Junk 90% Silver Quarters | $1 Face Value

Mostly Washingtons, Sometimes Older

This lot contains $1 in face value of 90% silver quarters: four coins struck by the US Mint between 1892 and 1964. Most will be Washington quarters, the design that contained silver from 1932 until the Mint removed it from circulating quarters in 1965. Depending on available stock, your lot may also include Standing Liberty or Barber quarters. Whichever designs you receive, all four coins were struck in 90% silver.

 

Three Designs Before the Clad Era

Charles E. Barber, chief engraver of the US Mint, gave the oldest of the three designs a Liberty head wearing a cap and laurel wreath. Barber quarters were struck from 1892 through 1916, when Hermon A. MacNeil’s Standing Liberty design took over. It showed Liberty stepping through a gateway, holding a shield in one hand and an olive branch in the other. MacNeil’s design lasted until 1930.

 

No quarters were struck in 1931. The Washington quarter followed in 1932 to commemorate the bicentennial of George Washington’s birth, with John Flanagan’s left-facing portrait adapted from Jean-Antoine Houdon’s 1786 bust. It entered circulation on August 1, 1932, and remained 90% silver through 1964.

 

Why the Mix Does Not Matter to the Silver

A worn Barber from the 1900s and a 1964 Washington look nothing alike, but the Mint struck all three designs to the same specifications: 6.25 grams of 90% silver and 10% copper, measuring 24.3 mm across with a reeded edge.

 

Four quarters originally contained the same amount of silver, regardless of design. Circulation wear can reduce that amount, which is why the bullion industry uses 0.715 troy ounces per $1 face value as its standard estimate for circulated 90% silver.

 

Where the Older Coins Show Their Age

Every coin in this lot is circulated, and older designs often show heavier wear. Standing Liberty quarters have a particularly vulnerable feature: the date. It originally sat raised on the step beneath Liberty’s feet, where it wore away quickly in circulation. The Mint recessed the date in 1925 to protect it, but earlier coins had already spent years changing hands. A Standing Liberty quarter in your lot may have a faint date or none at all.

 

Barber quarters have had more than a century to accumulate wear, and many surviving examples show smooth rims and faded lettering. Washington quarters, which make up the bulk of this lot, generally show less wear.

 

We do not dip or clean the coins we sell. We cannot speak for what previous owners may have done, so we make no promise that a coin has never been cleaned. We can, however, promise that we have not altered it.

 

Specifications

Each coin is a US quarter with a $0.25 denomination, struck in .900 fine silver and measuring 24.3 mm across with a reeded edge. The lot contains four quarters totaling $1 face value, with an estimated silver content of 0.715 troy ounces under the standard circulated-coin convention. See the Specifications tab for condition and additional details.

 

Junk 90% Silver Quarters FAQ

How many of my quarters will be Washingtons?

Most will be Washington quarters. Standing Liberty and Barber quarters may be included depending on available inventory, so we cannot guarantee that your lot will contain either older design.

 

Why might a Standing Liberty quarter have no date?

The date originally sat raised on the step beneath Liberty’s feet, making it one of the first features to wear away in circulation. The Mint recessed it in 1925 to help protect it, but many earlier Standing Liberty quarters lost their dates through years of use.

 

How much silver do four quarters hold?

About 0.715 troy ounces, the industry standard for $1 face value of circulated 90% silver. When new, each quarter contained about 0.1808 troy ounces of silver, or 0.7234 troy ounces per dollar. The lower figure accounts for metal lost through circulation wear.

 

Could a 1965 or later quarter end up in my lot?

No. The Mint replaced 90% silver circulating quarters with copper-nickel clad coins in 1965. Every quarter in this lot was struck in 1964 or earlier.

 

What does “$1 face value” mean?

It means the coins have a combined US denomination of one dollar: four quarters worth $0.25 each. Face value determines the number of coins, not their selling price, which is based primarily on the silver they contain.

 

Want one design only? Browse our 90% silver quarters, including single-design Barber and Standing Liberty lots and larger face value bags.

 

Silver you can count a quarter at a time. Add the Junk 90% Silver Quarters, $1 Face Value, to your cart.