Weird 1967 Quarter Found.

[Sirius]

I was out and about today detecting my usual spots and I found this strange quarter. Normally when I find coins, I check the rim and give it a good scratch with my nail to expose the copper. This time I found a 1967 quarter that didn't have any of the usual wear and tear found in clad, and it was dark purple sandwiched within, much like the silver coins I've found except this coin has a visible distinguishing line between the clad faces and the inner metal due to beach exposure . Scratching it with my nail did not expose any copper either. Do silver quarters even exist beyond 1964 and if so are they valuable?

[kac]

Check the edge and you should see laminate. Usually a fine wire brush will clean clad up enough to check

[Sirius]

Not sure I should be taking a wire brush to it. Also here's a comparison between the normal stuff I find and the coin I found today.

[Chase Goldman]

Which is which in the picture above?  I am seeing hints of copper core on both coins' edges.  Nothing really unusual that I see from the first picture.  Looks like corroded clad to me.  And other than special proof sets/specimens no silver quarters were introduced for circulation after 1964.

[Sirius]

4 minutes ago, Chase Goldman said:

Which is which in the picture above?  I am seeing hints of copper core on both coins' edges.  Nothing really unusual that I see from the first picture.  Looks like clad to me.

top is copper clad and what I normally find, bottom is what I found today. The core also kinda has a chunk taken out of it, and underneath is still black patina.

[Chase Goldman]

Silver coins are solid, homogeneous metal and don't have a core.  That coin edge certainly looks like a core is there which is where the term clad comes from.  Plus it does not look like silver corrosion but typical of clad which is highly variable because of its bi-metallic galvanic properties.  There is a possibility of an issue with the metallic composition of the clad planchet resulting in an error, but unlikely its silver.

[Sirius]

1 minute ago, Chase Goldman said:

Silver coins are solid, homogeneous metal and don't have a core.  That coin edge certainly looks like a core is there which is where the term clad comes from.  Plus it does not look like silver corrosion.  There is a possibility of an issue with the metallic composition of the clad planchet resulting in an error, but unlikely its silver.

It's certainly a strange coin nonetheless, thanks for the input.

[strick]

1964 was the last year silver quarters were made.

strick 

[Sirius]

25 minutes ago, Chase Goldman said:

Silver coins are solid, homogeneous metal and don't have a core.  That coin edge certainly looks like a core is there which is where the term clad comes from.  Plus it does not look like silver corrosion but typical of clad which is highly variable because of its bi-metallic galvanic properties.  There is a possibility of an issue with the metallic composition of the clad planchet resulting in an error, but unlikely its silver.

One last comparison though. I fished out a 1967 quarter from my clad coin stack and a 1966 one. Both are noticeably different from the one I found today with around the same amount of wear. In order from top to bottom 1966 clad, 1967 clad, 1967 something.

[Chase Goldman]

11 hours ago, Sirius said:

1966 clad, 1967 clad, 1967 something.

My assessment:  1966 clad, 1967 clad, 1967 clad 

But don’t take my word for it.  Showing us edge pics of probable clad coins is not really going to be definitive.  Have you looked at what the copper clad cores look like on non-corroded pocket change?  It’s pretty highly variable.  If you factor in the bi-metallic galvanic effects and other environmental elements that cause corrosion, on clad, the visual results are all over the map.  So, if you still really think you have something there, you can:

1) Take to a local coin dealer and have them assess it for free.

2) Purchase a silver acid test kit.

3) Send it off to be assessed and professionally graded (PCGS, etc).

4) Run it through a Coinstar machine.  If it gets rejected, it could be silver…

5) Brush the edge as suggested earlier to expose the copper core.

6) Keep it a mystery, create a semi-fictional backstory of its origin and impress your friends and family with the tale of the “rare” 1967 Quarter variant you discovered.