Are Quarters Made Out of Silver?

Quarters circulating in the United States today are generally not made of silver. For many decades, U.S. quarters included a significant amount of silver, but this changed due to economic factors. Understanding the materials used in quarters, past and present, offers insight into the evolution of coinage.

Current Quarter Composition

Modern U.S. quarters are produced with a clad composition, meaning they consist of multiple layers of different metals. The current version features a core of pure copper, which is then clad or bonded between outer layers of a copper-nickel alloy. Specifically, the outer layers are composed of 75% copper and 25% nickel. This layered structure results in an overall composition of approximately 91.67% copper and 8.33% nickel for the entire coin. Each modern quarter weighs 5.67 grams and has a diameter of 24.26 millimeters.

The copper-nickel clad design provides a silver-like appearance while offering enhanced durability and cost-effectiveness for mass production. This composition has been standard for circulating quarters since 1965. The use of these readily available and less expensive metals ensures that the face value of the coin remains higher than its metallic content, preventing the melting down of coins for profit.

Historical Silver Quarters

For a significant period of U.S. history, quarters were made of silver. The first quarter minted in 1796 contained silver, a practice that continued until 1964. From 1932 to 1964, commonly circulating Washington quarters were composed of 90% silver and 10% copper. These 90% silver quarters are sometimes referred to as “junk silver.”

Prior to the Washington quarter, other silver designs, such as the Standing Liberty (1916-1930) and Barber Quarters (1892-1916), also had a 90% silver and 10% copper composition. Earlier designs, like the Draped Bust (1796-1807) and Capped Bust (1815-1838) quarters, had slightly different silver content, around 89.2%. The consistent use of silver in these coins meant their intrinsic metal value was closely tied to the market price of silver.

Identifying Silver Quarters

Identifying a silver quarter typically involves checking a few key characteristics, with the mintage year being the most straightforward indicator. Any U.S. quarter dated 1964 or earlier is made of 90% silver. Another reliable method is to examine the coin’s edge. Silver quarters display a uniform silver color throughout, without any visible line of a different metal. In contrast, modern clad quarters reveal a distinct copper layer when viewed from the side.

Additionally, silver quarters often have a slightly different luster or sheen compared to their modern counterparts. The weight of a quarter also serves as an identification clue. A 90% silver quarter weighs 6.25 grams, while a modern copper-nickel clad quarter weighs 5.67 grams. A silver quarter may also produce a higher-pitched ringing sound when dropped on a hard surface, as opposed to the duller thud of a clad quarter.

Why Quarter Composition Changed

The primary reason for the change in quarter composition was economic, driven by the rising price of silver in the early 1960s. As the market value of silver increased, the intrinsic metal content of silver quarters began to exceed their face value of 25 cents. This situation led to widespread hoarding of silver coins by the public, as people recognized that the coins were worth more as metal than as currency. The hoarding resulted in a significant coin shortage in circulation, disrupting everyday commerce.

To address this, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Coinage Act of 1965 into law. This act eliminated silver from circulating dimes and quarters and reduced the silver content of half dollars. The U.S. Treasury opted for a copper-nickel clad composition because it was more durable, less expensive to produce, and had similar electrical properties to silver, ensuring compatibility with vending machines. This change allowed the government to continue producing coins efficiently while preventing their removal from circulation for their metal value.