how much is a silver quarter worth in silver weight

[SanNaomi]

Ah, thinking of raiding the old piggy bank for its precious metals, are we? An excellent and time-honored tradition. Let's get down to the shiny, silvery facts.

Your classic, pre-1965 United States silver quarter isn't a solid chunk of silver, but it's the next best thing. These vintage beauties are made of a 90% silver and 10% copper alloy. The copper was thrown in to give the coin some durability, so it wouldn't get bent out of shape on its journey from the sock drawer to the candy store.

When you do the math and strip away that less-glamorous copper, you're left with the important number. A single 90% silver quarter contains exactly 0.1808 troy ounces of pure silver.

So, while it won't make you a silver baron overnight, every one of those old quarters you find rattling around has a specific, weighable amount of precious metal. Its actual dollar value will bob up and down with the daily whims of the silver market, but its silver weight remains a constant and satisfying 0.1808 troy ounces.