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The category of “silver quarters” is quite broad and includes a number of different designs, dates of production, and values.
In fact, until 1965, all quarters produced in the United States contained silver.
But in 1965 the U.S. Mint was forced to switch quarter compositions over to copper-nickel clad as silver prices were rising very quickly. (The value of the silver in the quarter was actually worth more than the face value of the coin!)
Not to mention the fact that people all across the country were pulling silver coins out of circulation, creating a national coin shortage.
So, dimes and quarters were replaced with a clad composition that was a 75% copper + 25% nickel outer layer bonded to an inner core of 100% pure copper.
Which U.S. Quarters Are Silver?
While the U.S. Mint stopped producing silver quarters for circulation in 1965, the Mint does still strike silver quarters today — for collectors. Silver Washington quarters have been made for collectors since 1992.
Silver quarters of the recent era (since 1992) are known as proofs. They’re found in special collector’s sets that the U.S. Mint assembles and sells annually.
What other U.S. quarters were made of silver?
- In 1975 and 1976, the U.S. Mint struck Bicentennial quarters for collectors with a 40% silver composition.
- The 50 State Quarters were offered in a 90% silver format. The state quarters were minted from 1999 to 2008.
- The 2009 District of Columbia and United States Territories Quarters were made available in a 90% silver format.
- America The Beautiful Quarters were offered in a 90% format from 2010 through 2018, while silver collectible specimens made from 2019 through 2021 were struck for collectors in a .999-fine profile.
- American Women Quarters from 2022 through 2025 were produced for collectors in a .999-fine silver composition.
How Much Are Silver Quarters Worth?
Well, that depends on which silver quarter we’re talking about.
For example, even the very first U.S. quarter the U.S. Mint struck in 1796 contained 90% silver.
But when most people talk about silver quarters, they’re usually referring to the Washington quarters 90% silver run which were produced from 1932 to 1964. These are typically the easiest silver quarters to find.
Generally speaking, common silver quarters of the 20th century in well-worn grades are worth between $10 and $20, depending on silver prices today. Certain scarce dates are valued much higher than that.
Rare Silver Quarter Values
Here are the rarest dates of 20th century silver quarters and their values:
| Coin | Good | Fine | Mint State 60 |
| 1901-S Barber Quarter | $5,500 | $15,000 | $55,500 |
| 1913-S Barber Quarter | $1,500 | $5,000 | $18,000 |
| 1916 Standing Liberty Quarter | $4,500 | $7,500 | $17,000 |
| 1918/7-S Standing Liberty Quarter (Overdate) | $1,900 | $4,000 | $20,000 |
| 1923-S Standing Liberty Quarter | $400 | $700 | $3,500 |
| 1932-D Washington Quarter | $80 | $120 | $1,100 |
| 1932-S Washington Quarter | $75 | $100 | $450 |
| 1934 Washington Quarter Doubled-Die Obverse | $60 | $100 | $950 |
| 1937 Washington Quarter Doubled-Die Obverse | $130 | $250 | $2,000 |
*Values are based on current pricing information from the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS).
What About Proof Silver Quarter Values?
Values for those silver Washington quarters that have been made for collectors since 1992 as proofs are significantly higher than for the business strikes:
- All proof silver quarters minted since 1992 are worth, on average, between $15 and $20 apiece.
For More Information
To find out more about U.S. silver quarters, I would encourage you to browse through a current copy of A Guide Book of United States Coins by Whitman Publications. It’s a valuable resource to help you learn more about silver quarters in general, how to grade them yourself, and to find out more about their values.
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