Last updated · 2026-11-01
Sterling silver flatware value
What sterling and silver-plated flatware is worth today: melt value by weight, why knives count for less, and when a set is worth more whole.
A drawer of silverware can be worth a few dollars or a few thousand, and the difference is one word on the back of each piece. Silver is at $49.25/ozt today, so sterling is worth about $1.46/g in melt value.
Step 1: sterling or plate?
Turn each piece over and look at the back of the handle.
- STERLING, 925 or a lion mark (on British silver): solid silver. Worth its weight.
- EP, EPNS, A1, Silver plate, or just a maker's name and a year: silver plate. As scrap it's worth close to nothing; it sells on its pattern, if at all.
- 800, 830, 835: continental European silver, real but lower purity. Use the matching purity in the calculator.
Not sure? See how to tell if silver is real.
Step 2: weigh the sterling, but not the knives
Forks and spoons are solid silver all the way through, so their full weight counts. Knives are different: a sterling knife usually has a hollow silver handle filled with cement and a stainless steel blade. Weigh knives separately and expect only a small part of their weight to be silver; many buyers simply pay a flat amount per knife.
Serving pieces with stainless steel blades or bowls (cake servers, cheese knives) work the same way.
Step 3: what it's worth by weight
Melt value of sterling at today's price, and the cash offer to expect:
| Weight | Melt value | Likely offer |
|---|---|---|
| 25 g | $36.62 | $25.63 – $32.96 |
| 50 g | $73.24 | $51.27 – $65.92 |
| 100 g | $146.48 | $102.54 – $131.83 |
| 250 g | $366.20 | $256.34 – $329.58 |
| 500 g | $732.39 | $512.68 – $659.15 |
| 1000 g | $1,464.79 | $1,025.35 – $1,318.31 |
| 2000 g | $2,929.57 | $2,050.70 – $2,636.62 |
Melt value of .925 sterling at today's spot price; likely offer at 70–90% of melt.
Weigh on a kitchen scale in grams; a full set adds up quickly, which is why sterling sets are worth weighing piece by piece rather than guessing.
When flatware is worth more than melt
Melt value is the floor, not the ceiling. Complete place settings in popular or discontinued patterns can sell for more than their silver content to replacement services and to collectors, especially pieces without monograms. Before you sell sterling for scrap:
- Find the pattern name (the maker's mark plus the handle design usually identifies it).
- Check recent sold listings for the same pattern and piece.
- Compare those prices with the melt value above.
If whole pieces sell for well above melt, sell them whole. If not, a scrap buyer at 80–90% of melt is a fair outcome.
Work out your set
Melt value $146.48. Likely cash offer $102.54 – $131.83.
Broken or unmarked pieces usually sell for melt. Get two quotes and compare them with the offer range above.
DocketYour tally
Add items to total everything you plan to sell, silver and gold together.