The Quarter
25 cents
Today's quarter uses the same three-layer sandwich as the dime: two outer layers of 75% copper and 25% nickel bonded to a pure copper core, which shows as a copper stripe on the edge. It weighs exactly 2.5 times a dime, matching its 2.5 times face value, a pattern left over from the silver era, when a coin's weight tracked its value. Before 1965, quarters were 90% silver. In 1976, collector sets included a special Bicentennial quarter with 40% silver in its own silver sandwich. Because the dime and quarter share the same metals, coin machines tell them apart mainly by size, thickness and the strength of their electromagnetic signature.
Composition & Tolerances
| Variant | Standard Clad Quarter 1965–today | Historic Silver Quarter 1873–1964 | Historic 40% Silver Clad (Bicentennial) 1976 collector sets | Counterfeit 1932-D Fakes Added D on genuine 1932 quarters | Proposed 80/20 Clad Quarter Mint recommendation, not law‡ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copper | 91.67% | 10% | 60%‖ | 10%§ | Core plus skin‡ |
| Nickel | 8.33% | — | — | — | Skin only, leaner than today‡ |
| Silver | — | 90% | 40%‖ | 90%§ | — |
| Silver content | — | 0.1808 troy oz | 0.0740 troy oz | 0.1808 troy oz (host coin) | — |
| Structure | Cupronickel skins over a copper core | Solid silver alloy | 80% silver skins over a 20.9% silver, 79.1% copper core | Solid silver (genuine host coin) | 80/20 cupronickel skins over a copper core |
| Target weight | 5.670 g | 6.25 g (96.45 grains) | 5.75 g‖ | 6.25 g (host coin)§ | Same as today‡ |
| Weight tolerance | Not published* | ±1.5 grains† (about ±0.097 g) | Not published | Host coin's spec§ | Not yet set |
| Composition tolerance | Not published | Not published | Not published | Host coin's spec§ | Not yet set |
| Diameter | 24.26 mm | 24.3 mm | 24.3 mm | 24.3 mm (host coin) | Same as today‡ |
| Thickness | 1.75 mm* | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Host coin's spec§ | Same as today‡ |
| Edge | Reeded, 119 reeds | Reeded | Reeded | Reeded (host coin) | Same as today‡ |
| Magnetic? | No | No | No | No | No (copper-nickel skin) |
| Specific gravity | 8.92¶ | 10.34¶ | 9.53¶ | 10.34 (host coin)¶ | Same as today‡ |
| Conductivity | Skin 5.5%, core 100% (of copper) | Not published | Not published | Same as host coin | Matches today‡ |
| How to spot it | Copper stripe on the edge | Dated 1964 or earlier; no copper stripe | 1776–1976 dual date with S mint mark; no copper stripe | Wrong D shape, tooling scratches (especially left of the D), an undercut edge under a 10x lens, or extra brightness from cleaning | Not yet authorized |
Footnotes
Clad Quarter: * The Mint sets its tolerance on clad strip thickness for dimes, quarters and half dollars (±0.0015 in, 0.038 mm); a finished-coin weight tolerance is not published. ¶ Specific gravity values are commonly cited collector figures. Conductivity is a percent of pure copper (IACS).
Silver Quarter: † Legal tolerance: 1.5 grains on 96.45 grains (Newman Numismatic Portal). Earlier silver quarters: 6.68 g (103.125 grains) before 1853; 6.22 g (96 grains) 1853–73, marked with arrows at the date (and rays on the reverse in 1853).
40% Silver Clad (Bicentennial): ‖ References conflict on weight (5.75 g vs 5.67 g); 5.75 g matches the published 0.074 oz silver content. ¶ The 9.53 figure is the commonly cited value for 40% silver clad coins.
1932-D Fakes: § Most 1932-D fakes are genuine 1932 Philadelphia quarters with an added D; the same trick is used for the 1932-S (408,000 minted, the lowest Washington quarter mintage). Genuine 1932-D mint marks often have a filled-in center but show the outer serifs.
80/20 Clad Quarter: ‡ The Mint's seamless 80/20 option (2022 Biennial Report) keeps today's weight, size and signature; it needs approval from Congress.
Sources
- U.S. Mint, Coin Specifications: https://usmint.gov/learn/coin-specifications
- Newman Numismatic Portal, Tolerance: https://nnp.library.wustl.edu/concern/dictionaries/dict516903
- Stack's Bowers, Liberty Seated Quarter, Arrows and Rays: https://stacksbowers.com/coin-resource-center/us-coins/quarter-dollars/liberty-seated-quarter/liberty-seated-quarter-type-2-arrows-and-rays
- WashingtonQuarters.org, Specifications: https://washingtonquarters.org/washington-quarter-specifications/
- Collector's Key, 1976-S Bicentennial Silver Quarter: https://collectorskey.com/coins/twenty-cents-quarters/washington-quarters/1976-s-bicentennial-silver
- Numismatic News, Mintmarks added to 1932 quarter: https://www.numismaticnews.net/archive/mintmarks-added-to-1932-quarter
- Collector's Key, 1932-S Quarter: https://www.collectorskey.com/coins/twenty-cents-quarters/washington-quarters/1932-s
- CoinTalk, Coin Specific Gravity (collector chart): https://www.cointalk.com/goto/post?id=2132275
- USPTO, Coinage cladding alloy patent (C71300 conductivity): https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/10513768
- U.S. Mint 2022 Biennial Report to Congress: https://usmint.gov/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2022-USM-Biennial-Report_P5_FINAL.pdf