Why is sterling silver priced less than coin silver?

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Pre 1920. From then until 1946 it was 0.500, from 1947 onwards it was (and still is) cupro-nickel. I think the dominions held a higher standard of purity for their own silver coinage for longer though, leading to a bizzare situation were the Australian Pound for example, was worth less than the British one on the international exchange, despite the fact that the intrinsic value of its coinage (which was made in the same denominations and to the same dimensions as British currency) was worth more than that of Britain....

 

He clarifies what he meant by "sterling" here:

However, the term, ".900 silver" is used synomynously with "US coin silver." So, that end is still opened up... does he mean "US Coin", or "coin silver"? "Coin silver" is a term used to describe anything made of 900/1000. Some tableware and decorative items were made of coin silver and they are either marked as "coin" or "900" I have a spoon that is marked, "coin." But the clerk at Target wouldn't accept it

I would be VERY curious why anyone would pay more for 900/1000 than they would for 925/1000 scrap silver. If that is the case, I will take that spread to the bank all day long and start to buy sterling silverware on the cheap and adding copper to get 900/1000 silver in a furnace, then take it to a guy willing to pay more for it!

In my best estimate, BHP means to phrase the question, "Given equal weights of 90% US coin and a pile of scrap sterling silver, why will dealers pay more for the coins than they will for the sterling?"

 

This is the reason -I could not have said it as well but he is

This is the reason -I could not have said it quite as well but he is correct.

Many factors you'all brought some good points as you always do -
I was talking about .900 U.S. Coin Silver verses .925 flatware, urns, bowls, jewelry etc.
Yes it is true you have a safer margin with reputable makers such as Goram but much of the stuff marked .925 from South America or Mexico can be way lower than .925 but you still have "just a bag of .925" - with U.S. coin silver you have a readily sellable product that needs no further authentication or handling - it is already ready to trade.
Market H. said it very well indeed!

 

I learned something today and I am excited. Acutally I learned two things....the second being the difference between guarantee and guaranty.

 

I too learned many things here. Unfortunately I'll most likely forget this all after a few Martini's at dinner tonight. I still like Silver made from those little Sterlings is not the same as the Silver made from coins.

 

1919 was the last year that Great Britain used sterling silver, after that year they went to 50% silver in circulated coinage.

P.S. I didn't notice that this was already addressed.

 

I've also noticed Sterling doesn't fetch the same price as "coin silver" and I always wondered why, since it does have more silver content. As for the doubting Thomas's, I picked up this for 10 bucks:










I bought it since I knew it was more than an ounce of silver, so it was worth getting for bullion and I got it for about half bullion price. I would buy these all day long for 10 bucks each. :hammer:

Ribbit

 

since the the 60's most sterling silver jewelry has a platinum coating to keep it shinny
and that make it hard to melt

 

I see sterling selling for more than scrap coins everywhere I look by weight. No idea where the OP is coming from?http://cgi.ebay.com/Scrap-or-Wear-2-Sterling-Silver-Bracelets-17-gr-ITALY_W0QQitemZ170381361937QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAntiques_Silver?hash=item27ab854311&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

 

Man, I'm going to have to go to some coin fairs in the US. I could make a fortune bringing that stuff back home to blighty.... (If I combined it as part of a holiday)...

 

after reading this thread it makes me think to just sell off my sterling silver coins now than later.