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Silver coin weight: how to check it before you pay at the counter
To check silver coin weight at the counter, have the coin weighed alone on a stamped jewellery scale that reads to 0.01 g, after the empty pan shows zero, and match the reading with the net silver weight on the invoice. At an assumed ₹184 a gram, each 0.1 g missing costs about ₹18. The hallmark grade, such as 999 or 925, states the share of that weight that should be silver.
MCX silver futures were quoted under ₹1,85,000 a kg on the afternoon of 30 October 2026, down more than ₹5,000, Upstox and The Hans India reported [1, 2].
How do you check silver coin weight at the shop counter?
Watch the coin being weighed, and compare the empty pan, the coin and the invoice. As of 31 October 2026, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) guidelines for registered jewellers, revised in July 2026, require a suitable weighing balance at the sales outlet, preferably of 0.01 g accuracy, and the invoice for a hallmarked article must show its net precious-metal weight and its purity [3, 15].
- Ask for the coin to be weighed out of its card or pouch.
- Check that the empty pan reads 0.00 g. If it does not, ask for the scale to be zeroed.
- Put the coin in the middle of the pan, close the draft shield and let the reading settle.
- Write down the weight to two decimals, such as 10.00 g.
- Match it with the net silver weight on the invoice, and the coin’s grade with the grade on the invoice [3].
What does a small weighing gap cost when silver is at ₹184 a gram?
About ₹18.40 for every 0.1 g. MCX silver futures were near ₹1,84,000 a kg on the afternoon of 30 October 2026 [1, 2], so this example assumes ₹184 a gram. Shop rates differ, so use your jeweller’s rate per gram.
Value of a gap = grams missing × rate per gram
| Missing from the reading | Value at ₹184 a gram |
|---|---|
| 0.01 g | ₹1.84 |
| 0.05 g | ₹9.20 |
| 0.1 g | ₹18.40 |
| 0.5 g | ₹92 |
| 1 g | ₹184 |
If the display rounds to the nearest step, rounding alone errs by up to half a step. A whole-gram scale can then show a 10.4 g coin as 10 g, hiding 0.4 g; the worst case is 0.5 g, about ₹92 at this rate. On a 0.01 g scale, rounding alone hides at most 0.005 g, under ₹1.
How much pure silver is in a 999 or 925 coin?
Multiply the coin’s weight by its marked grade and divide by 1000. This gives the nominal pure silver, assuming the coin is exactly at its marked grade, not an assay result. The grade is parts per thousand, so 999 means 99.9% silver and 925 means 92.5%. The BIS hallmarking brief updated in October 2026 lists eight grades from 800 to 999 for silver jewellery and artefacts under IS 2112:2025 as amended that month [3]. That amendment added fine silver bullion and coins at 999.0, 999.5 and 999.9 [12].
Nominal pure silver = coin weight × marked grade ÷ 1000
| Marked grade on 10 g of silver | Nominal pure silver | Value at an assumed ₹184 a gram of pure silver, rounded |
|---|---|---|
| 999 | 9.99 g | ₹1,838 |
| 925 | 9.25 g | ₹1,702 |
| 800 | 8.00 g | ₹1,472 |
If the two pieces are exactly 925 and 999 fine, ten grams at 925 holds 0.74 g less silver than ten grams at 999, about ₹136 at an assumed ₹184 a gram. Both weigh 10.00 g, so read the grade on the hallmark and the invoice.
How do you read the hallmark on a silver coin?
A Press Information Bureau release of 14 October 2026 says silver bullion and coins hallmarked by a BIS-licensed refinery or mint will carry the BIS Standard Mark with the word SILVER, the purity grade (999.9, 999.5 or 999.0), the maker’s identification mark and a unique serial number [12].
Silver jewellery and artefacts follow a different scheme, the HUID hallmarking that started on 1 September 2025 on a voluntary basis [3, 5]. At the end of October 2026, their hallmark was the BIS Standard Mark with SILVER, the purity grade and a six-character alphanumeric HUID [3, 14]. The BIS Care app shows the article type, purity grade and hallmarking date for a HUID [4, 13].
Must the jeweller’s scale carry a Legal Metrology stamp?
Yes. As the law stood on 31 October 2026, Section 24 of the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 requires a weight or measure used in a transaction to be verified before use [6]. Under Rule 27(2)(c) of the Legal Metrology (General) Rules, 2011, weights and measures not listed in clauses (a) and (b) are re-verified every 12 months; electronic scales fall in that group [7, 8]. Ask to see the stamp or certificate and check its date. Our post on government stamping explains the seal and the paperwork [8].
Which HSCo scale fits a silver counter?
For coins sold by the gram, a 10 mg scale with a draft shield reads the second decimal and keeps air currents off the pan.
JEWE2000 jewellery weighing scale: reads 2,000 g or 3,000 g to 10 mg (0.01 g) under a clear draft shield. Government (Legal Metrology) stamped [9].- JEWE2002 jewellery scale with glass windshield: reads 2,000 g to 10 mg (0.01 g) inside a glass enclosure, with a green display. Government of India stamping [10].
- LAB301 laboratory balance: reads 300 g to 1 mg (0.001 g) behind glass draft-shield doors. Legal Metrology stamped [11].
More counter scales are on our jewellery scale page. To buy a stamped scale for your silver counter, call +91-7045922250 or write to hsc@hindustanscale.com.
Frequently asked questions
How much pure silver is in 10 g of 925 silver?
If a piece is exactly 925 fine, 10 g of it holds 9.25 g of pure silver, because 925 means 925 parts in every 1000. At exactly 999, 10 g holds 9.99 g. At an assumed ₹184 a gram, the 0.74 g gap is worth about ₹136. Both pieces weigh 10.00 g, so check the grade on the hallmark and on the invoice [3, 4].
Does the hallmark on a silver coin show its weight?
Weight is not among the hallmark components the Press Information Bureau lists for refinery and mint silver coins: the BIS Standard Mark with SILVER, the purity grade, the maker’s identification mark and a serial number [12]. For a hallmarked article, the invoice must show the net precious-metal weight and the purity [3], so weigh the coin and match that figure.
Is silver hallmarking mandatory in India?
No. As of 31 October 2026, hallmarking of silver jewellery and artefacts is voluntary; HUID-based hallmarking began on 1 September 2025 [3, 5, 14], and silver jewellery and artefacts newly hallmarked under the HUID scheme must carry a six-character alphanumeric HUID [3, 14]. Silver bullion and coins can be hallmarked by BIS-licensed refineries and mints under a scheme BIS launched on 14 October 2026 [12].
Can I check a silver coin’s weight on a kitchen scale?
If a kitchen scale that shows whole grams rounds to the nearest gram, rounding alone can put a silver coin’s weight off by up to 0.5 g, about ₹92 at an assumed ₹184 a gram. On a jewellery scale that reads to 0.01 g, rounding alone is at most 0.005 g, under ₹1. The ₹184 rate reflects MCX silver futures on 30 October 2026 [1, 2].
Sources
- Upstox, “Gold, silver rates today, October 30: Dhanteras shopping gets cheaper? Gold falls ₹1,333, silver drops ₹5,208 ahead of Diwali” (upstox.com, 30 October 2026). MCX silver futures ₹1,84,245 per kg, down ₹5,208 (2.75%)
- The Hans India, “Silver prices crash by Rs. 5000, check prices on MCX” (thehansindia.com, 30 October 2026). MCX silver fell ₹5,312 (2.80%) to ₹1,84,141 per kg
- Bureau of Indian Standards, “Brief on Hallmarking Scheme” (bis.gov.in). Figures as on 15 October 2026
- IANS, “Govt introduces digital hallmarking for silver jewellery” (ianslive.in, 4 September 2025).
- All India Radio News, “Govt Introduces Digital Hallmarking System for Silver Jewellery with HUID” (newsonair.gov.in, 4 September 2025).
- India Code, “The Legal Metrology Act, 2009, Section 24” (indiacode.nic.in).
- Legal Metrology Department, Meghalaya, “The Legal Metrology (General) Rules, 2011, Rule 27” (megweights.gov.in).
- Hindustan Scale Company, “What Is Government Stamping And Why Is It So Important?” (hindustanscale.com).
- Hindustan Scale Company, “JEWE2000 Jewellery Weighing Scale, 2 kg / 3 kg × 10 mg, External Indicator” (hindustanscale.com).
- Hindustan Scale Company, “JEWE2002 Jewellery Scale with Glass Windshield, 2 kg × 10 mg” (hindustanscale.com).
- Hindustan Scale Company, “LAB301 Laboratory Balance, 300 g × 1 mg, Battery Backup and RS232” (hindustanscale.com).
- Press Information Bureau, “Quality Infrastructure, Clean Energy and Consumer Safety Take Centre Stage at the National Celebration of World Standards Day 2026” (pib.gov.in, 14 October 2026). Section: Launch of BIS Silver Refinery Scheme
- Press Information Bureau, “Voluntary Based Silver Hallmarking Begins from September, 1st 2025” (pib.gov.in, 4 September 2025). Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution
- Press Information Bureau, “Update on Mandatory HUID for Silver Jewellery: A Major Milestone in Purity Assurance and Curbing Fake Hallmarking” (pib.gov.in, 4 December 2025). HUID is a six-digit alphanumeric code
- Bureau of Indian Standards, “Revised Guidelines for Grant, Operation, Surveillance and Cancellation of Certificate of Registration of Jeweller” (bis.gov.in, 2 July 2026). Clauses 3.3.3 and 7.3