Many times I see slick/worn/dateless 90% being sold at FV valuations, but I wonder if metal loss is so severe that they should be sold at weight instead? for example: https://www.ebay.com/itm/100-face-no-date-90-standing-liberty-quarter-lot-400-pcs/333879235180?hash=item4dbcc0d26c:g:MokAAOSwhYdgHHH2 What are your thoughts on this? Would you pay on weight for worn or slicks?
Wow that's rich and way overpriced. With the coins at full weight there is $1980 at current melt. This $2400 is a premium I'd expect for full date and nowhere as circulated.....
What do you think the weight loss percentage is? I've heard 2% as typical for a moderately worn coin. I supposed you could contact the seller to request a total weight to estimate the loss percentage. When I compare to other bulk US 90% silver on the internet, I see about 24-26x face. So 23x face for standing liberty quarters doesn't sound so bad to me. Of course, it's always wise to do your own research on price comparisons to see what's the best deal you can find. When I used to buy bulk silver (at 3.5 to 4x face!) long ago, only a tiny fraction were standing liberty quarters. The dates might have been barely readable, but in general they would be in comparable conditions to that seller's for wear. It's a matter of personal preference whether you think standing liberties might be worth a small premium to you compared to other bulk US 90% silver.
For those who say it's a bad deal, a few sincere questions: 1) What price do you see currently for US 90% junk silver? 2) What percentage wear would you estimate these coins have? 3) Can you freely find worn standing liberty quarters at comparable prices to worn 90% silver Washington quarters? I would have trouble saying how good a deal it is or is not without knowing the realistic prices people are seeing for comparable alternatives. Thanks!
Nope, not unless I saw an unmistakable key. I spent quite a lot of time a few years ago scanning "dateless SLQ" listings for an undetected 1916, but never spotted one. Based on a few measurements I did on very worn SLQs, weight loss can easily exceed 10%. For Barber dimes, I've seen them under 2 grams, a 20% loss. The smaller the coin, the larger the surface area relative to volume, and the greater the percentage of weight they lose for a given amount of wear.
Goes with the territory of these coins. If you buy barbers or SL for silver, you already know they will be somewhat underweight. They usually do not lose significant weight until VG or lower, but any barber or SL higher grade than that are NOT junk silver. So, want cheaper coins like this, you know you will be short of silver versus other series. Don't like it, then buy Kennedys. I have never seen a 64 lower than AU.