Melting silver coins is generally legal in the United States, and most US silver coins can be melted without violating federal law. The common belief that melting any US coin is illegal is a myth. The reality is more specific and more interesting.
Federal law specifically bans melting pennies and nickels, but it does not broadly prohibit melting silver coins. The legal rules that do apply come from two separate federal statutes with different scopes, different penalties, and different enforcement histories.
This article covers exactly which coins can and cannot be legally melted, what the two main federal laws actually say, whether pre-1965 silver coins are treated differently, whether American Silver Eagle bullion coins can be melted, and what the actual penalties are for violations.
Is It Illegal to Melt Silver Coins
Melting silver coins is not illegal under US federal law in most circumstances. The primary federal regulation that prohibits coin melting, 31 CFR Part 82, applies specifically to pennies and nickels. It does not cover silver coins.
Pre-1965 US silver coins, which include the 90% silver dimes, quarters, half dollars, and dollar coins minted before the Coinage Act of 1965 removed silver from circulating coinage, can be legally melted for their silver content. There is no federal regulation that expressly bans melting these coins.
The separate federal statute at 18 U.S.C. Section 331 prohibits fraudulently altering, defacing, mutilating, or counterfeiting US coins. This law applies to coins with the intent to defraud, not to the simple act of melting for metal recovery. A person who melts silver coins to recover the metal for legitimate purposes is not acting fraudulently and does not fall under 18 U.S.C. 331.
| Coin Type | Legal to Melt | Controlling Law | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-1965 silver dimes, quarters | Yes | No prohibition applies | 90% silver content |
| Pre-1965 silver half dollars | Yes | No prohibition applies | 90% silver content |
| Morgan and Peace silver dollars | Yes | No prohibition applies | 90% silver content |
| American Silver Eagles | Legal status is gray | No express prohibition | Legal tender with $1 face value |
| Pennies | No | 31 CFR Part 82 | Explicit ban |
| Nickels | No | 31 CFR Part 82 | Explicit ban |
Is It Legal to Melt Silver Coins
Yes, it is legal to melt silver coins in the United States under current federal law as of 2026. Federal regulations targeting coin melting, specifically 31 CFR Part 82, apply only to pennies and nickels. No equivalent regulation bans the melting of silver coins that were circulated as legal tender.
This surprises many people who believe all US coins carry equal legal protection against melting. That assumption is incorrect. The penny and nickel ban was enacted in December 2006 and took effect in January 2007, specifically because the metal value of those coins exceeded their face value, creating an arbitrage incentive to melt them. Silver coins lost their status as primarily monetary instruments long before this, when silver was removed from circulating coinage in 1965.
The absence of a prohibition is not the same as an explicit permission, but that’s the practical legal reality for silver coins. The US Mint and the Treasury Department have not issued regulations banning silver coin melting. Precious metals dealers, refineries, and individuals melt pre-1965 silver coins routinely and without legal concern.
Quick Facts:
- 31 CFR Part 82 bans melting pennies and nickels only
- No federal regulation bans melting pre-1965 silver coins
- Silver coins can legally be sold to refiners, dealers, or melted privately
- The legal silver melt market is large and openly operates in the US
- Selling melted silver is a taxable transaction but not a criminal one
Is It Illegal to Melt Coins
Whether it is illegal to melt coins depends entirely on which type of coin you are melting. The answer is not the same for all US coins, and the common assumption that melting any US coin is automatically illegal is false.
Pennies and nickels are the only currently circulating US coins that are specifically prohibited from being melted under 31 CFR Part 82. This regulation was promulgated by the Treasury Department in 2006 and remains in force as of 2026. The regulation also prohibits exporting pennies and nickels in large quantities for the purpose of melting them abroad.
All other US coins, including silver coins, gold coins, and most other base metal coins, do not fall under the 31 CFR Part 82 prohibition. Whether melting them is legal depends on whether the conduct involves fraud or deception under 18 U.S.C. Section 331. Simple melting for metal recovery, without any fraudulent intent, does not violate 18 U.S.C. 331.
The distinction between these two laws is important. 31 CFR Part 82 creates a flat prohibition on penny and nickel melting regardless of intent. 18 U.S.C. Section 331 requires fraudulent intent as an element of the offense. The same physical act of melting a coin can be legal under one framework and illegal under the other, depending on the coin type and the actor’s purpose.
Is It Illegal to Melt Coins in the US
Melting coins in the US is not universally illegal. Federal law specifically and exclusively prohibits melting pennies and nickels under 31 CFR Part 82. For all other US coins, including silver, the legality depends on the purpose and whether fraud is involved.
The United States has never enacted a broad ban on all coin melting. The history of US currency policy actually worked against such a ban. Silver was deliberately removed from circulating coins in 1965 precisely because the silver content’s commodity value exceeded the coins’ face value. Once coins are no longer serving an active monetary function at their original value, the rationale for protecting them from melting weakens considerably.
Silver coins from before 1965, now commonly called “junk silver” in precious metals markets, are openly bought, sold, and melted by refineries, dealers, and individuals throughout the US. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission and other federal agencies regulate the silver market broadly but do not treat silver coin melting as a prohibited activity.
The only federal enforcement risk for someone melting silver coins would arise if they were melting coins to produce fraudulent money or otherwise using the melting process as part of a scheme to defraud. That is an 18 U.S.C. 331 concern, not a concern for anyone simply recovering silver for its metal value.
Key Takeaway: Melting coins in the US is not broadly illegal. Only pennies and nickels are specifically banned from melting under 31 CFR Part 82. Silver coins, gold coins, and most other US coins can be legally melted without federal prohibition, as long as no fraudulent intent is involved.
Is It Illegal to Melt Down Coins
Melting down coins is not a per se federal offense in the United States. The specific prohibition at 31 CFR Part 82 targets pennies and nickels. For those two coin types, melting is expressly illegal regardless of intent. For all others, the legal analysis focuses on whether the conduct is fraudulent under 18 U.S.C. Section 331.
The practical result is that most coin melting activity in the US is legal. Refineries that process silver coins into silver bars and ingots operate openly. Jewelers who use melted silver from old coins in new pieces operate legally. Investors who convert silver coins into bullion for easier storage or transport operate within the law.
What triggers 18 U.S.C. Section 331 is the combination of alteration or mutilation with fraudulent intent. The statute covers “fraudulently altering, defacing, mutilating, imparing, diminishing, falsifying, scaling, or lightening” of US coins. The word “fraudulently” is the key element. Without fraud, the statute does not apply to simple melting.
Think of it like destroying a dollar bill. You can legally destroy a paper bill by tearing it up, burning it, or otherwise disposing of it, as long as you are not trying to counterfeit or defraud anyone. Melting most coins works the same way legally. The fraud element is what makes the conduct criminal, not the physical act of melting.
Is It Legal to Melt Coins
Yes, it is legal to melt most coins in the United States. The two principal federal laws governing coin integrity are 31 CFR Part 82 and 18 U.S.C. Section 331, and between them, they only prohibit specific narrow categories of conduct.
31 CFR Part 82 creates an absolute prohibition on melting pennies and nickels that does not require any showing of intent. If you melt a penny, you have violated this regulation regardless of why you did it. But this regulation applies only to pennies and nickels.
18 U.S.C. Section 331 creates a broader prohibition on fraudulent coin alteration that applies to all US coins. But the fraudulent intent requirement means that simple, honest melting for metal recovery does not violate this statute. Courts have interpreted Section 331 to require proof that the defendant intended to defraud someone as a result of the coin alteration.
The vast majority of coin melting activity in the US falls outside both of these prohibitions. A hobbyist who melts pre-1965 silver dimes to make a silver ingot has not violated 31 CFR Part 82, because dimes are not pennies or nickels. They also have not violated 18 U.S.C. 331, because they have no fraudulent intent.
Is It Legal to Melt US Coins
Melting US coins is legal for most coin types and purposes. The critical variable is which coins you are melting and what you intend to do with the result. Pennies and nickels are the clear exception where melting is always illegal.
The US Mint website and Treasury Department publications confirm that the penny and nickel prohibition exists specifically to protect the money supply. When the metal value of a coin exceeds its face value, there is an economic incentive to melt coins rather than spend them. This creates a shortage of those coins in circulation. The 2006 regulation was the government’s response to that economic dynamic.
For silver coins, that dynamic played out decades earlier. When silver’s market price rose to the point where pre-1965 coins were worth more as metal than as money, the government’s response was to remove silver from the coins rather than ban melting. The Coinage Act of 1965 replaced 90% silver coins with copper-nickel clad coins. Once the government itself had moved on from silver as a monetary metal, there was no ongoing policy interest in banning the melting of pre-1965 silver coins.
The result in 2026 is a legal framework that permits silver coin melting openly, restricts penny and nickel melting absolutely, and prohibits fraudulent coin alteration of any type.
Is It Illegal to Melt US Coins
Melting US coins is not broadly illegal. The specific prohibition at 31 CFR Part 82 covers pennies and nickels. No parallel prohibition covers silver coins, gold coins, or most other US coins under current federal law in 2026.
18 U.S.C. Section 331 is the statute that some people mistakenly cite as a broad ban on coin melting. The actual text of the statute addresses fraudulent alteration, not simple melting. The Department of Justice has prosecuted cases under 18 U.S.C. 331 involving counterfeit coin schemes, coin fraud, and coin alterations designed to deceive, but not cases involving straightforward silver coin melting for metal recovery.
The absence of federal charges against the openly operating silver coin melting market in the US is itself evidence of how federal authorities interpret the law. Scrap silver dealers, refineries, and coin dealers routinely melt pre-1965 silver coins. None of this activity is treated as criminal by the US Mint, the Treasury Department, or the Department of Justice.
States and US coin melting law:
- No US state has passed its own law specifically banning silver coin melting
- State laws governing precious metals generally focus on dealer licensing and reporting, not melting
- California, Texas, New York, and other states regulate precious metals dealers but not the act of melting
- State tax laws apply to profits from silver coin sales or melting, but that is a tax issue, not a criminal one
Is It Illegal to Melt Down Silver US Coins
Melting down silver US coins is not illegal under current federal law. Pre-1965 US dimes, quarters, half dollars, and dollar coins, which contain 90% silver, can be legally melted for their silver content without violating any federal statute or regulation.
The market for melted pre-1965 silver coins is large and entirely above-board. Refineries that accept junk silver bags and return silver bars are a standard feature of the precious metals industry. Online dealers advertise the purchase of pre-1965 silver coins specifically for melt value. None of this is hidden or treated as legally suspect.
The relevant federal regulations at 31 CFR Part 82 are explicit that they apply to one-cent coins (pennies) and five-cent coins (nickels). The regulation was written with that level of specificity precisely because the Treasury Department only wanted to restrict the coins whose metal value was creating a circulation problem. Silver coins had already been demonetized in the sense that their silver content was removed from the money supply.
What you should know if you melt silver US coins for profit is that the proceeds are taxable. Melting coins and selling the silver is treated as a sale of property for tax purposes. Any gain over your cost basis is subject to federal capital gains tax, and silver is taxed as a collectible at rates up to 28%. That is a tax issue, not a criminal one.
Is It Legal to Melt Down Silver Coins
Yes, it is legal to melt down silver coins in the United States. This applies to pre-1965 US silver coins, which are 90% silver, and to silver coins from other countries that are privately owned. Federal law does not prohibit the melting of these coins for their metal content.
The precious metals industry operates on the routine exchange of silver coins for melt value. Mints outside the US, including the Royal Canadian Mint and the Perth Mint, purchase silver in various forms including melted coin silver. US refineries accept pre-1965 silver coins as a feedstock for silver processing. This industry operates transparently and without criminal liability.
Private individuals who want to melt silver coins for hobby use, jewelry making, or silver recovery have no legal obstacle under federal law. A silversmith who melts old dimes and quarters to make jewelry is not breaking any law. A collector who melts a bag of junk silver to consolidate it into a bar for storage is not breaking any law.
The one area where legal complexity could arise is with specific silver coins that have significant numismatic value above their melt value. Melting a coin worth $200 as a collectible to recover $15 of silver is not illegal but is economically irrational and would be unusual in practice.
Key Takeaway: Melting silver coins is legal in the United States under current federal law. Pre-1965 silver coins, American silver bullion rounds, and foreign silver coins can all be legally melted for their metal content. The only federal coin melting ban applies exclusively to pennies and nickels.
Is It Legal to Melt US Silver Coins
Melting US silver coins is legal under current federal law, with the possible exception of American Silver Eagle coins, which are official legal tender and occupy a more complex legal position. Pre-1965 circulating silver coins, which are not current legal tender in practice, can be melted without legal restriction.
The American Silver Eagle is the US Mint’s official silver bullion coin. It carries a face value of $1, making it technically current legal tender. The coin is 99.9% fine silver. Its silver melt value as of 2026 is many times its $1 face value. Whether melting an American Silver Eagle for its silver content is legal is a question that has not been definitively resolved by federal regulation or court decision.
No regulation expressly prohibits melting American Silver Eagles. But the 31 CFR Part 82 prohibition covers pennies and nickels specifically, suggesting that if the Treasury Department had wanted to ban Silver Eagle melting, it would have said so. The absence of a prohibition supports the argument that melting is legal.
The more cautious view is that an American Silver Eagle, as current legal tender, could theoretically fall under the broad language of 18 U.S.C. Section 331’s prohibitions on coin alteration. No one has been prosecuted for melting Silver Eagles, but the legal question has never been definitively answered.
Melting Pre-1965 Silver Coins Legal
Melting pre-1965 silver coins is legal under US federal law. These coins, including the Franklin half dollar, Mercury dime, Standing Liberty quarter, Morgan dollar, and Peace dollar, are no longer in general circulation and are not subject to the coin melting prohibition at 31 CFR Part 82.
Pre-1965 US dimes and quarters contain 90% silver and 10% copper. Half dollars minted from 1965 to 1970 contain 40% silver, and those minted before 1965 contain 90% silver. Dollar coins including the Morgan dollar and Peace dollar contain 90% silver. All of these can be legally melted for silver recovery.
The “junk silver” market in the US is built on these coins. Dealers buy bags of mixed pre-1965 coins priced at multiples of face value based on silver content. Refineries process these coins into silver bars. Individual investors buy and sell them as a silver investment vehicle. This is all legal and openly practiced.
| Coin | Silver Content | Pre-1965 Can Be Melted | Approximate Silver Per Coin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury/Roosevelt Dime (pre-1965) | 90% silver | Yes | 0.0723 troy oz |
| Washington Quarter (pre-1965) | 90% silver | Yes | 0.1808 troy oz |
| Franklin/Kennedy Half (pre-1965) | 90% silver | Yes | 0.3617 troy oz |
| Kennedy Half (1965-1970) | 40% silver | Yes | 0.1479 troy oz |
| Morgan Dollar (pre-1935) | 90% silver | Yes | 0.7735 troy oz |
| Peace Dollar (pre-1935) | 90% silver | Yes | 0.7735 troy oz |
Is It Illegal to Melt Pennies
Yes, it is illegal to melt pennies in the United States. 31 CFR Part 82 explicitly prohibits the melting of one-cent coins. The regulation was issued by the Treasury Department in December 2006 and became effective January 14, 2007.
The prohibition was enacted because the metal value of pennies exceeded their face value during the mid-2000s copper price surge. Zinc and copper prices made pennies worth more as raw metal than as currency. The Treasury Department was concerned that this economic incentive would lead to widespread melting that would reduce the supply of pennies in circulation.
The regulation at 31 CFR 82.2(a) states that “no person shall export, melt, or treat” any one-cent coin or five-cent coin. This is an absolute prohibition that does not require any showing of fraudulent intent. The intent of the actor is irrelevant under this regulation. Simply melting a penny violates it regardless of why you did it.
The penalty for violating 31 CFR Part 82 is a fine of not more than $10,000 and/or imprisonment of not more than five years. These penalties track the criminal penalties in 18 U.S.C. Section 331. In practice, enforcement of the penny melting prohibition for individual hobbyists has been minimal, but the legal prohibition is real and enforceable.
Bold fact: Melting a single US penny is a federal offense under 31 CFR 82.2 carrying potential penalties of up to $10,000 and five years in federal prison, though enforcement against individual hobbyists has been minimal in practice.
Is It Illegal to Melt Pennies and Nickels
Yes, it is illegal to melt both pennies and nickels in the United States. The prohibition at 31 CFR Part 82 covers one-cent coins (pennies) and five-cent coins (nickels) equally. The regulation bans not only melting but also exporting large quantities of these coins for the purpose of melting abroad.
Nickels were added to the prohibition alongside pennies in 2006 because nickel metal prices also rose to the point where the metal content of a five-cent coin exceeded its face value. At that time, nickels were composed of 75% copper and 25% nickel, and the total metal value was approaching and sometimes exceeding five cents.
31 CFR 82.2(b) also prohibits the export in excess of $5 in face value of pennies or nickels from the United States, with an exception for personal use amounts of $100 or less. This export prohibition was designed to prevent large-scale arbitrage where entrepreneurs would ship coins abroad to be melted in countries with less restrictive laws.
The same maximum penalty of $10,000 and five years in prison applies to nickel melting as to penny melting. The regulation provides an exception at 31 CFR 82.3 for certain industrial, educational, and numismatic purposes that are specifically authorized by the Secretary of the Treasury, but individual melting without such authorization is prohibited.
| Coin | Composition | Legal to Melt | Regulation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penny (one-cent) | Zinc/copper | No | 31 CFR 82.2 |
| Nickel (five-cent) | Copper/nickel | No | 31 CFR 82.2 |
| Dime (ten-cent, modern) | Copper-nickel clad | Yes (no prohibition) | None applicable |
| Quarter (twenty-five cent, modern) | Copper-nickel clad | Yes (no prohibition) | None applicable |
| Pre-1965 silver coins (all types) | 90% silver | Yes | None applicable |
| American Silver Eagle | 99.9% silver | Legal gray area | No express prohibition |
Can You Melt American Silver Eagle Coins
Melting American Silver Eagle coins is not expressly prohibited by any current federal regulation, but their status as official legal tender with a $1 face value creates legal uncertainty that distinguishes them from pre-1965 circulating silver coins. In practice, no one has been prosecuted for melting Silver Eagles, and the precious metals industry routinely treats them as meltable bullion.
The American Silver Eagle was created under the Liberty Coin Act of 1985 and first minted in 1986. Each coin contains one troy ounce of 99.9% fine silver and bears a $1 face value. The face value is largely symbolic. No one spends them as dollar coins because their silver content is worth many times more.
The 31 CFR Part 82 prohibition on melting does not mention Silver Eagles by name or description. It specifically targets one-cent and five-cent coins. Silver Eagles are one-dollar coins. The regulation therefore does not expressly apply.
The 18 U.S.C. Section 331 concern is that melting legal tender could theoretically be treated as fraudulent coin alteration. But without any intent to defraud, and without any actual fraudulent conduct, a prosecution under this theory for simple Silver Eagle melting would be highly unusual and has not been attempted.
The market consensus is that Silver Eagles can be melted legally. Refineries accept them. Dealers buy them at melt value. The US government has not taken enforcement action against Silver Eagle melting.
Is It Illegal to Melt Gold Coins
Melting gold coins is not prohibited by the primary federal coin melting regulation at 31 CFR Part 82, which applies exclusively to pennies and nickels. Modern US gold coins, including American Gold Eagle coins and American Buffalo gold coins, occupy a similar legal position to American Silver Eagles, where no express melting prohibition exists but their legal tender status creates some uncertainty.
Historical gold coins from before 1933, when the US was on the gold standard and gold was used in circulation, are definitively not subject to any melting prohibition. Pre-1933 US gold coins are legally bought, sold, and melted by gold dealers and refineries without any federal legal concern.
The brief exception in US history was Executive Order 6102 issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933, which required citizens to turn in gold and made private gold ownership illegal. That executive order was repealed in 1974, and private gold coin ownership and melting have been entirely legal since then.
American Gold Eagle coins, like American Silver Eagles, bear a legal tender face value, and the same theoretical 18 U.S.C. Section 331 question applies. In practice, gold refineries and dealers melt gold coins routinely without legal consequence.
Penalty for Melting US Coins
The penalty for illegally melting US coins depends on which law was violated. Under 31 CFR Part 82, which prohibits penny and nickel melting, the maximum penalty is a fine of not more than $10,000 and imprisonment of not more than five years. Additionally, any coins involved in the violation are subject to forfeiture.
Under 18 U.S.C. Section 331, which prohibits fraudulent coin alteration and mutilation, the maximum penalty is a fine under the federal sentencing guidelines and imprisonment of not more than five years. This statute requires proof of fraudulent intent, so the practical prosecution rate under this section for simple melting is very low.
The regulation at 31 CFR Part 82 was designed with large-scale melting operations in mind, not individual hobbyists. Enforcement has focused on businesses or individuals attempting to profit by melting large quantities of pennies and nickels, not on people who accidentally or incidentally melt a coin in a craft or educational context.
The exemption at 31 CFR 82.3 allows melting, treatment, and export of pennies and nickels for specific purposes authorized by the Treasury Secretary. Licensed refineries, Mint contractors, and certain educational institutions can apply for this authorization.
Penalty summary:
- 31 CFR Part 82 (penny/nickel melting): Up to $10,000 fine, up to 5 years prison, forfeiture of coins
- 18 U.S.C. Section 331 (fraudulent coin alteration): Up to 5 years prison, fines per federal sentencing guidelines
- Silver coin melting (legal): No penalty, but proceeds may be subject to capital gains tax
- Violation of 31 CFR 82 export restriction: Same as melting penalties apply
Is It Legal to Melt Coins for Jewelry
Melting coins for jewelry is legal in the United States for most coin types, including silver coins, and has been practiced by jewelers and silversmiths for generations. The legal analysis is the same as for any other melting purpose: pennies and nickels cannot be melted under 31 CFR Part 82, but silver coins can.
Jewelers who use melted silver from pre-1965 dimes, quarters, and half dollars in their work are operating legally. The silver extracted from these coins is indistinguishable from any other silver once melted, and its use in jewelry carries no federal legal restriction.
The one area where jewelry use of coin silver has historically been litigated involves coins that retain their design, like a ring stamped from a quarter while preserving the eagle design. Courts have sometimes addressed whether such uses violate 18 U.S.C. Section 331’s prohibition on defacing coins. The answer turns on whether the use is fraudulent. A jewelry piece that clearly incorporates a coin as a decorative element, with no attempt to pass it as currency, does not meet the fraudulent intent requirement.
Commercial jewelry makers who stamp, cut, or engrave coins into wearable pieces have operated in the US for decades without systematic prosecution. The legal risk is highest for anyone who alters a coin in a way that could be mistaken for another denomination or used to defraud someone.
Key Takeaway: Melting coins for jewelry is legal for silver coins and most other US coins. Only pennies and nickels are banned from melting under 31 CFR Part 82. Fraudulent coin alteration under 18 U.S.C. 331 applies only when there is intent to defraud, not to honest jewelry-making from melted silver.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to melt pre-1965 silver coins in the United States?
No, melting pre-1965 US silver coins is not illegal under federal law.
The only federal regulation banning coin melting, 31 CFR Part 82, applies exclusively to pennies and nickels.
Pre-1965 dimes, quarters, half dollars, and dollar coins contain 90% silver and can be legally melted for their metal content.
Refineries and precious metals dealers routinely melt these coins without any federal legal concern.
What is the penalty for illegally melting US coins?
The penalty for melting pennies or nickels in violation of 31 CFR Part 82 is up to $10,000 in fines and up to five years in federal prison.
Any coins involved in the violation are also subject to forfeiture.
For fraudulent coin alteration under 18 U.S.C. Section 331, the penalty is also up to five years in prison with additional fines.
These penalties apply to prohibited conduct. Melting silver coins, which is not prohibited, carries no penalty.
Can you legally melt American Silver Eagle coins?
There is no express federal prohibition on melting American Silver Eagle coins.
31 CFR Part 82 covers only pennies and nickels, not Silver Eagles.
The precious metals industry routinely melts Silver Eagles and treats them as meltable bullion.
No federal prosecution has been brought against anyone for melting Silver Eagles, though their legal tender status creates some theoretical uncertainty.
Are pennies and nickels the only US coins you cannot legally melt?
Yes, under current federal law, pennies and nickels are the only US coins specifically prohibited from melting under 31 CFR Part 82.
No other federal regulation expressly bans melting dimes, quarters, half dollars, silver dollars, gold coins, or any other US coin type.
18 U.S.C. Section 331 prohibits fraudulent coin alteration for any coin type, but requires proof of fraudulent intent.
Simple melting for metal recovery without fraudulent intent does not violate 18 U.S.C. 331 for any coin type other than pennies and nickels.
Can you melt US coins for use in jewelry or crafts?
Yes, you can legally melt US silver coins and most other US coins for jewelry or craft purposes.
Pennies and nickels remain illegal to melt for any purpose, including crafts, under 31 CFR Part 82.
Pre-1965 silver coins can be legally melted by jewelers and silversmiths for use in jewelry without violating federal law.
Coin alterations that retain a coin’s design for decorative use are generally permissible as long as there is no fraudulent intent to pass the piece as currency.
Closing
The legal picture for coin melting in the US is far more specific than most people realize. Pennies and nickels are banned. Silver coins are generally legal to melt. The distinction matters enormously for anyone in the precious metals, jewelry, or collecting world.
Bookmark this article as a clear reference on US coin melting law in 2026. Share it with collectors, investors, or crafters who are asking the same question, because the “all coin melting is illegal” myth persists even though the law says otherwise.
