The Quarter Dollar, or simply Quarter, is worth 1/4 of the U.S. dollar, 25 cents. Originally authorized for issue in 1792 it wasn't until 1796 that the first quarter was minted for release. The Draped Bust Quarter featured a bust of Lady Liberty facing right on the obverse with the year beneath, the word "LIBERTY" above and to her right and left a series of stars. On the reverse a small eagle is surrounded by the words "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA". The coin was originally composed of 89.24% silver, 10.76% copper, weighed 6.74 grams and was about 27.5mm in diameter, slightly larger than todays Quarter.

The Quarter was redesigned and reduced in diameter in 1831 to the size we are familiar with today of 24.3mm. Another composition change in 1837 brought it to the 90% silver and 10% copper that stayed in effect until the change to copper clad coins in 1965.

Silver Quarters are a great coin to collect. While there are seriously expensive and rare Quarters available for the most part the 25 cent coins are within the reach of the coin enthusiast and beginning collector. Just check your change sometime! It's easy to get a glimpse of the history of the United States of America by looking at the evolution of the Quarters design. Its history even includes some controversy when the 1916 Standing Liberty Quarter was released with the breast of Lady Liberty exposed! That was quickly changed by a redesign for 1917 that included a more modest chain mail covered Lady Liberty.

The well known Washington Quarter we know today was introduced in 1932 and the obverse remains to this day with slight revisions. In 1999 the U.S. Mint introduced what became one of the great releases of coins in American history with the introduction of the 50 State Quarters program. Five different designs, one for each state, were produced each year from 1999 through 2008. The state designs were introduced in the order in which they became a state. It is believed more people became coin collectors during the time of the 50 State Quarters program than at any other. They are still incredibly popular today.

Following the successful 50 State Quarters program the U.S. Mint for 2009 undertook commemorating the District of Columbia and the five U.S. Territories which includes the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Starting in 2010 the newest series of Quarters commemorate America the Beautiful with the now famous Washington on the obverse and the reverse features a design of a national park and other nationally known sites. There will be 56 different reverse designs of the Quarter during this program. It is already proving to be very popular with collectors of the Quarter Dollar.

So why collect coins? Great question, and one that for every 10 people you'd ask you might have 10 different reasons. Some collect because the history associated with a particular coin. Others because it's like having a miniature art collection. Others still because they hope the coins will appreciate in value. And on, and on. For me it's a little of each of these. For you it may be a different reason. But we all share a common interest and passion in what has been called "The Hobby of Kings."

If you are new to collecting coins it is wise to understand that counterfeits of coins do exist. In order to protect your investment it's recommended that when you purchase expensive and/or rare coins buy those that are guaranteed genuine or are certified by the third party certification services NGC (Numismatic Guaranty Corporation), PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service, ANACS (American Numismatic Association Certification Service) or ICG (Independent Coin Grading Company). While most of the coins discussed here are modest in cost there are others that are very scarce or rare and their acquistion cost can be very high.

The history of U.S. Coinage is filled with political intrigue, mystery, smoke-filled backroom arm twisting and a lot of good old practical thought about how the U.S. monetary system should be designed. It has proven over the years to be a coinage system that has worked. And, the best of all from my viewpoint, it has given us some of the best, most interesting and collectible coins available today.

So how do you go about collecting silver Quarters? If you're new to coin collecting take some time to get to know your local coin store owner and coin clubs, develop a few contacts through the many coin forums and auctions on the Internet and you'll be able to find these great coins for very reasonable prices. Read and research. Learning the technical bits of numismatics will enhance your appreciation of the hobby in general and your coins in particular. Last, but not least, have fun and enjoy the search for your silver Quarters. In the left hand column you'll find links to the various listings of silver Quarters available.

We hope you enjoy looking around, come back and visit often and recommend us to your friends.

Happy collecting!