United States quarters minted in 1964 and earlier contained 90% silver. Cash produced from 1965 onward have been made with a clad composition, consisting of layers of copper-nickel bonded to a core of pure copper. This variation in composition occurred attributable to rising silver costs. The presence of silver considerably impacts the intrinsic worth of a coin past its face worth.
The transition from silver coinage to clad coinage represents a major shift in U.S. minting historical past. The elevated value of silver made it economically unsustainable to proceed producing circulating coinage with a excessive silver content material. This choice impacted collectors and traders, as pre-1965 silver coinage grew to become extra precious attributable to its treasured steel content material. The shift additionally had implications for the nationwide financial system, as the federal government sought to handle the prices related to producing foreign money.