Silver quarters in the United States were minted from 1796 until 1964. Starting in 1965, due to rising silver prices, the composition was changed to a copper-nickel clad alloy that we are most familiar with today.
Collectible Silver Quarters
The earliest design is known as the Draped Bust Quarter. The Draped Bust design was created by artist Gilbert Stuart and engraved by Robert Scot. The obverse features a profile portrait of Lady Liberty with flowing hair and a draped bust, while the reverse initially depicted a small eagle (1796) and was later replaced with a heraldic eagle design (starting in 1804). The first year of issue, 1796, is particularly notable for coin collectors.
Draped Bust Quarters are highly valuable today, especially for numismatists and collectors of early American coinage. Their value depends on several factors including rarity, condition, year of minting, and any unique historical significance.
The Capped Bust Quarter was minted from 1815 until 1838 and was created by Chief Engraver of the United States Mint, John Reich. The obverse features Lady Liberty with a capped bust, facing left, and the reverse depicts an eagle with outstretched wings. Owning one of these coins is a valuable addition for collectors due to its age, historical context, and artistic design. While most surviving coins are in worn and heavily circulated condition, those in finer states of preservation or with rare variations are particularly valuable.
The Seated Liberty quarter was a United States coin minted from 1838 to 1891. It is part of the broader Seated Liberty series, which included various denominations. The design of the Seated Liberty quarter, created by the U.S. Mint’s Chief Engraver, Christian Gobrecht, is significant for its embodiment of 19th-century American coinage.
Over its more than 50-year production period, the Seated Liberty quarter underwent several design modifications, including changes to the surroundings of the seated figure and the addition of various mottoes such as “In God We Trust.”
Certain years and mint marks are particularly rare and sought after. For example, the 1870-S Seated Liberty quarter is extremely rare and valuable.
The coin’s obverse features the figure of Lady Liberty seated on a rock, holding a pole with a Phrygian cap on top in one hand and a shield with the word “Liberty” inscribed on it in the other. The reverse depicts an eagle.
The Barber Quarter was issued by the US Mint from 1892 until 1916. Named after its designer, Charles E. Barber. The obverse of the Barber Quarter features the head of Liberty facing right, wearing a Phrygian cap, a laurel wreath with a ribbon, and a headband inscribed with the word “LIBERTY”. The reverse showcases an eagle with outstretched wings holding arrows and an olive branch, a design that is emblematic of the United States.
Barber Quarters are made of 90% silver and are highly collectible and have many will carry numismatic value, especially in higher grades or with rare mint marks, in addition to the intrinsic silver value. The value of a Barber Quarter depends on its condition, year, mint mark, and rarity.
The most common conditions found for Barber Quarters range from heavily worn (where many details are smoothed out) to well-preserved states. Coins in mint condition (uncirculated) or in higher grades are rarer and thus more valuable.
The Standing Liberty quarter was minted from 1916 until 1930. The obverse of Standing Liberty quarters features a full-length image of Lady Liberty standing in a gateway, holding a shield in her left hand for protection and an olive branch in her right hand as a symbol of peace. This design was created by sculptor Hermon Atkins MacNeil.
The Standing Liberty design underwent a few changes during its minting period, most notably in 1917 when the chainmail covering Lady Liberty’s chest was added, and in 1925 when the date was recessed to reduce wear.
The Washington Quarter was introduced to commemorate George Washington’s 200th Birthday in 1932 and was minted with a 90% silver planchet until 1964. This design features a profile of the first President that was designed by sculptor John Flanagan. This design remains so popular that its use has continued for nearly 100 years and is still used today in the copper-nickel clad era, albeit with modifications.
Junk Silver Quarters
Circulated coins that were minted prior to 1965 have little to no collector or numismatic value. These are coins that are often referred to as “Junk Silver”.
Buying Junk Silver Quarters is a popular way for precious metals investors to acquire silver for a very low premium over melt value. These silver quarters are also in high demand with “preppers” because they are fractional silver coins that are widely recognizable for their intrinsic value and can easily be used as a means of bartering if or when the economy as we know it collapses. However unlikely that is to occur, it’s entirely possible.
The most common Junk Silver items that investors and preppers flock towards are Washington Silver Quarters in $10 face value bank rolls and bags.
The Washington Quarter was produced in 90% silver for 32 years. During that time, mint records show that 3,776,126,601 Washington Quarters were minted. That’s more than 3.75 billion coins. Even though a sizable amount of these coins were melted down and repurposed, Washington Silver Quarters account for the vast majority of Junk Silver that is available in the secondary bullion market today.
Each Silver Washington Quarter weighs 6.25 grams. The alloy is 90% silver and 10% copper. This means that each quarter contains 5.616 grams of silver and .634 grams of copper. There will be some weight reduction due to circulation and wear and tear over time. In general the amount that is lost will be pretty small, typically only fractions of a gram.
Quick Facts about Washington Silver Quarters
- Each $1 Face Value (4 quarters) contains roughly .715 troy ounces of silver.
- One $10 Face Value Roll (40 quarters) contains roughly 7.15 troy ounces of silver.
- One $50 Face Value Bag (200 quarters) contains roughly 35.75 troy ounces of silver.
- One $100 Face Value Bag (400 quarters) contains roughly 71.5 troy ounces of silver.
Where to Buy Washington Silver Quarters?
Silver Washington Quarters can usually be found at most pawn shops, local coin shops, eBay and other online bullion dealers. The vast majority of Washington Quarters have no numismatic value and you should buy them as close to spot or melt price as possible.
Many online bullion dealers sell Junk Silver Washington Quarters by number of dollars face value. It is common to see product listings on dealer websites showing $10 Face Value of Circulated Pre-1964 Washington Quarters. One typical bank roll of quarters is $10 Face Value, which is 40 quarters.
Modern Silver Quarters
Modern silver proof quarters, such as the 50 State Quarters issue and later the America the Beautiful Quarters Program, have been popular among collectors and investors since their introduction. The 50 State Quarters series, which ran from 1999 to 2008, featured unique designs for each of the 50 U.S. states. The America the Beautiful series, which began in 2010, features national parks and notable sites.
While circulating quarters are made of a copper-nickel clad, the U.S. Mint also issued silver proof versions of these coins. These proof quarters are composed of 90% silver and 10% copper, the same alloy as pre-1965 silver quarters.
Proof silver coins are struck with special dies and treated planchets to create a mirror-like finish. Silver proofs are more valuable than regular circulating coins due to their intrinsic value, higher quality, limited mintage, and they also appeal to collectors. As collector’s items, their value can exceed the mere silver value, depending on the demand for specific designs or sets.
How to Calculate the Melt Value of Silver Quarters
To calculate the melt value of Silver Quarters, you can take the weight of each quarter, which is roughly .179 troy ounces. Multiply the weight by .90, which is the amount of pure silver contained in the alloy to get the approximate silver weight. This is around .161 troy ounces. Then, multiply that by the current spot price of 1 troy ounce of silver. So, if the current spot price for silver is $20.00, each Silver Washington Quarter has a melt value of around $3.22.