Silver Calculator — Calculate Current Silver Value
Silver Value
2.08 €
1.00 g x 1 x 2.0760 €/g = 2.08 €
Maple Leaf, Vienna Philharmonic & Co. — Check weight against target data.
Material value for silver alloys — 800, 835, 925 and more.
Calculating Silver Value — The Formula
The material value of a silver item is determined by three factors: the weight, the fineness (silver content) and the current spot price per gram. The basic formula is:
Silver Value = Weight (g) × Fineness × Spot Price (€/g)
From Ounce Price to Gram Price
The international silver spot price is quoted in US dollars per troy ounce (USD/oz). One troy ounce equals 31.1035 grams. To obtain the euro gram price, divide the ounce price by 31.1035 and then convert using the current EUR/USD exchange rate:
Silver Price (€/g) = Spot Price (USD/oz) ÷ 31.1035 ÷ EUR/USD Rate
Silver vs. Gold — The Price Difference
Silver is significantly cheaper per gram than gold. While one gram of fine gold currently costs around 90 EUR, one gram of fine silver is approximately 1 EUR. The so-called gold-silver ratio has historically ranged between 40:1 and 120:1 — currently it stands at about 85–90 ounces of silver per ounce of gold. This large price difference makes silver particularly attractive as an entry point into physical precious metals: even with a small budget, you can acquire meaningful quantities.
Calculation example: 100 g sterling silver (925) at a spot price of 1.00 €/g: 100 × 0.925 × 1.00 = 92.50 € pure silver value.
Silver Alloys and Finenesses
The fineness indicates how many thousandths of the total weight is pure silver. The higher the fineness, the closer the material value is to the full spot price. Here is an overview of the most important silver alloys:
- ◆ 999 (Fine Silver) — 99.9% purity. The standard for investment silver such as the Maple Leaf, the Vienna Philharmonic or silver bars. Maximum material value, no significant alloy additions.
- ◆ 925 (Sterling Silver) — 92.5% silver, 7.5% copper. The world's most common alloy for high-quality jewelry, cutlery and silverware. Recognizable by the hallmark stamp "925".
- ◆ 900 — 90% silver. Typical for historical circulation coins of many countries, including US half dollars (pre-1965) and French francs.
- ◆ 835 — 83.5% silver. Common in older European circulation coins (e.g. pre-1972 German DM coins, Dutch guilder coins, Belgian francs). Often found in antique silverware.
- ◆ 800 — 80% silver, 20% copper. Frequently found in tableware, cutlery and older household items from the 19th and early 20th century.
- ◆ 625 — 62.5% silver. Used in some older European commemorative coins and certain Swiss coins.
Tip: For unstamped items, an XRF analyzer or a precious metals tester at a jeweler can determine the actual fineness. The hallmark alone does not guarantee exact silver content — wear and historical tolerances may cause deviations.
Sterling Silver (925) — The Everyday Silver
Sterling silver is by far the most well-known silver alloy in the world. The name originates from medieval England, where the "sterling penny" served as the standard coin. The alloy consists of 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper — a ratio that has proven itself over centuries.
Why Is Copper Added?
Pure silver (999) is too soft for everyday use. Rings, chains and cutlery would quickly bend and get scratched. The 7.5% copper addition significantly increases hardness and durability without noticeably changing the silver appearance. The result is a material that can be polished, remains dimensionally stable and still retains over 92% of the precious metal value.
Typical Uses
You encounter sterling silver in everyday life more often than you might think: high-quality jewelry (rings, pendants, earrings), cutlery and tableware, picture frames, writing instruments and decorative objects. Unlike silver-plated items (silver coating on base metal), sterling silver has a real material value that can be realized through melting.
Calculating Value
The silver value of sterling is exactly 92.5% of the fine silver price. At a spot price of 1.00 €/g, 100 g of sterling silver is worth 92.50 €. When purchasing through dealers or refineries, a deduction of 10–20% is typically applied, as melting and refining costs are incurred. Make sure to obtain multiple offers before selling old silver.
VAT on Silver
Unlike investment gold, which is VAT-exempt across the EU (under Directive 98/80/EC) and the UK, silver is subject to VAT at the standard rate in most countries (17–25% across Europe). This significantly increases the purchase cost and makes silver less attractive as an investment from a tax perspective compared to gold.
What Is Differential Taxation?
In several EU countries, dealers can apply margin taxation (also called differential taxation) on silver coins imported from outside the EU. Under this scheme, VAT is not calculated on the full selling price but only on the dealer's margin — i.e. the difference between their purchase and selling price. In practice, this means a surcharge of about 5–11% instead of the full standard rate. The advantage: customers pay significantly less than under regular taxation.
Impact on Silver as an Investment
VAT is the biggest structural disadvantage of silver compared to gold as a store of value. When buying a 1 oz silver coin at a spot price of around 30 EUR, you effectively pay 33–35 EUR with differential taxation. Just for the silver price to reach your cost basis, it must already rise by 8–11%. When selling to dealers, the spot price without VAT is used as the basis — so the tax is lost upon resale. In the long term, silver can still be worthwhile if the price increase exceeds the tax burden.
Tip: In some EU countries such as Estonia, a reduced or zero VAT rate applies to investment silver. Online dealers with warehouses in Estonia (e.g. Tavex, European Gold Depot) offer VAT-free silver bars and coins, as long as the goods remain in the bonded warehouse. However, upon import to your home country, local VAT typically becomes due.