Silver Coin Melt Values
Check the link above to get the current value for any junk circulated coins, that way you will know the actual value of what you're buying. Go to your coin shop and ask for junk silver circulated coins--they should have them individually, by the roll, and by the bank bag.
Expect to pay some sort of premium (extra charge over actual value). Otherwise it wouldn't make any sense for the dealer to sell the coins. If the price of silver is on the rise, you'll likely pay a higher premium than if the price of silver is falling.
Remember, the value of precious metals like silver and gold do not really fluctuate a great deal--what's fluctuating is the value of the dollars that you are paying for the coins. Precious metals therefore suck as an investment since there is very little if any growth--but they shine as insurance against hyper inflation when the value of your paper money disappears as more and more US dollars are printed and circulated.