1965 unusual Washington quarter

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 10-09-2020 20:25:39

I came across a 1965 Washington quarter. It had approximately equal silver on both sides and copper in the middle. It had not been smashed. I asked some coin brokers if it was worth anything and they did not know. They had not seen it before, but said it was a true quarter. Does anyone know about this type or know of someone who might? Is it a flaw in the quarter?
Thanks !

It's hard to know without seeing it, but based on your interactions with a few coin dealers it sounds like you probably do have a mint error coin.

If you think about it, any production process involving both humans and machines is not going to produce 100% perfect results.

It's possible this is a Washington Quarter accidentally struck on a Jefferson Nickel planchet (which would have nickel on the sides and copper in the middle).

Here is an example of one of those from a different date:

It might be worth sending Fred a note and picture, and see what he says?

It's likely not super valuable but you never know.

The 1965 Washington quarter was indeed the first US quarter that was not made of 90% pure silver. Instead, it was made from a clad composition of copper and nickel alloy. The standard composition for this quarter is usually around 92% copper and 8% nickel ("1965 Quarter Value: Error Coins and History", Gainesville Coins).

However, there have been instances where 1965 quarters were discovered with a 90% silver composition, which is considered an error coin ("1965 Quarter - Value and History", SDBullion). Additionally, a 1965 quarter struck on a silver planchet (the blank disc used for coinage) has been reported, which is also a rare transitional planchet error and can be quite valuable ("1965 25C Washington Quarter Dollar -- Struck on Silver 25C Planchet -- XF45 PCGS", Heritage Auctions).

If your quarter seems to have equal silver on both sides with a copper middle, it might be a unique error or variant. It's highly recommended to get it examined by a professional numismatist or coin grading service to determine its authenticity and potential value. Keep in mind that the value of such error coins can vary greatly depending on their condition and rarity.