<p>A pre-1965 quarter is 90% silver. It weighs 6.25 grams and contains 5.625 grams of pure silver. This is equivalent to <a href="https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/coin-melt-values.aspx">0.1808 troy ounces</a>.</p>
<p>That means you need roughly 5.5 silver quarters to reach one full troy ounce. Everyday quarters since 1965 hold no silver at all. They are composed of a copper-nickel alloy and weigh <a href="https://www.usmint.gov/learn/coins-and-medals/circulating-coins/coin-specifications">5.67 grams</a>.</p>
<p>This guide covers the silver content of US coins, ranging from dimes and quarters to dimes and war nickels. You will find each coin’s silver content measured in grams and troy ounces. You will also learn how many coins make an ounce and how much silver sits in a roll or bag.</p>
<h2>How Much Silver Is in a Quarter?</h2>
<p>Before 1965, US quarters were made from an alloy of 90% silver and 10% copper. Each coin weighs 6.25 grams. If you multiply 6.25 by 0.90, it comes out to 5.625 grams of pure silver.</p>
<p>Because one troy ounce equals <a href="https://www.nist.gov/system/files/documents/2017/05/09/Precious-Metals-Conversion-Information-march2015.pdf">31.1035 grams</a>, the silver in each quarter comes to 0.1808 troy ounces. <a href="https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/coin-melt-values.aspx">NGC’s melt value table</a> gives the same figure for Barber, Standing Liberty, and Washington quarters.</p>
<h3>Coin Weight vs. Silver Weight</h3>
<p>Some guides claim a silver quarter contains 6.25 grams of silver. However, that is not accurate; that number represents the weight of the entire coin. The actual silver content is roughly 5.625 grams, and the remaining 0.625 grams is copper.</p>
<p>Another common question is whether a silver quarter holds a quarter ounce of silver. It does not. A quarter of a troy ounce is 7.78 grams, so the silver in a quarter reaches only about 72% of that mark. Even the whole coin, copper included, weighs about 0.2 troy ounces.</p>
<h3>How Much Silver Is in a 1964 Quarter?</h3>
<p>A 1964 quarter contains the same 0.1808 troy ounces of silver as every other 90% quarter. The date comes with a twist, however.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/coinage-act-1965-1123/fulltext">Coinage Act of 1965</a> said any 90% silver coins struck after the law passed must still carry the 1964 date. So the Mint struck some 1964-dated quarters in 1965.</p>
<p>The same law also barred the new clad coins from carrying a date earlier than 1965. Any quarter dated 1965 or later is clad.</p>
<p>The only exceptions are collector coins and a few <a href="https://www.moneymetals.com/coin/washington-quarter">rare mint errors</a>. If you believe you’ve found a silver 1965 or 1966 quarter, weigh it first. A silver quarter weighs 6.25 grams, while a clad quarter weighs 5.67 grams. Our guide to <a href="https://www.moneymetals.com/bullion/what-coins-are-silver">what coins are silver</a> explains the other identification tests.</p>
<h3>The 40% Exception: 1976-S Bicentennial Quarters</h3>
<p>For the nation’s 200th birthday, Congress ordered <a href="https://www.usmint.gov/learn/history/historical-documents/final-strikes-of-silver-bicentennial-coins">45 million 40% silver coins</a>. The order covered three coins: the quarter, the half dollar, and the dollar. The Mint sold them to collectors in three-coin sets, so they never went into circulation.</p>
<p>The silver Bicentennial quarter weighs 5.75 grams and contains <a href="https://collectorskey.com/coins/twenty-cents-quarters/washington-quarters/1976-s-bicentennial-silver">0.074 troy ounces</a> of silver. That works out to 2.3 grams of silver, less than half the amount in a 90% quarter. Clad Bicentennial quarters share the same design, so weight is the surest way to tell them apart.</p>
<h2>Silver Content of US Coins: Full Table</h2>
<p>The table below lists every common US coin that contains silver, along with the clad coins that replaced them. The weights we list below assume that the coins are new and uncirculated, not worn away from use. The numbers come primarily from the <a href="https://www.usmint.gov/learn/coins-and-medals/circulating-coins/coin-specifications">US Mint</a>, the <a href="https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/coinage-act-1965-1123/fulltext">Coinage Act of 1965</a>, and <a href="https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/coin-melt-values.aspx">NGC</a>.</p>
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<th class="p-3 text-left text-sm font-semibold">Coin</th>
<th class="p-3 text-left text-sm font-semibold">Silver</th>
<th class="p-3 text-left text-sm font-semibold">Coin Weight</th>
<th class="p-3 text-left text-sm font-semibold">Silver Weight</th>
<th class="p-3 text-left text-sm font-semibold">Silver (troy oz)</th>
<th class="p-3 text-left text-sm font-semibold">Coins per Troy Ounce</th>
<th class="p-3 text-left text-sm font-semibold">Silver per $1 Face</th>
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<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">Dime (pre-1965)</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">90%</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">2.50 g</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">2.25 g</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">0.0723</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">13.8</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">0.7234 oz</td>
</tr>
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<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">Quarter (pre-1965)</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">90%</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">6.25 g</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">5.625 g</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">0.1808</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">5.5</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">0.7234 oz</td>
</tr>
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<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">Half dollar (pre-1965)</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">90%</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">12.50 g</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">11.25 g</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">0.3617</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">2.8</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">0.7234 oz</td>
</tr>
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<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">Kennedy half (1965-1970)</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">40%</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">11.50 g</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">4.60 g</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">0.1479</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">6.8</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">0.2958 oz</td>
</tr>
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<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">Bicentennial quarter (1976-S)</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">40%</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">5.75 g</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">2.30 g</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">0.0739</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">13.5</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">0.2958 oz</td>
</tr>
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<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">Bicentennial half (1976-S)</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">40%</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">11.50 g</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">4.60 g</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">0.1479</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">6.8</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">0.2958 oz</td>
</tr>
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<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">Eisenhower dollar (S-mint silver)</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">40%</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">24.6 g</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">9.83 g</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">0.3161</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">3.2</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">0.3161 oz</td>
</tr>
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<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">War nickel (1942-1945)</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">35%</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">5.00 g</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">1.75 g</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">0.0563</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">17.8</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">1.1253 oz</td>
</tr>
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<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">Clad dime, quarter, half (1965 on)</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">0%</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">2.268, 5.67, 11.34 g</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">0</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">0</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">None</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">0</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p>Silver dollars follow a different standard. Morgan and Peace dollars contain <a href="https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/coin-melt-values.aspx">0.7734 troy ounces of silver</a>. That adds up to more than four silver quarters combined. You can learn more about the silver content of every dollar type, including the <a href="https://www.moneymetals.com/40-silver-eisenhower-dollars-3161-oz-silver/268">40% silver Eisenhower dollar</a>, with <a href="https://www.moneymetals.com/coin/silver-dollar-value">our silver dollar guide</a>.</p>
<h2>How Much Silver Is in a Dime?</h2>
<p>A pre-1965 dime weighs 2.25 grams and is 90% silver, giving it 2.25 grams of pure silver, or <a href="https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/coin-melt-values.aspx">0.0723 troy ounces</a>. It takes ten dimes to reach $1 in face value, and together they contain 0.7234 troy ounces of silver. Since 1965, dimes have been clad with nickel and copper, weighing <a href="https://www.usmint.gov/learn/coins-and-medals/circulating-coins/coin-specifications">2.268 grams</a> and contains no silver.</p>
<p>Dimes made for circulation from 1837 through 1964 are 90% silver. For a full breakdown by date and design, see our list of <a href="https://www.moneymetals.com/bullion/silver-dimes-years">silver dime years</a>. You can also <a href="https://www.moneymetals.com/buy/silver/junk-silver/90-silver-dimes">buy 90% silver dimes</a> in bags according to their face value.</p>
<h3>How Many Silver Dimes Make an Ounce?</h3>
<p>It takes 13.8 silver dimes to equal one troy ounce, so in practice you need 14 dimes, or $1.40 in face value, to reach a full ounce.</p>
<h2>How Much Silver Is in a Half Dollar?</h2>
<p>A pre-1965 half dollar weighs 12.5 grams, containing 11.25 grams of silver. That amount comes out to <a href="https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/coin-melt-values.aspx">0.3617 troy ounces</a>, which is twice the silver content in a pre-1965 quarter.</p>
<p>Since it takes 2.76 halves to make an ounce, three halves will put you over the mark. Barber, Walking Liberty, Franklin, and 1964 Kennedy half dollars all share this specification.</p>
<h3>40% Silver Kennedy Halves (1965-1970)</h3>
<p>In 1965, Congress cut the silver in the half dollar but did not remove it. Under the <a href="https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/coinage-act-1965-1123/fulltext">Coinage Act of 1965</a>, the half dollar got outer layers of 80% silver and 20% copper.</p>
<p>A core with less silver sat between them. The finished coin weighs 11.5 grams and contains 4.6 grams of silver, or 0.1479 troy ounces.</p>
<p>Kennedy halves dated 1965 through 1970 use this 40% silver composition. Half dollars struck for circulation after 1970 are fully clad and weigh <a href="https://www.usmint.gov/learn/coins-and-medals/circulating-coins/coin-specifications">11.34 grams</a>. To sort your half dollars by date, see <a href="https://www.moneymetals.com/bullion/what-half-dollars-are-silver">what half dollars are silver</a>, or shop our <a href="https://www.moneymetals.com/40-silver-half-dollars/149">40% silver Kennedy halves</a>.</p>
<h2>Do Any Nickels Contain Silver?</h2>
<p>Only one type of US nickel contains silver. Starting in 1942, the Mint changed the nickel’s composition to an alloy of <a href="https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1942-p-5c-silver/4016">56% copper, 35% silver, and 9% manganese</a>. The switch saved nickel metal for the war effort. Each wartime nickel weighs 5 grams and contains 1.75 grams of silver, or 0.0563 troy ounces.</p>
<p>No other US nickel contains silver. Their composition is instead an alloy of <a href="https://www.usmint.gov/learn/coins-and-medals/circulating-coins/coin-specifications">75% copper and 25% nickel</a>. That includes the 1964 nickel and the Buffalo nickel, two coins people often ask about.</p>
<p>The Mint has also never made a pure silver nickel. If you’re interested in war nickel dates and mint marks, check out our <a href="https://www.moneymetals.com/bullion/silver-nickel-years">silver nickel years</a> guide.</p>
<h3>War Nickels Hold the Most Silver per Dollar</h3>
<p>Many buyers overlook this detail. Twenty war nickels make $1 in face value, and together they contain <a href="https://www.moneymetals.com/35-silver-war-nickels/322">1.125 troy ounces of silver</a>. That’s 56% more silver per dollar of face value than you get from 90% dimes, quarters, or halves.</p>
<h2>How Many Silver Coins Make an Ounce?</h2>
<p>One of the most common questions about junk silver is how many silver quarters it takes to make a troy ounce. The technical answer is 5.53. However, since quarters are not divisible, you need six quarters to reach a full troy ounce. The table below runs the same math for each silver coin, based on new, uncirculated weights.</p>
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<th class="p-3 text-left text-sm font-semibold">Coin</th>
<th class="p-3 text-left text-sm font-semibold">Coins per Troy Ounce</th>
<th class="p-3 text-left text-sm font-semibold">Whole Coins for 1 Ounce</th>
<th class="p-3 text-left text-sm font-semibold">Face Value per Troy Ounce</th>
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<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">90% dimes</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">13.82</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">14</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">$1.38</td>
</tr>
<tr class="divide-x divide-slate-200 even:bg-slate-50">
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">90% quarters</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">5.53</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">6</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">$1.38</td>
</tr>
<tr class="divide-x divide-slate-200 even:bg-slate-50">
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">90% halves</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">2.76</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">3</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">$1.38</td>
</tr>
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<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">40% Kennedy halves</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">6.76</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">7</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">$3.38</td>
</tr>
<tr class="divide-x divide-slate-200 even:bg-slate-50">
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">40% Bicentennial quarters</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">13.52</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">14</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">$3.38</td>
</tr>
<tr class="divide-x divide-slate-200 even:bg-slate-50">
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">35% war nickels</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">17.77</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">18</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">$0.89</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<h3>Where the "$1.40 per Ounce" Rule Comes From</h3>
<p>Silver stackers often say that $1.40 in face value of 90% coins equals one ounce of silver. That rule of thumb builds in an allowance for wear. Dealers count each $1 in face value as <a href="https://www.moneymetals.com/pre-1965-90-silver-quarters/1394">0.715 troy ounces</a>, and $1 divided by 0.715 comes to about $1.40. Brand-new coins would need only $1.38.</p>
<h2>Silver per $1 Face Value: 0.7234 vs. 0.715 Troy Ounces</h2>
<p>Ninety percent dimes, quarters, and halves all hold the same silver per dollar of face value. From 1873 until 1964, they weighed 2.5, 6.25, and 12.5 grams. The weights rise in step with face value. As a result, $1 in any combination of them contains 0.7234 troy ounces of silver when new.</p>
<p>In the bullion trade, you’ll see 0.715 instead. Coins can lose a little of their metal content over decades of handling and transaction. The 0.715 figure sits about 1.2% below the Mint spec to allow for that wear. It is an industry convention to allow for worn coins, not necessarily a set standard from a mint or exchange.</p>
<p>That is also why some sources list a quarter at 0.17875 ounces. That number is just 0.715 divided by four. We will note which basis each figure uses as we go through this page.</p>
<h3>Why a Silver Dollar Holds More Silver Than Four Quarters</h3>
<p>A silver dollar holds 0.7734 troy ounces. Four silver quarters, on the other hand, hold only 0.7234.</p>
<p>The difference dates back to 1853. At the time, there was a flood of gold pouring out of California that made the silver in American coins worth more than their face value. That resulted in many people melting the coins down for their silver value. Congress responded to this trend by <a href="https://coinweek.com/1853-liberty-seated-quarter-arrows-and-rays-a-collectors-guide/">reducing the weight</a> of the smaller silver coins.</p>
<p>The silver dollar retained its full weight. However, the quarter never caught up with the silver dollar. The closest it got was in 1873, when the quarter’s weight rose to 6.25 grams. Our <a href="https://www.moneymetals.com/coin/silver-dollar-value">silver dollar guide</a> covers Morgan and Peace dollars in detail.</p>
<h3>How to Calculate the Silver in Any Coin</h3>
<p>Two numbers can help you calculate the silver in any coin: its total weight and silver purity. If you multiply the two, then divide the product by 31.1035 to convert grams to troy ounces.</p>
<p>For a silver quarter, 6.25 grams times 0.90 equals 5.625 grams. Then 5.625 divided by 31.1035 equals 0.1808 troy ounces.</p>
<p>You can convert ounces into dollars by multiplying the ounces by the current <a href="https://www.moneymetals.com/silver-price">silver spot price</a>. You can see the complete calculation on our <a href="https://www.moneymetals.com/guides/silver-coin-values">silver coin value guide</a>.</p>
<h2>Silver in Rolls and Bags of Silver Coins</h2>
<p>Junk silver coins often change hands in rolls and bags rather than one at a time. The figures below show how much silver each standard quantity contains.</p>
<h3>How Much Silver Is in a Roll?</h3>
<p>Standard bank rolls hold <a href="https://www.moneymetals.com/coin/how-many-quarters-in-a-roll">50 dimes, 40 quarters, or 20 half dollars</a>. A $10 roll of 90% silver quarters therefore contains 7.23 troy ounces of silver when new, or 7.15 ounces on the dealer basis. You can find out what that silver is worth today by multiplying the ounces by the current spot price.</p>
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<th class="p-3 text-left text-sm font-semibold">Roll</th>
<th class="p-3 text-left text-sm font-semibold">Coins</th>
<th class="p-3 text-left text-sm font-semibold">Face Value</th>
<th class="p-3 text-left text-sm font-semibold">Roll Weight</th>
<th class="p-3 text-left text-sm font-semibold">Silver (New)</th>
<th class="p-3 text-left text-sm font-semibold">Silver (Dealer Basis)</th>
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<tr class="divide-x divide-slate-200 even:bg-slate-50">
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">90% dimes</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">50</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">$5</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">125 g</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">3.62 oz</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">3.58 oz</td>
</tr>
<tr class="divide-x divide-slate-200 even:bg-slate-50">
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">90% quarters</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">40</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">$10</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">250 g</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">7.23 oz</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">7.15 oz</td>
</tr>
<tr class="divide-x divide-slate-200 even:bg-slate-50">
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">90% halves</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">20</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">$10</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">250 g</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">7.23 oz</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">7.15 oz</td>
</tr>
<tr class="divide-x divide-slate-200 even:bg-slate-50">
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">40% Kennedy halves</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">20</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">$10</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">230 g</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">2.96 oz</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">2.95 oz</td>
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<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">35% war nickels</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">40</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">$2</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">200 g</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">2.25 oz</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">2.25 oz</td>
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<p>A full roll of silver quarters weighs 250 grams, or about 8.8 standard ounces on a kitchen scale. You might see some websites listing 226.8 grams, but that figure falls flat. It is short because it uses a rounded 8 ounce figure, which understates the true weight by about 9%.</p>
<h3>How Much Silver Is in a Bag?</h3>
<p>Dealers sell 90% silver coins in bags measured by face value. A $1,000 bag contains 723.4 troy ounces of silver when new. Alternatively, it may contain <a href="https://www.moneymetals.com/pre-1965-junk-silver-coins-half-dollars-kennedy-franklin/34">715 ounces</a> on the dealer basis. In either case, the bag weighs roughly 55 pounds. In clad quarters, the same face value bag weighs about 50 pounds.</p>
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<th class="p-3 text-left text-sm font-semibold">Face Value</th>
<th class="p-3 text-left text-sm font-semibold">Silver (New)</th>
<th class="p-3 text-left text-sm font-semibold">Silver (Dealer Basis)</th>
<th class="p-3 text-left text-sm font-semibold">Bag Weight</th>
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<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">$100</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">72.3 oz</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">71.5 oz</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">5.5 lb</td>
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<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">$250</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">180.8 oz</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">178.75 oz</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">13.8 lb</td>
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<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">$500</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">361.7 oz</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">357.5 oz</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">27.6 lb</td>
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<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">$1,000</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">723.4 oz</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">715 oz</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">55.1 lb</td>
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<h3>Silver per Pound of 90% Coins</h3>
<p>A kitchen scale can give you a quick estimate on the value of an old coin jar. Each pound of new 90% coins holds about 13.1 troy ounces of silver. That pound adds up to roughly $18 in face value.</p>
<h2>Silver vs. Clad Coin Weights</h2>
<p>Silver coins weigh more than the clad coins that replaced them. That makes a digital scale the fastest way to sort them.</p>
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<th class="p-3 text-left text-sm font-semibold">Coin</th>
<th class="p-3 text-left text-sm font-semibold">90% Silver</th>
<th class="p-3 text-left text-sm font-semibold">40% Silver</th>
<th class="p-3 text-left text-sm font-semibold">Clad</th>
<th class="p-3 text-left text-sm font-semibold">Gap From Clad</th>
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<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">Dime</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">2.50 g</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">None</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">2.268 g</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">0.23 g</td>
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<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">Quarter</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">6.25 g</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">5.75 g (1976-S)</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">5.67 g</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">0.58 g (0.08 g for 1976-S)</td>
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<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">Half dollar</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">12.50 g</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">11.50 g</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">11.34 g</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">1.16 g (0.16 g for 40%)</td>
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<p>A scale that reads 0.1 gram can separate 90% silver coins from clad ones. 40% silver half dollars are harder to identify. These coins only weigh 0.16 grams more than a clad half, so you’ll need a scale that reads to 0.01 gram. Keep in mind that worn coins also weigh a bit less than new ones. For other identification methods, see our guide to <a href="https://www.moneymetals.com/bullion/what-coins-are-silver">what coins are silver</a>.</p>
<h2>Older and Collector Coins That Don't Hold 0.1808 Ounces</h2>
<p>Not every silver quarter matches the 0.1808 figure. Quarters made before 1873 used other weights, and modern proofs use purer silver.</p>
<h3>Quarters Struck Before 1873</h3>
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<th class="p-3 text-left text-sm font-semibold">Quarter</th>
<th class="p-3 text-left text-sm font-semibold">Coin Weight</th>
<th class="p-3 text-left text-sm font-semibold">Silver</th>
<th class="p-3 text-left text-sm font-semibold">Silver (troy oz)</th>
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<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">Capped Bust (before 1837)</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">6.74 g</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">89.24%</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">0.1934</td>
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<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">Seated Liberty (1838-1853)</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">6.68 g</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">90%</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">0.1933</td>
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<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">Seated Liberty (1853-1873)</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">6.22 g</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">90%</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">0.1800</td>
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<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">1873 and later</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">6.25 g</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">90%</td>
<td class="p-3 text-sm text-slate-700">0.1808</td>
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<p>Early <a href="https://cappedbustquarter.com/coin-specifications/">Capped Bust</a> and <a href="https://www.coincommunity.com/us_quarter_dollars/seated_liberty.asp">Seated Liberty</a> quarters held more silver than later ones. The 1853 law cut the quarter’s weight, and the 1873 law raised it a little to 6.25 grams.</p>
<p>Both changes took effect partway through the year, which required a way to distinguish the two coin types from one another. To solve that problem, the Mint marked the new weight with small arrows beside the date. You can learn more about dates and key coins in our <a href="https://www.moneymetals.com/bullion/what-quarters-are-silver">silver quarter years</a> guide.</p>
<h3>Silver Proof Coins (1992 to Today)</h3>
<p>The Mint still makes silver dimes, quarters, and half dollars for collectors. It sells them in silver proof sets, not as pocket change. From 1992 through 2018, these proof coins were <a href="https://www.moneymetals.com/coin/washington-quarter">90% silver</a>, the same composition as pre-1965 coinage.</p>
<p>The Mint switched to 99.9% fine silver in 2019. As a result, the 2019 silver proof quarter weighs <a href="https://www.coinnews.net/2019/02/21/u-s-mint-2019-quarters-silver-proof-set-features-999-fine-silver-coins/">6.343 grams</a>, which works out to about 0.2037 troy ounces of silver. For the 2026 Semiquincentennial set, the Mint lists <a href="https://www.usmint.gov/semiquincentennial-silver-proof-set-2026-26RH.html">0.079, 0.199, and 0.399 troy ounces</a> of silver. Those figures are for the dime, quarter, and half dollar. You can browse our selection of <a href="https://www.moneymetals.com/buy/silver/coins/silver-proof-coins">silver proof coins</a> in the shop.</p>
<h2>Key Takeaways</h2>
<p>A pre-1965 quarter contains 0.1808 troy ounces of silver. If you hold six of these quarters, you have one troy ounce of silver. Every dollar in face value of 90% coins holds 0.7234 ounces when new, or 0.715 ounces on the dealer basis. War nickels deliver the most silver per dollar of face value, while clad coins contain none.</p>
<p>If you'd like to add these coins to your holdings, browse our selection of <a href="https://www.moneymetals.com/buy/silver/junk-silver">junk silver coins</a>. They remain one of the simplest ways to own silver in small, known amounts.</p>
