Silver contacts (switches, breakers, contactors)

White all the way through, and non-magnetic. Silver is bright white, not yellowish like brass, and won't take a magnet. A file cut showing copper underneath means plated, not solid. Aged solid silver goes dark grey or black from sulphide — still fully valuable. Green corrosion means copper, not silver.

Ag 180–400 g/lb of clean cut contacts

eBay typical$400–550per lb

Refiner pays$420per lb

Metal in it$532per lb at 4 Aug 2026 spot

Confidencemedof the yield figures

How to spot it

Riveted or brazed buttons and pads of bright white metal on copper or brass arms, inside contactors, breakers, thermostats, knife switches and large switches. Alloys in circulation: fine Ag, AgCdO (85–90%), AgNi 90/10, AgSnO₂ (88–92%), AgW (25–50%), Ag-graphite. Some are stamped Ag or with an alloy code.

Metal content

Metal	Quantity	Notes
Silver	180–400 g/lb of clean cut contacts	contact buttons are 40–90 wt% silver

At 4 Aug 2026 spot prices that works out to $532 per pound of contained metal — Silver 280 g = $532. A refiner paying $420 returns about 79% of that, which is normal: refining costs money and the buyer takes a margin.

Safe removal

Working temperature: Cold — side cutters

Snip the button off the carrier arm with side cutters and keep the copper separately. Keep contacts dry, weigh before shipping, and never mix them with gold-plated or copper scrap — mixed lots get assayed down.

Hazards

☠ Cadmium

NEVER grind, burn, torch or braze cadmium-plated or AgCdO material, and don't inhale the black contact dust.

The common trap

AgW and Ag-graphite contacts are far leaner than they look and are hard to leach. Contacts left on their copper carriers halve the grade.

Questions

How much gold is in silver contacts (switches, breakers, contactors)?

Silver: 180–400 g/lb of clean cut contacts. At current spot that is about $532 of contained metal per pound.

How do you identify silver contacts (switches, breakers, contactors)?

White all the way through, and non-magnetic. Silver is bright white, not yellowish like brass, and won't take a magnet. A file cut showing copper underneath means plated, not solid. Aged solid silver goes dark grey or black from sulphide — still fully valuable. Green corrosion means copper, not silver.

How do you remove silver contacts (switches, breakers, contactors) safely?

Snip the button off the carrier arm with side cutters and keep the copper separately. Keep contacts dry, weigh before shipping, and never mix them with gold-plated or copper scrap — mixed lots get assayed down.

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