CoinApps.com Website Updates

Stay informed on the latest improvements to the CoinApps.com website. Changes to the site including added features, new applications, and improved functionality are all announced here.

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Canadian and Australian Single Silver Coin Melt Value Lists

Last month saw the addition of a new type of melt value tool at CoinApps.com. Up until that time, there were only calculators that would display the aggregate melt value for every item(coins, bullion, scrap) that the user had included in their selection. The recently added Single U.S. Silver Coin List was different however, in that it showed a separate line item melt value and silver content for each individual type of U.S. Silver coin.

Well now there are single coin value lists for both Canadian and Australian silver coins as well. Just like the U.S. version, these new melt value lists initially figure the melt value of each coin based on the current U.S. Dollar spot price for silver. You do have the option to select another currency and even change the spot price if you like. Any changes made will automatically update the melt values of every coin on the list.

Since these are lists of coins that were once used in circulation, you may want your list to account for any coin wear that was a result of everyday handling. There is a text box available to specify a percentage of coin wear, which will be deducted from the silver content and associated melt value of each coin on the list. Both new melt value lists are now online and available from the following links:

http://coinapps.com/silver/coin/canadian/value/ http://coinapps.com/silver/coin/australian/value/

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U.S. Silver Coin Melt Values – For Each Single Coin

For more than four years now, the U.S. Silver Coin Melt Value Calculator at CoinApps.com has enabled silver stackers, coin collectors, and metal detecting enthusiasts to quickly calculate the silver melt value for assorted quantities of U.S. junk silver coins. Simply enter the quantity for each type of coin, and the calculator then automatically crunches the numbers and spits out a total value for all of the silver contained in that entire batch of coins.

There are times however when you just want to take a quick look at the silver melt value of each individual coin. For that task, a list of coins displaying the separate melt value for each coin works best. Well, such a list of Single U.S. Silver Coin Melt Values is now available for you to view at CoinApps.com. When you first open the list, the silver melt values are given based on the current spot price of silver. You do however have the option to enter a different silver price, and the list of coin values will automatically update when you do so.

In addition to showing the silver melt value for each type of U.S. Silver coin, this new list also shows how many troy ounces of actual silver that each coin contains. The initial silver content values you will see are based on the amount of silver in uncirculated coins. Since most junk silver has been in circulation though, there is also an option to apply a percentage of approximate coin wear to the resultant coin list values.

Initial values are denominated in U.S. Dollars, but there is a drop-down list you can use to select other currencies if you like. This new list is ready for your immediate use at:

http://coinapps.com/silver/coin/value/

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16 More Currencies to Choose From

For the last year, visitors to CoinApps.com have been able to calculate the melt value of their precious and base metal items from a modest list of 14 major currencies. Well, that list of currencies just got longer. The currently updated list features an additional 16 currencies, bringing the grand total of available choices to the now 30 currencies that you can find listed below:

Argentine Peso

Australian Dollar

Brazilian Real

British Pound

Canadian Dollar

Chinese Yuan

Danish Krone

Euro

Hong Kong Dollar

Indian Rupee

Indonesian Rupiah

Israeli Shekel

Japanese Yen

Malaysian Ringgit

Mexican Peso

New Zealand Dollar

Norwegian Krone

Pakistani Rupee

Philippine Peso

Qatari Riyal

Russian Ruble

Saudi Riyal

Singapore Dollar

South African Rand

South Korean Won

Swedish Krona

Swiss Franc

Turkish Lira

United Arab Emirates Dirham

United States Dollar

All you will need to do is select your currency of choice from the drop-down list that is provided with every melt value calculator available at CoinApps.com. That calculator’s metal spot prices will then be shown denominated in your chosen currency. Any calculations will then be made using that most recently selected currency. You can grab the latest spot price, which will be automatically converted to your selected currency, by clicking the “Update Price” button during regular market trading hours.

It is hoped that these additional currency options will make it possible for more people around the world to make use of CoinApps.com. If you do not see your country’s currency on the list, and would like to have it added, please submit your request at: http://CoinApps.com/info/contact/

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Bitcoin Calculator for Silver

Last month I presented the first calculator on CoinApps.com dedicated to the virtual currency of bitcoin.  That calculator can be used to determine the melt value of gold items, measured by the weight unit of your choice, and with the final results given to you priced in bitcoin.  Today I am providing you with a new calculator that does the same thing, but this one is to be used with items made from silver.

If you’ve never heard of bitcoin, it’s a relatively new (2009) type of digital currency that can be stored in a virtual wallet on your computer or smartphone.  Bitcoin can be transferred to another person’s virtual wallet via the Internet, or by using smartphone technologies like: near field communication (NFC) or QR-code scanning.  People use bitcoin to buy things from participating merchants, or just to send money without the need for a bank account or the associated bank transfer fees.  For more info about bitcoin, check out: https://www.weusecoins.com/.

One of the things you can buy with your bitcoin is precious metals.  Coinabul is an online marketplace that sells popular gold and silver bullion coins, and everything is priced in bitcoin.  Bitmit is an eBay-style auction site where lots of folks list their gold and silver for sale in bitcoin.  Some people who trade bitcoin on the exchanges, like to cash out in gold and silver, rather than trying to withdraw their profits into the regular banking system via a wire transfer.

If you have a need to convert your bitcoin into gold or silver, or if you are looking to sell your precious metals in exchange for bitcoin, then the bitcoin calculators at CoinApps.com will come in quite handy.  You can use them to discover the spot prices for gold and silver, when converted into bitcoin.  Then you can know the bitcoin price you might be willing to pay, or wanting to ask, in exchange for those metals.  Simply choose the gold or silver calculator that you need from the links below:

http://coinapps.com/bitcoin/gold/calculator/ http://coinapps.com/bitcoin/silver/calculator/

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Bitcoin Calculator for Gold

Up until this point, the calculators at CoinApps.com have always displayed their precious and base metal melt values, denominated in fiat currency. Fiat currency, as you may know, is the state-issued currency of any particular government, or union of governments, and is considered to have monetary value simply because its issuing authority says so.  A few examples of fiat currency would include the: U.S. Dollar, Euro, British Pound, Japanese Yen and Indian Rupee.

One of the main criticisms of fiat currency is that it tends to lose its purchasing power over time.  Governments have a long history of creating more and more fiat currency, in order to fund their ever increasing projects; especially once regular revenue from taxes falls short.  This inflation of the state-issued currency is what convinces some people to move their money into alternative currencies, such as the traditional hard currencies of gold and silver.

Recently, a new type of alternative currency has been gaining popularity.  Bitcoin is a peer-to-peer cryptographic digital currency that came into existence in 2009.  Unlike gold and silver, bitcoin does not exist in physical form, but is rather a virtual currency that can be stored and transferred on a computer or smartphone.  Bitcoin is not issued by any government or central authority, and the programming in its source code prevents it from hyperinflation by limiting the total number of bitcoins that can ever exist to just 21 million.

There is a lot more you can learn about bitcoin that is beyond the scope of this short blog post.  There is a good video, as well as information and links to more research at: https://www.weusecoins.com/.  Please understand that bitcoin is still considered to be an experimental new currency, and as such there is a lot of risk involved if you should choose to invest in it.  The price of bitcoin has been extremely volatile.  As of this writing, the price of bitcoin in this year of 2013 has ranged from $13 to $266 USD per bitcoin.  You might like that amount of volatility if you’re a swing trader, but those that are faint of heart may want to steer clear.

For those that have caught the bitcoin bug, there is a new calculator for you to try at CoinApps.com.  The Bitcoin Calculator for Gold is just like the scrap gold calculator that was released back in April, except that it converts the spot price of gold from dollars to bitcoin, and then tells you how much the gold melt value is worth when priced in bitcoins.

In order to make its conversion, the bitcoin calculator must first start with a base price for both gold and bitcoin that is denominated in a fiat currency.  The default fiat currency is U.S. Dollars, but you can change that to Euros, Pounds, Pesos or any one of 10 other currencies listed in a drop-down list.  The calculator is automatically populated with the current prices for both spot gold and bitcoin; however you can change those values to any other values of your choice.

Please note that the price of bitcoin, and the availability of a bitcoin price quote, can vary quite a bit from one bitcoin exchange to another.  The bitcoin price that is provided in the calculator should only be considered as an estimate that has been derived from one or more of the bitcoin exchanges.  You may need to enter the bitcoin price manually if the provided estimate seems off.  This new bitcoin calculator is now ready to use at:

http://coinapps.com/bitcoin/gold/calculator/

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Scrap Melt Value Calculators for Copper & Nickel

Today I am wrapping up my series of scrap metal melt value calculators available at CoinApps.com. We have already seen scrap calculators for gold, silver, platinum and palladium; and we now have calculators for use in determining the scrap metal melt value of items made using the base metals of copper and nickel.

Up until now, my copper and nickel calculators have focused on the melt value of those metals contained in coins and bullion, or when measured in specific weight units. These new scrap calculators are designed to cover a wider variety of scrap metal items, by combining some of the features from the previously released calculators.

The features include the option to indicate the weight of your copper or nickel items in either grams, kilograms, grains, pennyweight, ounces, troy ounces, pounds or troy pounds. You can also specify the percentage, or purity, of your copper/nickel using a value from a drop-down list, or by entering that percentage directly into a text box.

Of course there are also the standard options available with all my calculators, which include selecting from one of 14 different currencies, using the default spot price or choosing your own price, and providing a price spread percentage for displaying Bid/Ask prices. Both new calculators are now online and available to use from the following links:

http://coinapps.com/copper/scrap/calculator/ http://coinapps.com/nickel/scrap/calculator/

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Scrap Melt Value Calculators for Platinum & Palladium

Now that CoinApps.com is featuring scrap melt value calculators for both gold and silver, it is time to accommodate two other precious metals: platinum and palladium. While both metals are available as bullion, in the form of coins and bars, and as jewelry; platinum and palladium can also sometimes be found in catalytic converters, spark plugs, electronics, medical instruments, dental prosthetics, and a few other industrial applications.

The Scrap Platinum Calculator and the Scrap Palladium Calculator allow you to choose from eight different weight units to measure in, including: grams, kilograms, grains, pennyweight, ounces, troy ounces, pounds and troy pounds. You will also be able to select the purity of your platinum and palladium items from a drop-down list, or by directly entering an exact percentage.

Both calculators also feature the site-wide standard options of changing the metal spot price to a value of your choice, selecting to calculate in one of 14 different world currencies, and the ability to specify a percentage of price spread in order to show a Bid Price and an Ask Price in addition to the Melt Value Price. You can begin using either calculator, accessible from the links below:

http://coinapps.com/platinum/scrap/calculator/ http://coinapps.com/palladium/scrap/calculator/

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Scrap Silver Melt Value Calculator

Earlier this month I added a new scrap gold calculator to CoinApps.com. Now it is silver’s turn to shine. Of course there are a lot of silver calculators on my website already. Most of them are dedicated to finding the melt value of the silver coinage that was minted for circulation up until the 1960’s in countries like the United States, Canada and Australia. There are also silver calculators that can be used for items measured in a specific unit of weight; like grams, grains, pounds or pennyweight.

The new Scrap Silver Melt Value Calculator is designed to be more versatile than the silver calculators that have preceded it. With options to select from eight different units of weight measure, as well as a percentage of silver purity, you should be able to find the intrinsic silver value of most any scrap silver item.

Just like its earlier gold cousin, this new scrap silver calculator will convert the troy ounce price of silver to the price of silver expressed in the unit of measure that you have selected to calculate in. It will then apply that price to the amount of actual silver contained in your item, based on the percentage of silver purity you have indicated. In addition to the total silver value, the silver scrap calculator will also show you the total weight of pure silver stated in grams, kilograms, grains, pennyweight, ounces, troy ounces, pounds and troy pounds.

Other standard options include the ability to change the silver spot price to another value of your choice, a dropdown list with 14 different world currencies, and a text box for entering a Bid/Ask price spread. The calculator is now online and ready for you to try at:

http://coinapps.com/silver/scrap/calculator/

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Scrap Gold Melt Value Calculator

There are several different types of gold melt value calculators available for you to use at CoinApps.com. Some of those calculators are for use with gold items measured in a particular unit of weight; like grams, grains or pennyweight. Some are for use with a particular purity of gold measured in karats. Some measure the melt value of the gold contained in specific coins.

Today I am presenting a more versatile gold calculator that combines features from some of my previously released versions. The Scrap Gold Melt Value Calculator includes the option to select from eight different units of weight measure, as well as specifying the purity of your gold indicated in either karats or a numerical percentage.

This new calculator takes the current spot price of gold, or whatever other price you have entered, measured in troy ounces, and converts it to the price of gold when measured in the weight unit you have selected. It then displays the total gold value, based on the percentage of actual gold, and also shows you the equivalent gold weight in all eight units of measure to include: grams, kilograms, grains, pennyweight, ounces, troy ounces, pounds and troy pounds.

The total gold value will be given in U.S. Dollars by default, but you can also choose to display in Canadian Dollars, Australian Dollars, Euros or one of 10 other world currencies. Like all my other gold calculators, this one also provides a box for entering a Bid/Ask price spread, so you can figure prices based on your local gold dealer’s margin. The gold scrap calculator can be accessed from this link:

http://coinapps.com/gold/scrap/calculator/

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Silver Price per Pound Calculator

A common mistake made when attempting to figure the price of silver weighed by the pound, is to multiply the spot price of silver by 16. I have actually seen this uninformed notion given out as advice on a Q&A website. The problem with that formula is that it assumes that silver is priced in avoirdupois ounces, of which there are 16 to an avoirdupois pound. In actuality, the spot price of precious metals like silver is based on troy ounces instead.

A troy ounce is almost 10% heavier than the U.S. standard avoirdupois ounce. So, the previously mentioned incorrect formula would give you a price that is almost 10% higher than spot. How many of those sellers listing silver coins by the pound on eBay will tell you that? Do you think maybe they’re hoping that you won’t know the difference between the troy and avoirdupois systems of weight?

Well, you no longer need to worry about getting fleeced, or having to hassle with converting avoirdupois pounds to troy ounces. Now you can just head on over to CoinApps.com and use the new silver price per pound calculator. You can enter the total weight of the silver by either regular(avoirdupois) pounds, or by troy pounds(12 troy ounces). The calculator will make the weight conversion for you, and provide you with the correct silver value.

Like all of my other weight based calculators, this one also allows you to specify the purity percentage of the silver being weighed. So for instance, if you were calculating U.S. 90% junk silver coins by the pound, you would enter 90 in the “Silver Purity” text box. You can use the current silver spot price that is automatically provided, or enter any other price of your choice; and even choose from 14 different currencies. This latest calculator is online now, and available for you to use from the following link:

http://coinapps.com/silver/pound/calculator/

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Australian Silver Coin Melt Value Calculator

Today I am introducing a new melt value calculator that I made for our friends Down Under. Just like in the U.S. and Canada, there was a time in Australia when the circulating coinage actually contained silver. Of course that came to an end in all three countries, when during the ‘60s; the price of the silver started to rise.

Australia began issuing domestic sterling silver (92.5% silver) coins in 1910. The coins were initially struck in London before minting began in Australia later on in 1916. These coins were denominated in the English pre-decimal units of threepence, sixpence, shilling and florin. They also tried minting a crown from 1937-38, but later ceased production due to its lack of popularity.

1946 saw a change to the composition of Australian silver coinage. The silver content was dropped from 92.5% silver to only 50% silver. The 50% silver coins were minted up until 1964. Then in 1966, Australia implemented decimalization of its currency system; converting to the Australian Dollar. Silver was removed from almost all of the newly issued dollar denominated coins. An exception to this was the new 50 cent piece, which was struck in 80% silver, but only during the year of 1966. After that, the 50 cent piece lost its silver too.

My new calculator will help you find the intrinsic silver melt value for any of the above mentioned Australian silver coins. You can choose to calculate in one of 14 different currencies, including the Australian Dollar if you like. It functions just like the U.S. and Canadian silver coin calculators, with the same options for indicating an amount of coin wear and even a price spread percentage. You can check it now from the following link:

http://coinapps.com/silver/coin/australian/calculator/

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Nickel Bullion Melt Value Calculator

Looking over the melt value calculators at my site(CoinApps.com), I noticed that I was offering generic bullion calculators for most of the featured metals, but that I did not yet have a calculator for nickel bullion. Now, a lot of folks like to collect the 99.9% nickel composition Canadian five cent nickels as a form of nickel bullion, and I do have a calculator for that. There is also a U.S. nickel calculator, although the U.S. nickels are actually only 25% nickel, with the remaining 75% consisting of copper.

This new nickel calculator is geared more towards those almost pure nickel bullion bars and rounds that you may have seen listed on eBay. Of course you could also use it for just about any item that has any nickel content. Like all my other bullion calculators, there is an option  to indicate the purity, or percent, of nickel contained in the item to be calculated.

Before deciding to invest in nickel bullion, you should be aware that some people have an allergic skin reaction to the metal nickel. If you are allergic to nickel, you may opt against collecting any, or just be sure to always wear gloves when handling your nickel bars, rounds and coins.

The Nickel Bullion Melt Value Calculator is now ready to use, and can be found by clicking on the following link:

http://coinapps.com/nickel/bullion/calculator/

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Sterling Silver Melt Value Calculator

Silver, similar to gold, is a very soft metal that can be easily bent or molded while in its pure form. When silver is used to make functional items it is usually alloyed with another metal in order to increase its hardness and strength. A common and historically popular alloy ratio is 92.5% silver to 7.5% of some other metal (usually copper). This particular silver alloy is known as Sterling Silver.

Common uses of sterling silver include dining items such as: silverware, tea sets, sugar bowls, serving spoons, ladles, plates, saucers, cups, serving trays and goblets. Sterling silver has also been used extensively in making jewelry like: necklaces, lockets, rings, earrings, brooches and bracelets.

If you own some sterling silver, you may want to know how much it is worth. You should probably have it appraised by an expert to see if it has any collectible value that is greater than the silver it is made from. If however, you are only interested in its silver value, then you can use my latest melt value calculator designed exclusively for use with sterling silver.

The Sterling Silver Melt Value Calculator is easy to use. All you need to know is the weight of your sterling silver items. Just enter that weight and select the unit of weight measure used. The calculator will automatically figure the silver melt value of your items, based on 92.5% of the current silver spot price. You can even experiment with a different silver price, if you’d like to anticipate a potential future value. Go ahead and give it a try from the following link.

http://coinapps.com/silver/sterling/calculator/

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Gold Karat Melt Value Calculators

Gold is a very soft metal that can be easily reshaped with just a moderate amount of pressure. Pure gold, in the form of jewelry, is much too delicate to be worn without taking great care to avoid accidental damage. For this reason, gold used in making jewelry is usually mixed with other metals to increase its strength.

When gold is alloyed with other metals, its purity is often defined using the term karat. Each karat represents 1 part of gold to 24 parts of total metal. So, 18 karat gold would consist of 18 parts pure gold and 6 parts of another metal. 18 karat gold is an alloy that contains 18/24ths pure gold, the equivalent of 75% pure gold.

When figuring the melt value of anything less than 24 karat gold, one should consider the actual gold content defined by its karat purity. An easier option would be to use one of my latest gold karat melt value calculators instead. There are four new calculators representing the most common gold karat ratings of 10 karat, 14 karat, 18 karat and 22 karat. These gold karat calculators will automatically factor in the actual gold purity, while returning the total gold value. Just select the one that’s right for you, from the following links:

For 10 karat gold: http://coinapps.com/gold/10k/calculator/ For 14 karat gold: http://coinapps.com/gold/14k/calculator/ For 18 karat gold: http://coinapps.com/gold/18k/calculator/ For 22 karat gold: http://coinapps.com/gold/22k/calculator/

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Grain Price Calculators for Platinum and Palladium

Last autumn I introduced a couple of calculators for use in quickly determining the grain price of both gold and silver. I figured they would come in handy for folks wanting to find the melt value of those gold and silver bars you sometimes see on eBay, which have their weight indicated by the grain.

The grain of course is an old time unit of measure from back in the days when something’s weight was expressed as its equivalent in grains of wheat or barley. Although its use in modern times has somewhat diminished, the grain is sometimes appropriate for use with tiny bullion bars that weigh less than a gram.

Today I am expanding my website’s selection of grain price calculators to include the precious metals of both platinum and palladium. Yes, you can also find tiny platinum and palladium bars out in the marketplace, which are measured in grains, and if you run across any, you’ll now be able to figure their melt value quickly and easily.

Both calculators are now available to use at CoinApps.com. Just follow these links: http://coinapps.com/platinum/grain/calculator/ http://coinapps.com/palladium/grain/calculator/

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Pennyweight Price Calculators for Silver, Platinum and Palladium

Last month I presented a new calculator that figures the price of gold measured in pennyweight. Pennyweight is a unit of weight measure originating in the Middle Ages that was originally based on the weight of one British penny. Nowadays, pennyweight is sometimes used in defining the weight of precious metals, particularly in the jewelry and dentistry industries.

Today I am adding three new pennyweight calculators for use with each of the other precious metals: silver, platinum and palladium. So, if you are looking to buy or sell jewelry made in one of those metals, and stamped with the pennyweight abbreviation of: dwt, pwt or pw; you will be able to quickly determine that jewelry’s melt value.

Just like my previous pennyweight calculator, these new calculators allow you to define the purity of the precious metal used, so that any other metals used to alloy will be omitted from the final calculation. Your calculations can be based on the periodically updated spot price that is provided, or you can enter any other price you like. All three of the new pennyweight calculators are online now, and available to use from the following links:

http://coinapps.com/silver/pennyweight/calculator/ http://coinapps.com/platinum/pennyweight/calculator/ http://coinapps.com/palladium/pennyweight/calculator/

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Gold Pennyweight Price Calculator

Trying to figure out what gold items are worth can be a bit challenging with all the different units of weight measurement used in the precious metals industry. The spot price of gold is quoted in troy ounces, but if the gold item’s weight is marked as something else, then a weight conversion becomes necessary. To make this conversion easy, I have already created gold price calculators to use with items measured in grams and grains. Today, I am presenting a new gold price calculator dedicated to the pennyweight.

So, how much is a pennyweight? It sounds like a pennyweight should be equal to the weight of one penny, but that is no longer the case. When the term pennyweight was first used during the Middle Ages, it actually was based on the weight of one British penny, which was equal to 1/240 of a pound of sterling silver. Modern pennies however, are typically made from base metals, and weigh more than a pennyweight. Pennyweight today is most commonly used in dentistry, and also to indicate the weight of jewelry, where it is typically abbreviated as dwt, pwt or pw.

My latest calculator gives you the convenience of entering total gold weight measured in pennyweight, without needing to perform any weight conversion on your own. Since gold jewelry is often alloyed with other metals, you will also be able to select karat purity from a drop-down list. By default, the calculator will use the frequently updated spot price of gold, but you do have the option of changing that to another value of your choice. The pennyweight calculator is live and ready for you to use from the following link:

http://coinapps.com/gold/pennyweight/calculator/