it is worth.
I want to see old us coins or bars. 

So looking at it as silver for prepping I would disagree I think converting the stuff into something more 
recognizable would be a good move.


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

Rounds, not bars...
Much more manageable and divisible.


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## budgetprepp-n (Apr 7, 2013)

Kauboy said:


> Rounds, not bars...
> Much more manageable and divisible.


 Ok you got me there but still it's the same basic thought.
or then trade it for old US coins


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## microprepper (Nov 21, 2013)

budgetprepp-n said:


> You know I usually agree with you guys or get put in my place.
> But on this one I'm looking at it from the view of a post SHTF bartering kind of man.
> I want to have a trading post and I will accept silver as payment I will also buy your stuff with silver
> if you like-- You can spend it later right here at the trading post.
> ...


I was wondering about this, too, as in general I am learning about metal values. I think a combination of coin/jewelry might be an option because of the convenience of being able to wear jewelry (medallions) as well as the negotiability of the size and weight of a medallion, which is really just a coin. I have some old bits of silver and I have thought about making a medallion design for exactly this purpose. Some of what I have is just old sterling silver charms, chain, etc.

This seems better than melting everything into one big brick. You wouldn't want to have to trade your entire stash at one time, would you? A string of medallions could last from trade to trade.


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

The problem with jewelry is that it is rarely pure silver or gold. It is an alloy with other metals mixed in. Sterling silver is a percentage of silver (80% I believe) and German silver has no silver in it at all (60%copper, 20% nickel and 20% zinc). Unless the common man can have verification of the silver content then it is worthless. Rounds, bars and ingots are stamped with the silver content. Typically 999 or 99.9% pure silver. All that need be done is to weigh it to find its value. If it is Sterling silver you weigh it then multiply by .8 to get the silver value.

Gold jewelry is a bit harder. Most gold jewelry is 10 carat gold or 10/24 gold for men and 12 or 14 carat for women's jewelry. If it is a necklace or bracelet you have to factor in the solder used to make each link and it becomes a nightmare to try to figure the gold content. Rings are easier but for the most part jewelry is junk metal in that you will never get the amount of money you have invested because when you buy it you are buying the art and not just the metal.


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

PaulS said:


> The problem with jewelry is that it is rarely pure silver or gold. It is an alloy with other metals mixed in. Sterling silver is a percentage of silver (80% I believe) and German silver has no silver in it at all (60%copper, 20% nickel and 20% zinc). Unless the common man can have verification of the silver content then it is worthless. Rounds, bars and ingots are stamped with the silver content. Typically 999 or 99.9% pure silver. All that need be done is to weigh it to find its value. If it is Sterling silver you weigh it then multiply by .8 to get the silver value.
> 
> Gold jewelry is a bit harder. Most gold jewelry is 10 carat gold or 10/24 gold for men and 12 or 14 carat for women's jewelry. If it is a necklace or bracelet you have to factor in the solder used to make each link and it becomes a nightmare to try to figure the gold content. Rings are easier but for the most part jewelry is junk metal in that you will never get the amount of money you have invested because when you buy it you are buying the art and not just the metal.


I guess I missed something, in an earlier post I thought you said sterling silver for jewelry was 92 % silver. In the waay old days Kings tested the items made by smiths, x amount of pure gold in any configuration will displace y amount of water from a vessel, if the amount of water didn't match the proper weight of gold....they cut your balls off!! Just kidding, thieves were treated harshly to be honest.


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

Somebody should check this out... wait I can do that..... wait one moment... yep! it is 92.5% pure silver by weight. Sometimes this old memory plays havoc with information retrieval - I should get a new hard drive installed!


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

I was too quick, sent a PM. My bad.


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

I guess my question is, in a barter situation, someone brings you 2 oz. of sterling silver, how do you determine its not been cut, I know, refer to my former kings gold post, just seems like a fight waiting to happen as to whose scale is correct!? Thoughts? Just trying to make a call on whether or not to have metals after shtf for barter or not. I'm sure there's a thread that covers this somewhere.


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

Using a graduated cylinder you can measure the volume then you weigh it. If the specific gravity is not right then only a fool would accept it as represented.
Sterling silver is stamped and has the makers mark - these would be difficult to forge. It's the silver plate and gold filled stuff that might cause problems. I can prove my scale - it has test weights - most lab equipment does.

You also need to know how many grams or grains there are in an ounce - it is different than an ounce of food - and there are only 14 ounces to a pound of silver or gold - while the ounces are heavier the pound is lighter. Now, try to explain that to the average person. Talk about a fight waiting to happen.


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

Thanks, now everything is as clear as mud. Guess I need to do some research. Thanks again, I had no idea how much was involved in getting your money's worth with this stuff.


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

Think I'll just stick to you give me a can of beans, and I'll give you a cup of rice, or whatever.


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## budgetprepp-n (Apr 7, 2013)

In a post SHTF world old us money will be king when the trading with silver starts


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

budgetprepp-n said:


> In a post SHTF world old us money will be king when the trading with silver starts


The king of trading currency will still be things with intrinsic value.
Sugar, salt, coffee, etc...
Only after things settle down, and people aren't in such high need of necessities, will currency trading again become the norm.


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## budgetprepp-n (Apr 7, 2013)

Kauboy said:


> The king of trading currency will still be things with intrinsic value.
> Sugar, salt, coffee, etc...
> Only after things settle down, and people aren't in such high need of necessities, will currency trading again become the norm.


 You are 100% right. And that is why at first old us coins will be King. No need to worry about weight, silver content or counterfeit
I'm going to open a trading post and I will take silver as payment and also I will buy your stuff with silver. Don't worry about where
to spend it. Just come on back to the trading post. My trading post will at first look like a huge junk drawer <how do you spell that is that right?

I will have salt flour coffee ect,,,,,


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

I sold most of my silver coins last year when the market was high.
After a crash it will be hard to eat silver and gold.


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## budgetprepp-n (Apr 7, 2013)

rice paddy daddy said:


> I sold most of my silver coins last year when the market was high.
> After a crash it will be hard to eat silver and gold.


So how much silver would you give for 6 cans of beef stew and a pound of flour? Or a loaf of fresh bread? And a little salt? 
I found a guy that will make the bread in a wood oven for me if I supply the flour. He will keep one loaf for every 10 he bakes
for me. I'm also looking for a corn grinder. Field corn = cornbread I will keep 10% for grinding it for you. Just like my great grad dad did.
Just think what a good laying hen will be worth. I'm going to have chickens but I'm not going to sell eggs I'm going to raise them for
trading. What would you give for 5 good laying hens?


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## tribby01 (Jun 2, 2014)

I just need to find a good place to melt the silverware into rounds. And how would you recommend doing it? 1/4oz 1/2oz and 1oz? or just all of one size?


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

Anyone with a forge can melt silverware into rounds - just how are you going to prove silver content?


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## PalmettoTree (Jun 8, 2013)

Is there a process, that is practical, for taking junk silver plated items and recovering the silver?


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## Ripon (Dec 22, 2012)

I would not. Just me.

In a post SHTF if silver is going to be dealt I would prefer looking at a fork, knife, or piece of jewelry then something someone could have added nickel or lead too in order to increase the weight. I also have no faith or trust in third party coins, bars and such like are sold routinely to bullion buyers who don't want to pay a premium for govt issued coins. I know govt issue coins can be faked but the cost is too high for their to be many fake quarters and dimes out there.

Remember that too. The reason there are not a lot of "silver bullets" for real is the extreme heat needed to melt silver. So extreme the cost of fueling such a heat run is beyond the worth of changing $20 an ounce worth of material into something else.



tribby01 said:


> I want ya'lls opinion on this. I have a bunch of sterling silver that I can change to Silver bars. Is it worth doing this?
> 
> And If so Is there any companies yall would recommend to do this.


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## Ripon (Dec 22, 2012)

Metals - Melting Temperatures

Remember you need 960+ degrees to melt silver. I doubt many can produce that easily.
Edit that is C....F...is 1600+


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

There is a method for removing the silver plating and converting it to raw silver - it's called electrolysis. Do a Bing search for it if you want to know more about it.


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