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.
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.
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.
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.