Please Explain Junk Silver To A Newbie

I like to buy junk silver but "junk" is really misnomer. Silver is down about $2.00 in the last couple of days and at that those worn thin dimes are still worth $1.28 as of 9:30 PM EST on 10-5-2016. So $1.00 worth of junk dimes, quarters, and half dollars would be $12.80 melt value. Dollars are a little more as they actually weigh a little more than two halves or ten dimes, plus Morgans usually get couple dollar premium even for junk. I know they have heirloom value to you but even without it just as junk they aren't worthless far from it

Junk silver is a slang term for all circulated, fractional, common date U.S. silver coins minted prior to 1965. This includes all dimes, quarters and halves but not silver dollars. It is not limited to heavily worn or damaged pieces. It is all circulated common dates. Exceptions might be made for older pieces minted prior to 1946 but most bullion dealers don't even do that if they're clearly circulated.

The previously linked price guide can help you determine if you have better dates by noting their higher relative value(s). Silver dollars are a different animal altogether and (generally) always carry some numismatic premium. Good luck in your searching.

Thanks for all the information. Being new to numismatics, I came across the term junk silver and never heard it applied to coins. I thought it might mean coins with rubbed off markings and dates. Certainly, it does seem even those silver coins would still retain at the least their metal value and therefore not truly be "junk" like you might call an old beat-up wicker footstool better tossed in the trash.

terry we are not talking about spending silver coins. You had mentioned 'Coins like Roosevelt dimes that are silver still fetch 20 times their face value.' which is simply not the case at this point in time. A common silver Roosevelt dime in any grade under MS and even some MS examples are easily found in the junk bin for 13-14 times face value. I am just looking out for OP as he is a self proclaimed newb and I don't want see a post where he thinks he got a great deal on common silver Roosevelt dimes for $1.80 a piece.

FYI in case the pic isn't clear (sorry about the shadows--must do something about lighting at my kitchen table!), the coins are as follows: 1890 Liberty nickel (and yes, the "tails" side is all but completely worn off--I'd have thought blank planchette, but you can discern the tip of a wing and a trace of a couple letters), 19? Mercury dime, six dateless Standing Liberty quarters, and a 1915 Barber half.

You win!! All the coins in that cig case are similarly worn except a couple Canadians and some Roosevelt dimes. I'd never have thought the coin that is barely recognizable, and not even silver, is worth more than the others!

Btw, I realized later I said wing when I should've said V. My brain does funny things sometimes.

About the top left quarter; on the reverse are there three stars under the eagle like the others?

If the coin has a clear date it is not junk to me. Get a 1916 LSQ with a date and it can look like heck and still fetch a lot of money.