Price to refine?

[johnnyp]

I have about 400 ounces of 90% silver blanks. They are not coins but the person who had them previously, a family member, said he bought them as a little investment in silver. Their coin silver, I think they were going to be used to make silver quarters same size and weight. I don't know the price of melting them down, but How much money would I have to invest to refine 1 ounce of 90% silver 10% copper blanks? I have been reading up on doing this with Nitric Acid, watched a lot of videos and read a lot of text. I just want the silver content in it right now maybe I can find somebody to melt it down for me I know a couple guys.

I've yet to price anything to make Nitric Acid, I don't know much but I really want to learn how to refine these 90% silver blanks

 

[butcher]

johnnyp,
Nitric acid will be the first cost, and depending what that cost you, then if you’re not set up for melting there is the cost of the torch, for melting that much silver I would look into acetylene and oxygen, or natural gas and oxygen, Mapp gas can work for small lots, but the Mapp gas and torch would cost more than a better torch for melting that much silver, I am sure prices have changed but it used to be common to find a good used torch set tanks and all for about 150.00, most of the other supplies could be free (old coffee posts hot plates and canning jars), or you could a lot of spend money on fancy lab glass and equipment.

400 ounces a fair amount, but you will still want to keep cost down, most of the equipment used for the chemistry can be found around the house or the second hand store, and you can build the cell to refine the silver in.

Look into pouring shot, dissolving silver in nitric, cementing out the silver using copper,melting to anodes, and then refining the silver in a silver cell.

Sorry I cannot give you a dollar estimate of how much it would cost, what supplies you use and what you have to pay for them, I guess a lot would depend on price you can get and what type of equipment you decided to work with.

 

[kurt]

Are your just wanting to refine this silver - or are you thinking of getting into refining as a on going thing

Kurt

 

[element47.5]

http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=58&t=14782&hilit=Trade+Mint+Fresh

You should just contact Jay per the above thread and, if you are confident in the assay of your material (and/or can otherwise prove it) and just trade him 42.5 grams of your 90% silver for each round. You're kind of paying a buck a round to make this transformation, but you are ending up with a very transactable form---generic rounds---which you would NOT have if you refined it yourself. You're talking about 292 oz in rounds, assuming you meant "troy" when you said ounces. There >>IS<< a buck a round of value, maybe a buck and a quarter in turning an ounce of raw silver into a .999 round. A "coining fee" if you will.

Unless you are just bound and determined to set up a refining situation, I believe you are better off just making this trade. IMO it makes no sense at all to set up a refining lab if you have no great ability to get more material, in other words, no better way of getting material better than anyone else who can buy it on the open market. I've traded two batches of sterling forks to Jay and both deals went very smoothly. If you're nervous, start by sending him a few dozen ounces instead of all of it at once.

 

[its-all-a-lie]

I have also dealt with Jay and in my opinion you could not ask for a more honest person. I met him in person and talked with him for probably an hour and he is a very likeable fellow, i would highly recommend him to anyone. You have nothing to worry about if you decide to go this route.