Question from a newbie... I know they stopped making silver quarters in 1964, but I often hold on to 1965's because it was my birth year and I ran across a strange one that looks like it's either entirely made of nickel without the copper, or possibly made of silver. There's no copper visible on the edge, and it makes a very different sound. Does anybody know if they made 1965 silver proof quarters or what else it might be?
Just to follow-up on this, here are a couple of pictures showing the face, back and edge. Thanks all for any information!
No. No Proof coins were minted 1965-1967. Weigh your coin (to the nearest 0.01 gram). If it weighs +/-5.67 grams it is a normal clad quarter. If it weighs +/-6.25 grams it is 90% silver.
Also look at the picture. To the OP: It's not impossible it was struck on a leftover planchet from '64. Weighing it is really the best way to check.
Picture above shows the reeding. It looks solid with no copper showing. Same blackish tarnish as the rest of the coin.
Found this info at an auction site from 2006 (gotta love google!), so I'm really curious now... Very Rare 90% Silver 1965 Quarter[/B] 1965 25C Washington Quarter -Struck on a Silver Quarter Planchet- XF45 PCGS. Breen-4416. Breen called this error variety "extremely rare." A transitional planchet error, similar to the 1943 copper Cent or the 1977-D Ikes struck on silver-clad planchets. Silver quarters dated 1964 and clad quarters dated 1965 were both struck during 1965, and inevitably, a 90% silver planchet apparently lodged within a bin that was later filled with clad planchets destined for 1965-dated dies. This piece circulated for a while before a sharp-eyed collector noted that the edge did not reveal any clad layers.
Newbie... still figuring out how to post. Sorry. Here is the image comparing another 1965 quarter (top). Also, since I don't have a balance that does fractions of grams, I balanced it with a clad bicentennial on a stick and measured the distances from center (bottom). From this I calculated tat the unusual 1965 weighs approx 1.09 x as much... which is promising. Also, I read some previous links on this site which were informative. For one, I can say that the coin is definitely not magnetic. And it has no mint mark that I can see.
A commenter on another board thinks it's a lead counterfeit. In fact, he's very certain. Seems like a lot of work to counterfeit quarters, but he may be right. Anybody know of an easy do-it-yourself home test for lead/silver?
Just a casual comment but when you're doing a comparative weigh on two quarters, using a hexagonal shaped pencil (with flat spots) will not give you an accurate comparison. Use a round pencil instead.
I hope you do have a 90% 1965 Washington Quarter.here what one sold for.if you can't sign in to H.A AU-50 $6900.00 that was January 2006 too :kewl: :thumb:Happy hunting. http://coins.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=394&Lot_No=6270 You may find a few more listed below. http://minterrornews.com/
Yes, I agree. Was the best I could do at home. I've got a precise mg balance in the lab (at work), so I'm planning to weigh it tomorrow along with some other quarters.
Google it (along with anything coin related) Put a tissue over the coin. That's it If the coin shines white through the tissue, it is silver. If the coin shines a greyish outline, it's copper
Thanks to all for your best wishes and advice on this quarter. After a day of researching it, I've concluded it must be a fake. It's too soft (like lead) and leaves a mark when rubbed on paper. So it's likely worthless except that it would probably still work in a parking meter. Of course, I'm disappointed. But at least now I know what to look for. If anyone finds a "silver 1965 quarter" in the future, tell them to bend it by hand and rub it on paper. That appears to be the quickest test. Hopefully theirs will pass as mine did not. Thanks to all who posted. Cheers!