Which quarters are silver? Short answer: U.S. quarters dated 1964 or earlier are 90% silver; from 1965 onward, the quarters in your pocket are copper-nickel clad and contain no silver. The diameter never changed — only the metal did. This guide gives you the year-by-year chart for every U.S. silver quarter, three physical tests for worn or dateless coins, and a clear answer on the edge cases that trip people up.
Quick rule: 1964 = silver. 1965 = clad. The diameter didn’t change; only the metal did.
The Quick Answer: Which Quarters Are Silver
U.S. quarters minted from 1892 through 1964 are 90% silver. Three series cover that range: the Barber quarter (1892–1916), the Standing Liberty quarter (1916–1930), and the Washington quarter (1932–1964). From 1965 onward, circulating quarters are copper-nickel clad — zero silver. The one production exception is the 1976-S Bicentennial collector quarter, which is 40% silver and was sold only in special Mint sets.
A silver quarter is a U.S. 25-cent coin minted with silver in its composition — historically 90% silver for circulation, with a 40% silver Bicentennial collector variant and 90% (or .999 fine, from 2019 on) silver proof issues that never entered circulation. A clad quarter is the copper-nickel sandwich introduced under the Coinage Act of 1965: a pure copper core wrapped in cupronickel outer layers, with no precious metal anywhere in the coin.
The rest of this article is the identification reference — the year chart, the physical tests for confirming silver content, and the edge cases worth knowing. For what a confirmed silver quarter is actually worth, see our guide on how much a silver quarter is worth.
The Silver Quarter Year & Mintmark Chart
The chart below covers every U.S. quarter series since 1892. Find the date on your coin, read across, and you’ll know whether it’s silver, what it weighs, and how much pure silver it contains.
Silver content of U.S. quarters by series, 1892–present.
| Series | Year range | Mintmarks | Composition | Gross weight | Silver content (ASW) | Notes |
| Barber Quarter | 1892–1916 | P, O, S, D | 90% silver | 6.25 g | 0.1808 troy oz | New Orleans (O) issues 1892–1909; Denver (D) issues from 1906. |
| Standing Liberty Quarter | 1916–1930 | P, D, S | 90% silver | 6.25 g | 0.1808 troy oz | No 1922 issue. 1916 Philadelphia is the famous low-mintage key date. |
| Washington Quarter — silver era | 1932–1964 | P, D, S | 90% silver | 6.25 g | 0.1808 troy oz | No 1933 issue. 1932-D and 1932-S are key dates. San Francisco paused circulation strikes after 1955. |
| 1976 Bicentennial — collector silver | 1776–1976-S | S only | 40% silver | 5.75 g | 0.0739 troy oz | Sold only in special blue-pack uncirculated and brown-box proof sets. Never circulated. |
| 1976 Bicentennial — circulation | 1776–1976 | P, D | Clad | 5.67 g | 0 | Drummer-boy reverse. Clad despite the special date. |
| Washington Quarter — clad era | 1965–present | P, D, S | Clad (copper-nickel) | 5.67 g | 0 | Covers State Quarters (1999–2008), America the Beautiful (2010–2021), American Women (2022+) for circulation. |
| Silver proof quarters — 90% era | 1992–2018 | S only | 90% silver | 6.25 g | 0.1808 troy oz | Collector silver proof sets. Never circulated. |
| Silver proof quarters — .999 era | 2019–present | S only | .999 fine silver | 6.25 g | ~0.2009 troy oz | U.S. Mint switched to .999 fine silver for proofs in 2019. |
Years with no U.S. quarters minted: 1922 (silver dollar reactivation diverted production), 1931, and 1933 (Depression-era production gaps). If you’re searching for a “1922 silver quarter” or “1933 silver quarter,” none exists. For a full silver-content reference across all U.S. denominations — dimes, halves, dollars, and quarters — see our broader silver coin identification reference.
How to Tell If a Quarter Is Silver Without the Date
Sometimes the date is the easy answer. Other times — a worn coin, a coin slick from decades in change — the date is the problem. Three quick tests can confirm silver content without a date. You only need to pass one.
Test 1 — Edge color (no tools)
Hold the quarter on edge and look at the reeded rim. A 90% silver quarter shows a uniform silver-gray edge. A clad quarter shows a clear copper-colored stripe running through the middle of the edge — that’s the copper core peeking out between the two cupronickel outer layers. This is the fastest test, requires no equipment, and works on virtually every circulated coin.
Test 2 — Weight (most accurate)
A 90% silver quarter weighs 6.25 grams. A clad quarter weighs 5.67 grams. A 1976-S 40% silver Bicentennial weighs 5.75 grams. Any reliable kitchen scale with 0.1 g precision catches the silver-vs-clad gap cleanly. The 40%-vs-clad difference is only 0.08 g — borderline for kitchen scales, easy for a jeweler’s scale at 0.01 g precision. The diameter (24.3 mm) is identical across the silver-to-clad transition, so don’t bother measuring it.
Test 3 — The ring test
Drop the quarter from a few inches onto a hard, flat, non-padded surface like a glass tabletop or stone counter. A 90% silver quarter rings — a clear, sustained higher-pitched tone. A clad quarter gives a duller, shorter “clack.” Less precise than the scale, but it doesn’t require any equipment. Don’t bounce graded or visibly high-grade coins; impact damage destroys numismatic value.
What about the magnet test?
Don’t use a magnet to test for silver versus clad. Neither composition is magnetic — both pass a magnet test. The magnet test is useful for screening out steel-core counterfeits, not for distinguishing silver content. If you’re seeing magnet-test advice online, it’s usually been pulled out of context.
If your coin passes the edge or weight test, it’s silver. For dollar values on a confirmed silver quarter — including the formula for calculating melt value from current spot — see our guide on how much a silver quarter is worth.
Why 1964 Was the Last Year (The Coinage Act of 1965)
Through the early 1960s, the U.S. Mint produced 90% silver dimes, quarters, and half dollars. Rising silver prices pushed the metal value of these coins toward — and eventually above — their face value, which incentivized hoarding. By 1964, coins were disappearing from circulation faster than the Mint could strike replacements.
The Coinage Act of 1965 (signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson on July 23, 1965) ended silver in circulating dimes and quarters and reduced the half dollar from 90% to 40% silver. Quarters from 1965 onward use the copper-nickel clad composition still in use today — a pure copper core, cupronickel outer layers, 5.67 g total weight, zero silver.
One useful footnote: some 1964-dated quarters were actually struck in 1965 and 1966. The Mint kept using the 1964 dies to discourage hoarders from cherry-picking the last “real” silver year. Every quarter dated 1964 is 90% silver regardless of when it was physically struck — the date controls composition for you, not the actual production date.
For the parallel story on silver dimes and half dollars, and a full year-by-year reference across every U.S. silver coin denomination, see our broader silver coin identification reference.
Edge Cases: Bicentennial, Modern Proofs, and State Quarters
A few quarters confuse even experienced collectors. Here are the four you’re most likely to encounter and ask about.
1976 Bicentennial quarters
The standard 1776–1976 dual-date quarters from Philadelphia (no mintmark) and Denver (D) are clad — 5.67 g, zero silver. The U.S. Mint also produced a 40% silver collector version at San Francisco (S mintmark), weighing 5.75 g and containing 0.0739 troy oz of silver. The silver version sold only in special U.S. Mint sets — blue-pack uncirculated and brown-box proof. If your Bicentennial came out of pocket change or a circulation roll, it’s the clad version. The silver one has an S mintmark and weighs marginally more.
Modern silver proof quarters (1992–present)
Since 1992, the U.S. Mint has produced annual silver proof sets that include silver quarters — 90% silver from 1992 through 2018, and .999 fine silver from 2019 onward. All carry the S mintmark and ship in U.S. Mint hard-shell proof packaging. None entered circulation. If you have a 1992-or-later quarter in a hard plastic capsule with an S mintmark, check whether it came from a silver proof set. If it’s loose in a coin jar, it’s clad.
State Quarters, America the Beautiful, and American Women
The 50 State Quarters (1999–2008), America the Beautiful series (2010–2021), and American Women series (2022+) all use the same clad composition for circulation strikes. The wide variety of reverse designs leads some readers to assume the special art means special metal. It doesn’t. Silver versions exist only inside collector silver proof sets, on the same rules as the modern proof line above.
War-era Washington quarters (1941–1945)
Yes, silver — 90%, the same as every other Washington quarter from 1932 through 1964. There’s no “war quarter” composition. The wartime metal change applied to nickels only: the 1942–1945 Jefferson “war nickels” used 35% silver because nickel metal was diverted to the war effort. A 1942 or 1945 quarter is a standard 90% silver Washington — no special premium for the wartime date alone, though grade and mintmark can still drive value on individual coins.
Found a Silver Quarter? What to Do Next
So you’ve confirmed a silver quarter. Now what.
The first step is to set it aside from regular change. Even a worn common-date Washington holds 0.1808 troy oz of silver — several dollars at melt value at recent spot prices, not 25 cents. Don’t spend it.
The second step is to assess what kind of silver quarter you have. If it looks like a key date — 1932-D, 1932-S, any Standing Liberty, any Barber, or anything in visibly high grade — don’t clean it and don’t sell it at melt value without a price-guide check. Cleaning destroys numismatic value permanently. For the why, see our guide on silver tarnish and cleaning cautions.
The third step is to decide whether you’re accumulating (junk-silver mindset) or collecting (numismatic mindset). The two paths have different storage and tracking implications. Common-date Washington quarters are fine in tubes or rolls. Anything with collector upside belongs in a 2×2 flip or graded holder where it can’t be handled or scratched. If you’re holding multiple silver quarters of different types — a roll here, a Standing Liberty there, a face-value bag in the safe — the question becomes how to keep track of what you actually own.
This is where a portfolio tracker like Gold Silver Ledger earns its keep. Logging a found coin — type, year, mintmark, condition — takes a few seconds, and your portfolio total rolls up to actual silver weight. For the full inventory workflow, see our step-by-step guide to inventorying a coin or bullion collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are 1965 quarters silver?
No. 1965 was the first year of copper-nickel clad quarters under the Coinage Act of 1965. A 1965 quarter contains zero silver and weighs 5.67 g — silver quarters weigh 6.25 g. The diameter (24.3 mm) didn’t change from 1964 to 1965; only the composition and weight did.
Are 1964 quarters silver?
Yes. 1964 was the last year of 90% silver Washington quarters for circulation. A 1964 quarter contains 0.1808 troy oz of silver. Some 1964-dated quarters were actually struck into 1965 and 1966 using the old dies, but every quarter dated 1964 is 90% silver regardless of strike year.
What year did quarters stop being silver?
1964 was the last year of 90% silver in circulating quarters. 1965 and later are clad. The one exception is the 1976-S 40% silver Bicentennial, which was a collector-only issue and didn’t enter circulation.
What years are silver quarters?
1892 through 1964 for circulation, in three series: Barber (1892–1916), Standing Liberty (1916–1930), and Washington (1932–1964). No quarters were minted in 1922, 1931, or 1933. The 1976-S Bicentennial is 40% silver but collector-only. Silver proof sets from 1992 to the present include silver quarters that were never released into circulation.
How can I tell if a quarter is silver?
Three quick tests: check the edge color (silver quarters show a uniform silver-gray edge; clad shows a copper stripe down the middle), check the weight (silver = 6.25 g, clad = 5.67 g, on any reliable kitchen scale), or drop it on a hard surface (silver rings with a higher tone; clad gives a duller clack). Edge color is the fastest.
How much does a silver quarter weigh?
A 90% silver quarter weighs 6.25 g. A clad (1965+) quarter weighs 5.67 g. A 1976-S 40% silver Bicentennial collector quarter weighs 5.75 g. The diameter is 24.3 mm for all of them.
How much silver is in a quarter?
A 90% silver U.S. quarter (Barber, Standing Liberty, or pre-1965 Washington) contains 0.1808 troy oz of silver — 5.625 g of pure silver inside a 6.25 g coin. The 40% silver 1976-S Bicentennial collector quarter contains 0.0739 troy oz.
Are war-era (1941–1945) quarters made of special silver?
No. Wartime-dated Washington quarters are 90% silver, the same as every other Washington quarter from 1932 to 1964. The wartime composition change applied to nickels only — the 1942–1945 Jefferson “war nickels” used 35% silver. There’s no “war quarter” variant.
Are 1976 Bicentennial quarters silver?
Usually no. The standard 1776–1976 circulation quarters from Philadelphia and Denver are clad — zero silver. The U.S. Mint made a separate 40% silver collector version with an S mintmark (San Francisco), sold in special blue-pack and brown-box sets. If your Bicentennial came from change or a coin roll, it’s almost certainly the clad version.
Are State Quarters or America the Beautiful quarters silver?
Not the circulation strikes. All 1999–2008 State, 2010–2021 America the Beautiful, and 2022+ American Women circulation quarters are clad. Silver versions exist only inside collector silver proof sets (S mintmark, hard-shell U.S. Mint packaging).
Track every silver quarter
You’ve identified a silver quarter. The next step is keeping track of it — whether you hold a single found Washington, a roll of common dates, a face-value junk-silver bag, or a Standing Liberty in a flip. Gold Silver Ledger logs each coin or bag in seconds, and your portfolio total rolls up to the actual silver weight.
