You Can Make Quick Cash From Old Quarters — 3 Places To Look
Written by
Vance Cariaga
Edited by
Gary Dudak
Commitment to Our Readers
GOBankingRates' editorial team is committed to bringing you unbiased reviews and information. We use data-driven methodologies to evaluate financial products and services - our reviews and ratings are not influenced by advertisers. You can read more about our editorial guidelines and our products and services review methodology.
20 Years
Helping You Live Richer
Reviewed
by Experts
Trusted by
Millions of Readers
Unlike other collectibles such as stamps, artworks and sports cards, coins have values that are at least partly based on their raw materials. Even if a penny is only worth one cent on the collectibles market, the metal it’s made of might have recycling worth beyond its face value. The same holds true for quarters — especially those minted before 1965.
For You: 5 Things You Must Do When Your Savings Reach $50,000
That year is important because prior to 1965, U.S. quarters were made of 90% silver, Wired reported. This means a quarter’s silver content alone could be worth several dollars. Because each old quarter weighs 6.25 grams, then one of them contains about 5.6 grams of silver. Beginning in 1965, the U.S. mint started producing copper-nickel clad quarters for circulation, and those metals are worth much less than silver.
Pre-1965 quarters in excellent condition might hold enough value to buy a nice dinner out. In 2014, for example, a mint 1964 quarter sold at auction for $47.15, according to the Specialty Metals website. That equals about $61 in today’s dollars. Even pre-1965 quarters in poor condition should fetch a few dollars each.
If you have older quarters that are in good condition, Specialty Metals recommends visiting a reputable rare coin dealer in your area to find out what they are worth. If you want to make quick cash by recycling old quarters for their silver content, here are three ways to improve your chances of finding them.
Check Your Loose Change
This should be the first step on any coin hunt — checking around your house, drawers, car, piggy banks, sofas, pockets, etc., to see what kind of loose change you have lying around. Millions of old quarters are still in circulation, so chances are you’ve come across them even if you didn’t realize it.
Get into the habit of checking all of your quarters and setting the pre-1965 versions aside.
Ask To Sort Through Coins Belong to Friends and Family
You can be pretty sure that every household has a change drawer or cup somewhere. Check with your friends and family to see if you can sort through their coins to find old quarters.
They might be happy to have someone else do it. Let them know that you can divvy up proceeds from any valuable finds.
Purchase Quarter Rolls at the Bank
This is a fast and easy way to gain access to a lot of quarters at once.
Forty quarters are in a single bank roll, which means you’ll have to pay $10 per roll. There’s no guarantee you’ll find a lot of old quarters in the roll — a lot depends on when the bank rolled them up. If you’re lucky enough to get an older roll, you might find a few pre-1965 quarters in there.
More From GOBankingRates
