How Much is a 1964 Quarter Worth?

What is a 1964 Quarter?

A 1964 quarter is a Washington quarter, which is the 25-cent coin that has featured George Washington’s portrait since 1932. John Flanagan designed it, with Washington’s profile on the obverse and an eagle perched on a bundle of arrows on the reverse. What makes the 1964 issue special is its place in history: it was the last year the US Mint struck quarters in silver for common circulation.

We see these ALL the time at the shop, usually in jars, rolls, and bags of old change that people have held onto for decades. Because so many were made, a 1964 quarter isn’t rare, but it’s the kind of coin that’s easy to overlook in a pile of pocket change, even though it contains real silver. That’s the main reason we always tell people to check the date on any old quarter before spending it or tossing it into a piggy bank.

Are 1964 Quarters Made of Silver?

Yes, yes, yes! Every 1964 quarter, whether it came from Philadelphia, Denver, or a proof set, is struck from 90% silver and 10% copper, the same coin silver composition used across U.S. coinage before 1964. For regular circulation issues, quarters dated 1964 and earlier are silver and those dated 1965 onward are generally copper-nickel clad, but later silver collector issues and rare transitional errors are exceptions.

There’s one small detail worth knowing about. Quarters from the 1990s and later have included specially struck silver versions in the Mint’s annual Silver Proof Sets, but those are collector items sold to private hands. For the average person sorting an old jar of coins, the rule of thumb holds up: if the date reads 1964 or earlier, you’re holding a silver quarter.

How Much Silver is in a 1964 Quarter?

A 1964 quarter weighs 6.25 grams and contains approximately 0.180 troy ounces of pure silver. That number is the same for every 1964 quarter, regardless of mint mark, since the composition and weight were fixed for the whole series.

That makes it easy to figure out a baseline value. Multiply 0.180 by the current silver spot price, which you can check any time at Kitco.com/silver, and you have the coin’s silver ballpark, the general value it’s worth before any collector premium. Because silver moves throughout the trading day, we always encourage people to pull up the live price themselves before doing the math. A roll of 40 quarters, which has a face value of $10, holds a little over 7.2 troy ounces of silver, which is part of why rolls and bags of old quarters stay popular with people who like to hold physical silver.

How Much is a 1964 Quarter Worth?

For nearly every 1964 quarter, the value starts and mostly ends with its silver content: 0.180 troy ounces multiplied by whatever silver is trading for today. Circulated coins usually trade close to that silver floor, plus a small premium because there’s steady demand for 90% silver coins.

The coin’s mintage helps explain why it isn’t worth much more than that. Roughly 560 million were struck in Philadelphia and about 704 million in Denver, so they’re extremely common. Value above melt generally comes from condition: a coin that has never circulated and has sharp details and clean surfaces can be worth more, Certified high-grade uncirculated examples, such as MS67, can bring a meaningful premium. Proof coins from the 1964 Proof Set, especially those with strong frosted contrast known as cameo or deep cameo, also carry a premium over the typical circulation strike.

Why Was 1964 the Last Year for Silver Quarters?

The short version is that silver got too valuable to keep in coins. Through the early 1960s, the price of silver climbed to the point where the metal inside a dime, quarter, or half dollar was worth close to, or more than, the coin’s face value. People started hoarding silver coins and melting some of them down, which contributed to a nationwide coin shortage.

Congress responded with the Coinage Act of 1965, which took silver out of the dime and quarter entirely and reduced the silver in the half dollar. Starting in 1965, quarters were made from a layered copper-nickel composition, which is still what we use today. The 1964 quarter is therefore the last circulating quarter struck in 90% silver, which is a big part of why people hold onto them. It’s silver and marks the end of a long era in American coinage.

What is a 1964-D Quarter Worth?

A 1964-D quarter is a Washington quarter struck at the Denver Mint, which is why it carries a “D” mint mark. It’s the most common of the 1964 quarters, with a mintage of about 704 million, and it contains the same 0.180 troy ounces of silver as every other 1964 quarter.

That means its value follows the same pattern: silver content multiplied by the live price plus a little premium when the coin is in nicer condition. The mint mark is located on the reverse (below the wreath) and it doesn’t make the coin rare on its own because both Philadelphia and Denver struck these in enormous numbers. What matters most for the average 1964-D is its silver content, and any added value comes from condition, a clean uncirculated surface, or an unusual error.

Which 1964 Quarter Errors Are Worth Money?

Because the Mint struck over a billion 1964 quarters, a few mistakes inevitably slipped through, and some of them are worth more than the silver in the coin. The types we look for are off-center strikes, where the design is shifted to one side, clipped planchets, where the blank was cut with a piece missing, and doubled dies or repunched mint marks, where the die itself carries a doubled image.

Value depends heavily on how dramatic and how clearly documented the error is. A coin that’s only slightly off-center is worth much less than one with a dramatic shift and the full date still visible. It’s also very common for coins to look like errors because of damage after they left the Mint, like scratches, gouges, or bent edges, and those aren’t worth extra. If you think you have a real error, bring it in as it is and let us take a look, since it’s easy to mistake damage for a mistake.

What is a 1964 Special Mint Set Quarter?

This one is a real curiosity. The Mint didn’t officially begin selling Special Mint Sets until 1965, when it stopped making proof sets for a few years, so you won’t find an official 1964 set. Yet a very small number of 1964 quarters were struck with a special satin-like finish that looks different from both proof coins and regular circulation strikes. These are often called 1964 Special Strike or SMS quarters.

Nobody has a clear answer for why they were made. Theories include that they were test pieces for the later Special Mint Sets, but there’s no official mintage record. PCGS estimates that only a few dozen exist in all grades, and one high-grade example sold for around $24,000 at a Heritage auction in 2025, according to PCGS CoinFacts. For most people, this is a coin you read about rather than find, but it’s a fun reminder that even a very common date can hide something special.

How Can You Tell If a Quarter is Silver Without Checking the Date?

The date is the easiest tell, but sometimes it’s worn away, and there are a few reliable backups. The most useful is the edge. A copper-nickel clad quarter, produced since 1965, shows a visible copper-colored stripe along the edge, while a silver quarter has a solid silver-white edge with no stripe at all.

You can also compare weights. A 90% silver quarter weighs 6.25 grams, while a clad quarter weighs about 5.67 grams, so an accurate scale will separate the two. Some people also use the ring test, which means a silver coin dropped gently on a hard surface tends to give a bell-like ring, though that’s less precise than checking the edge or the weight. If you’ve got a coin with an unreadable date, the edge check takes about two seconds and settles most cases.

How Do You Sell 1964 Quarters?

Start by separating your quarters by date: 1964 and earlier quarters are silver, but set aside later collector issues or unusual pieces rather than assuming every later quarter contains no silver. For the silver pile, use the live spot price at Kitco.com/silver to work out a baseline, then set aside anything that looks unusually sharp, uncirculated, or odd for a closer look.

We always recommend getting more than one opinion before selling a larger collection. If you’re in or around Hamden, Connecticut, stop by Haven Coin & Jewelry for a free, no-obligation evaluation. No appointment necessary, just walk in during business hours (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday 10am-5pm, Thursday 10am-7pm, Saturday 10am-2pm), or give us a call to schedule a time if you’re bringing in a larger collection. We’re a licensed Connecticut precious metals dealer, not a pawn shop, and we’ll go through your coins right in front of you, price them individually against live market prices, and hand you a nice written check to keep. You can reach us at (203) 717-4921, or find us at 2285 Whitney Ave, Hamden, CT.

FAQ: 1964 Quarters

Is a 1964 quarter silver?

Yes. Every 1964 quarter is 90% silver and contains about 0.180 troy ounces of pure silver.

How much is a 1964 quarter worth?

Its silver content (0.180 troy ounces) multiplied by the live price at Kitco.com/silver gives a good baseline value.

What is a 1964-D quarter worth?

The same as other 1964 quarters in most cases: its silver value plus maybe a small premium. The “D” just means Denver, and about 704 million were struck.

Where can I sell silver quarters?

Local coin and bullion dealers, precious metals exchanges, and reputable online buyers all purchase silver quarters. Getting a couple of quotes helps ensure a fair price.