The two dates that matter: 1920 and 1947
British silver coinage runs in three eras. From the introduction of decimal-style silver in the mid-nineteenth century up to 1919, every British silver coin of one shilling face and above was struck in sterling silver, 92.5 per cent silver and 7.5 per cent copper. From 1920 to 1946, the silver content was reduced to 50 per cent, with the rest copper and nickel. From 1947 onwards the silver was removed entirely and the coins are cupro-nickel, with no precious metal content.
Those two cut-offs, 1920 and 1947, are the only dates a charity shop volunteer needs to remember. Any pre-1920 British silver coin is sterling. Any 1920 to 1946 coin of the same denomination is 50 per cent silver. Any 1947 or later coin is base metal. A tin of mixed change can be sorted in five minutes once the principle is clear.
Which denominations carry silver
The denominations that carry silver in the pre-1947 era are: threepence (the small silver threepence, not the twelve-sided brass piece), sixpence, shilling, florin (two shillings), halfcrown (two shillings and sixpence), and crown (five shillings). Larger coins like the double-florin and the older silver pound also exist for specific years.
Copper and bronze coins (penny, halfpenny, farthing) never carried silver and are not relevant to this guide. The brass threepence (twelve-sided) introduced in 1937 is not silver either and is easy to distinguish from the older silver threepence: the silver one is small and round; the brass one is larger, twelve-sided, and yellow.
Recognising the dates on the coin
The date is on the reverse of almost every pre-decimal British silver coin, usually under the main design. The reigning monarch on the obverse is a quick proxy: Victoria (1837 to 1901), Edward VII (1901 to 1910), George V (1910 to 1936), Edward VIII (1936, no circulation coins struck), George VI (1936 to 1952). Any George V coin dated 1920 or later is 50 per cent silver. Any Victoria or Edward VII coin of one shilling denomination or above is sterling silver. Any George VI coin dated 1946 or earlier is 50 per cent silver; 1947 onwards is cupro-nickel.
A simple shortcut: hold the coin under a strong light. Pre-1947 silver, even the 50 per cent issues, has a distinctly white-grey tone. The 1947 cupro-nickel coins have a slightly yellower, slightly duller tone and tend to wear more obviously around the rims. A side-by-side comparison with a known 1950s sixpence makes the difference visible.
Why these coins sit in donation tins
British households kept old coinage out of circulation for sentimental reasons across most of the twentieth century. A 1936 George V halfcrown set aside on a parent's mantelpiece in the 1950s sat through decimalisation in 1971 and was passed down with the rest of the contents of a sideboard. By the time a clearance reaches a charity shop in 2026, that halfcrown is two generations removed from the original keeper and looks like any other old coin to the volunteer sorting the tin.
The tins matter. A loose tin of old change tipped onto a sorting table will usually contain a handful of pre-1947 silver coins mixed with bronze pennies, brass threepences, decimal-era coins, the occasional foreign coin, and sometimes a sovereign. The pre-1947 silver is the layer that pays for the volunteer's time to sort the tin, and the sovereign, if there is one, pays for the rest of the day.
Sorting by year, not by denomination
The instinct in a charity shop is to sort old coins by denomination: a pile of shillings, a pile of sixpences, a pile of halfcrowns. For silver content the productive sort is by date. Two physical piles, in this order:
- Pile A: any silver-looking coin dated 1919 or earlier (sterling silver, 92.5 per cent).
- Pile B: any silver-looking coin dated 1920 to 1946 (50 per cent silver).
- Discard pile (back to the till or the donation jar): anything dated 1947 onwards, anything copper or brass, anything plainly foreign.
The two silver piles can then be weighed on a kitchen scale. Both piles together, even a modest one, can be worth a useful sum at melt value. A more substantial tin is worth posting in full.
When "bag silver" is worth weighing
"Bag silver" is the trade term for mixed circulated pre-1947 British silver sold by weight rather than by individual coin. It is the standard route for the bulk of pre-1947 silver that reaches the trade, because individual sorting by date is not economic at modest values. A bag of 100g of sterling silver coins at the daily LBMA silver price contains around 92.5g of fine silver; a bag of 100g of 50 per cent silver contains around 50g of fine silver. The bullion value moves daily.
For a charity shop, the rule of thumb is: if the two silver piles together weigh more than 100g, post the lot. Smaller quantities are still worth photographing on WhatsApp; the response will say whether to post or keep accumulating across multiple tins until the postage is proportionate. Indicative figures move with the market; the firm offer is set only after XRF assay confirms purity and weight of the specific coins sent.
Key dates: when a single coin is worth more than melt
A small number of specific date-and-denomination combinations command numismatic premium well above the silver bullion floor. The 1905 Edward VII halfcrown is the most-cited example; surviving examples in good condition trade for many times bullion. Certain Victorian Gothic-style florins, scarce Edward VIII patterns, and Maundy Money sets across all reigns also command premium. The premium dates are not numerous and a charity-shop team is not expected to know them all.
Maundy Money is the case worth a separate note. Maundy sets are small silver coins (fourpence, threepence, twopence, penny) given by the reigning monarch on Maundy Thursday. The sets are still struck and are sterling silver across every reign. A complete original set in the original case can carry significant collector premium above the silver weight. Photograph the case as well as the coins.
The practical rule for the volunteer: if a single silver coin looks notably crisp, has the original toning, or comes in an original case or wallet, separate it from the bag-silver pile and photograph it on its own. GoldPaid will say whether it is a numismatic candidate or whether it goes through the standard bullion route.
What to do with the silver piles
- Bag the sterling pile (pre-1920) and the 50 per cent pile (1920 to 1946) separately. Mark each with the date range and the weight.
- Photograph each bag and any standout single coins (clear date, original case, unusual portrait) and send the photos to GoldPaid on WhatsApp (07375 071158).
- An indicative figure usually returns the same day, distinguishing bullion bag silver from any numismatic candidates flagged in the photos.
- If the charity accepts, GoldPaid sends a prepaid Royal Mail Special Delivery label, up to £2,500 cover, higher available on request before posting.
- On arrival the coins are XRF-tested and weighed. The written offer is set on the assayed alloy and the LBMA silver fix on the day of valuation.
- Where the offer is accepted before 3pm UK time, payment is by Faster Payments to the charity's registered bank account the same business day.
- Free insured return of any item the charity chooses not to sell.
A note on commemorative crowns and modern silver
Commemorative crowns struck after 1947 (Festival of Britain 1951, Coronation 1953, Churchill 1965, and the post-decimal £5 issues) are mostly cupro-nickel and have no silver content despite their size and weight. The exceptions are specific proof or silver-strike commemorative issues sold by the Royal Mint to collectors; these are usually held in original presentation cases and labelled as silver on the certificate.
If a large crown-sized coin turns up loose in a tin, it is almost certainly cupro-nickel and worth its face value. If a large crown-sized coin turns up in an original Royal Mint box or with a certificate, photograph the certificate too and send the photos through the standard route. The certificate is the fastest route to identification.
Common questions
How do I tell sterling silver from 50 per cent silver without testing?
You cannot tell by eye reliably. Both alloys look bright when clean. The reliable separator is the date: pre-1920 is sterling, 1920 to 1946 is 50 per cent. XRF on arrival confirms the alloy directly and the written offer reflects whichever fineness is actually there.
Should the charity keep any of the silver coins for the shop window?
The decision is the charity's. If a coin is unusually crisp or has a story attached to the donation, the shop may decide it has visual value on display. Most pre-1947 silver in a circulated tin has limited window appeal and produces more for the charity by weight. Photograph standout pieces before deciding.
What if the tin contains foreign silver coins as well?
Send them. Foreign silver from the same era (US Morgan dollars, French écus, German Reichsmarks, Dutch guilders) is also assayed on arrival and priced on fine-silver content. The written report lists every coin separately. The mixing does not slow the valuation.
Does cleaning the coins help or hurt the value?
It hurts. Cleaning removes patina and reduces any numismatic premium a coin might have carried. For bag silver sold by weight, cleaning makes no material difference. The safe practice is to send the coins as found and let the assay handle the rest.
How long does a typical bag-silver parcel take from posting to payment?
Royal Mail Special Delivery is next working day. The assay and written offer are usually returned within a working day of arrival. Where the offer is accepted before 3pm UK time, payment is by Faster Payments to the charity's registered bank account the same business day. Total elapsed time is typically two to three working days.
What about pre-decimal copper and bronze coins?
Pennies, halfpennies and farthings are bronze and have no precious-metal value. A small number of specific dates (the 1933 penny most famously) are extremely rare and carry six-figure numismatic premiums, but the survival rate of those is vanishingly small. If a copper coin looks unusual, photograph it; otherwise the safe assumption is bronze with no melt value.