The composition of United States quarters modified considerably in 1965. Previous to this yr, circulating quarters had been composed of 90% silver and 10% copper. This period of silver coinage ended because of a mix of things, together with rising silver costs and a rising coin scarcity. The USA authorities discovered it more and more costly to provide silver cash at their face worth, making a change vital.
The shift away from silver in quarters had important implications for each the general public and the numismatic neighborhood. The elevated worth of silver meant that pre-1965 quarters turned extra beneficial as bullion than as forex. This led to widespread hoarding of the older cash. Moreover, the transition marks a definite interval in American coinage historical past, separating the sooner period of valuable steel forex from the fashionable clad composition.