The quarter-dollar is the United States’ 25-cent piece, one of the most frequently used denominations. Although many people assume this coin still contains silver, the metal composition of the quarter underwent a significant change decades ago. Modern quarters are produced using a layered combination of metals, which ensures durability and allows the government to manufacture currency at a cost lower than its face value.
The Current Clad Composition
The quarters found in your pocket today are made from a layered metallic structure known as “clad coinage.” This composition has been the standard for circulating quarters since 1965, providing a silver-like appearance without the expense of using actual silver. The coin is essentially a sandwich of three distinct layers bonded together during the minting process.
The outer layers, or cladding, are an alloy of 75% copper and 25% nickel, also known as cupronickel. This durable alloy provides the coin’s characteristic silvery-white finish and resistance to corrosion. The inner core is pure copper, which is entirely hidden from view on the faces of the coin.
The overall metal content of the quarter is approximately 91.67% copper and 8.33% nickel by weight. A clear visual indicator of this clad composition is the distinct copper stripe visible along the reeded edge of the coin. The modern quarter weighs 5.67 grams.
The Historic Silver Quarter
Before the mid-1960s, the United States quarter contained a substantial amount of precious metal. Quarters minted for circulation up to 1964 were composed of 90% silver and 10% copper. This alloy had been the standard for most U.S. silver coinage for over a century, beginning in 1837.
This composition was used in various designs, most notably the Washington Quarter series, which began in 1932. The small amount of copper in the alloy increased the coin’s hardness and durability for circulation. Each pre-1965 silver quarter contains approximately 0.1808 troy ounces of pure silver.
Due to this significant silver content, these historic quarters possess an intrinsic metal value often far greater than their 25-cent face value. The edge of a silver quarter appears uniformly silver, lacking the visible copper stripe found on modern clad coins. This difference makes pre-1965 quarters highly sought after by collectors and investors today.
The Economic Reasons for the Change
The shift from silver to clad coinage was a direct response to a major economic issue in the early 1960s. The market price of silver had risen to the point where the metal content in a 90% silver quarter nearly equaled, and sometimes exceeded, its 25-cent face value. This made it profitable for people to melt or hoard the coins, creating a severe problem for the U.S. Mint.
Widespread hoarding of silver dimes, quarters, and half-dollars led to a national coin shortage, disrupting commerce. In response, Congress passed the Coinage Act of 1965. This legislation mandated the elimination of silver from dimes and quarters and reduced the silver content in half-dollars.
The new copper-nickel clad composition was chosen to stabilize the nation’s currency supply. By switching to a base-metal structure, the government ensured that coins would remain in circulation rather than being melted down for their metal content. The first clad quarters were struck in 1965, marking the end of silver as a component of the circulating quarter.