Washington Clad and Silver Proof Quarters 1965-1998

About This Series

The Coinage Act of 1965 transformed the Washington quarter from a silver coin into a copper-nickel clad sandwich, ending 173 years of silver coinage for general circulation and ushering in the modern era of American base-metal currency. John Flanagan's 1932 Washington portrait continued unchanged on the obverse, while silver proof versions struck at San Francisco preserved the precious metal tradition for collectors. The bicentennial 1776-1976 reverse, designed by Jack L. Ahr, replaced the standard heraldic eagle with a Colonial drummer and a victory torch encircled by thirteen stars — one of the most recognizable commemorative designs in American coinage. Notable varieties punctuate the series: the 1970-D, originally not intended for general circulation and distributed primarily through Mint sets, has become a collector favorite, while the 1983-P and 1984-P in high grades are surprisingly scarce due to production quality issues. Struck at 24.3mm diameter and 5.67 grams in clad composition, billions of these quarters entered circulation across three decades. Silver proof issues, reintroduced in 1992, added a collector dimension that continues today. This period bridges the classic single-design Washington quarter era with the revolutionary State Quarters program that began in 1999 and transformed American numismatics by engaging tens of millions of new collectors.

Series Information