US quarters minted before 1965 contain silver. They were struck with an alloy containing 90% silver. The melt value for each silver quarter is $5.5 today.
Silver quarters, like all 90% silver US coinage, are sometimes called “junk silver.” This common term is adopted from the coin-collecting industry for coins with no numismatic value. Their value lies strictly in the intrinsic silver content.
Junk silver quarters are a great way to start investing in silver. They are fractional, and you can buy them close to the spot price. In some cases, you can purchase silver quarters at the spot price.
Silver Quarters in Circulation
There are still some silver quarters circulating alongside modern quarters. The Washington Quarter was introduced in 1932. Over 3 billion silver Washington quarters were minted until the debasement began in 1965. While many have been melted down over the years, plenty are still available in the wild.
The easiest way to tell if you have a silver quarter is to look at the date. All quarters that were minted before 1965 contain 90% silver content. If your quarter is from 1964 or earlier, it is silver.
Silver Quarter Worth
At the very minimum, a silver quarter is worth its weight in silver. A 90% silver quarter has an overall gross weight of around 6.25 grams. Therefore, it has roughly 5.625 grams of silver. Based on the spot price, the intrinsic value of silver is significantly more than the face value, which is the primary reason the government stopped using silver and switched to clad coins.
An easy way to estimate your silver quarters’ worth is to remember that each $1.00 Face Value, or four quarters, contains .715 troy ounces of silver. This is a commonly accepted weight that takes into consideration some wear and tear from circulation.
You can easily compare online dealer prices for 90% silver quarters: