"Junk Silver" an insult?

Made one of my infrequent (because of distance) visits to the local coin shop and inquired if they had any "junk silver" available and the salesperson seemed highly insulted....

Is "junk silver" not a term I should use in a coin shop???

After talking a bit, he did bring out some rounds and bars he had, but he was adamant that the only coins he carried would be ones with numismatic value...

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

I don't like the term at all, but I would never be offended or insulted if someone used it in a conversation with me.
That being said, I could certainly envision a passionate numismatist getting bent over it.
To each their own.

 

Yes it is a pretty insulting term. Ask for the bargain box, or the circulated coin box. They will understand.

 

Junk Silver is the correct term and accurately describes what you were looking for. Would he rather have you say. " I am looking for silver coins who's numismatic value does not exceed the melt value of the silver it contains?"

 

I have never seen a "Coin shop" that does not buy/sell "Junk Silver". I also believe anyone who has been in business longer than a week would immediately understand what you were asking for when you said junk silver.

 

Re: John Anthony's pic
ASpies, UNITE!

 

Just looked up the definition:

Junk - Old or discarded articles that are considered useless or of little value

Honestly, that seems like an appropriate description of old silver coins worth only their silver value. They are useless as collectables with no numismatic value, hence they are junk silver.

 

I collect primarily as a deeply enjoyable hobby, so the only coins I consider "junk" are ones that have been worn completely blank/recognizable or destroyed.
I have no problem with people using the term, but I just call them "melt-value" coins.
Just semantics, really.

 

junk silver can be stuff like 60's washington quarters cut right out of proof sets, or more modern junk right out of original packaging....I've seen it many times.

 

I was suprised by the reaction too...thought for sure they'd know what it was and it didn't seem an uncommon term. I don't know if "bargain box" will work as they do have one of those, but it's mostly filled with slabbed presidential dollars and odd coins that are in some sort of presentation plastic....

 

If they took that term personally, they need a new job.

 

A post 1964-clad coinage phenomenon. Nothing junk about it. Never liked the term and I never use it. I prefer "circulated silver coins." Coins that did their service well for a long, long time and are actually worth far more than what was struck onto the planchet.

 

You could just simply ask for the melt value silver.

 

There seems to be some disagreement on the matter and it sounds like it would be an interesting topic for a poll.

My vote is for "Junk Silver" being a commonly used term to describe coins with little to no value over their melt value, and nobody should be offended if someone asks if they have any. Now, if someone looked at a person's collection and said it was nothing more than "Junk Silver", it would be reasonable for that person to take offense.

Unless that store is just too high end to deal in junk silver, maybe that's why she was offended. But, I bet if you walked in with a few rolls of junk silver, I bet she'd make an offer. It might be a low ball offer because she might not sell it in her store, but I bet she'd see some value in it.

 

When I go to a new shop I usually ask for the "90% circulated." They will then call it whatever and then I know what to ask for. Some people just take themselves too serious.

 

Bet the offense is only when YOU call a dealer's product "junk silver."
But when he's buying yours, YA, he's o.k. calling it junk silver then lol

 

I agree this would be a reasonable explanation... However that doesn't cover them at this shop. They aren't "high end" there...very basic. It wasn't the usual person I deal with in the store, and it was a beautiful day outside and he told me while I was there he couldn't wait to close the shop, so maybe that had something to do with his attitude....

 

This world is too uptight. Junk silver is absolutely the correct term. Instead of getting offended they could have just said no.

 

Friend watches shop. Friend is mostly clueless on biz terms. EOS