What Years Were Quarters Made of Silver?

United States quarters have a rich history, with their composition evolving significantly over time. While today’s quarters are familiar copper-nickel clad coins, they were once predominantly made of precious metal. Understanding this shift helps identify quarters that may hold more than their face value. This article explains which years quarters contained silver and how to distinguish them from modern coinage.

The End of Silver Quarters

U.S. quarters contained a significant amount of silver. All quarters minted for general circulation in 1964 and earlier contain 90% silver and 10% copper. This composition was a long-standing tradition, but it changed due to economic factors.

The transition away from silver coinage occurred in 1965 with the passage of the Coinage Act of 1965. This legislation eliminated silver from dimes and quarters and reduced the silver content in half-dollars from 90% to 40%. The primary reason was the rising market price of silver, which exceeded the coins’ face value. This made production unprofitable and led to widespread public hoarding, causing a national coin shortage. Consequently, quarters minted from 1965 onward were produced with a copper-nickel clad composition, consisting of a pure copper core bonded between outer layers of copper-nickel alloy.

How to Identify Silver Quarters

Identifying silver quarters is straightforward. The most reliable indicator is the mint date; any U.S. quarter dated 1964 or earlier will contain 90% silver. This rule covers most silver quarters you might encounter.

Another method involves examining the coin’s edge. Silver quarters display a solid, uniform silver color around their edge, without a visible copper stripe. In contrast, modern clad quarters, with a copper core, clearly show a distinct copper band along their edge.

A sound test can also distinguish silver quarters. When gently dropped onto a hard surface, a silver quarter produces a higher-pitched, more resonant “ring” compared to the duller “thud” made by a copper-nickel clad coin. Exercise caution to avoid damaging the coin, especially if it has numismatic value. Silver quarters are also slightly heavier (6.25 grams vs. 5.67 grams for clad), though this difference usually requires a scale.

Understanding the Value of Silver Quarters

The value of most pre-1965 silver quarters is primarily determined by their silver content. This is commonly referred to as “melt value,” fluctuating directly with the current market price of silver. Each 90% silver quarter contains approximately 0.1808 troy ounces of pure silver. As the price of silver rises or falls, so does the intrinsic metal value of these coins.

While melt value accounts for most of a silver quarter’s worth, some coins can also possess “numismatic” or collector value. This additional value depends on factors like rarity, condition, and specific mint marks. However, for most common date silver quarters, their value remains predominantly tied to the fluctuating price of the precious metal.