Cursed Quarter

MISSION:  Keep the Cursed Quarter moving.  Let's see how far this one can travel.  If you keep the Cursed Quarter for more than 2 weeks, you will suffer financial ruin.  Keep it moving and within 2 weeks of you placing it, you will come into a windfall of money.  

Facts About Quarters

How many ridges are on a Quarter?

There are 119 ridges on a US Quarter.

What are the ridges on Quarters called?

The ridges on Quarters are called “reeds” after the process used to create the grooves.

Why do Quarters have ridges (reeds)? 

US coins no longer contain precious metals, but this was not always the case. The Coinage Act of 1792 not only established the U.S. Mint, it also specified that US coins should be made of their face value in gold and silver. In order to prevent thieves from shaving gold & silver off of the coins, grooves were added to the edges using a process called ‘reeding’. Easily spotting defiled coins was not the only benefit to these reeded edges… Adding reeds made the designs more elaborate, which helped prevent counterfeit currency. The reeded edges also made it easier for the vision-impaired to distinguish coins by feel. 

When did the U.S. Mint stop producing gold & silver coins?

The U.S. mint stopped the production of gold coins during the Great Depression, but Quarters, Dimes, Half Dollars, and Dollar coins were still made of 90% silver up until the silver shortage crisis in the 1960s. As silver prices rose in the early 1960s, the Federal Government flooded the market with silver coins to try to keep the price of silver low in an attempt to keep the coins’ intrinsic value from passing their face value. This caused the U.S. silver reserves to get dangerously low. In fact the reserves were so low, it was projected that the U.S. government would run out of silver in 3-5 years. In light of this shortage, U.S. Mint started to reduce the amount of silver used in coins. In 1965 the U.S. Mint introduced ‘clad’ Quarters, which contained about 40% silver and were the first step in completely removing silver from US coin production. 

What metals are used to make Quarters today?

Quarters are currently composed of a pure copper core covered by two layers of cupronickel, which is a mixture of 75% copper and 25% nickel.

Other Facts About Quarters

Was George Washington’s picture always on the Quarter?

US Quarters did not always have a picture of George Washington. Quarters featuring the portrait of George Washington were first released in 1932 as a commemorative release coin to celebrate the bicentennial of the first US president’s birth (George Washington was born in 1732). In 1934 the Washington Quarter was made a regular issue coin. This quarter was designed by John Flanagan – You can see his initials at the base of George Washington’s neck.

What were some unusual years in Quarter production history?

1933: There are no US Quarters dated 1933. This is because no Quarters were minted in 1933 due to the overproduction of the George Washington commemorative coin in 1932 … and the Great Depression.

1964: Quarters dated 1964 may not actually be from 1964… All 90% silver Quarters minted in 1964, 1965, and 1966 are dated ’1964′. This was in response to the coin shortage and the speculation in rolls and bags of coins that took place in 1964.

What is the lifespan of a coin?

According to the U.S. Mint, the average lifespan of a US coin is 25 years.

What is the history behind the 25 cent denomination?

Even though 20 cent coins were more prevalent in other parts of the world, the United States decided to create a 25 cent coin. This is because when the Coinage Act of 1792 was passed, the most popular currency in the United States was the Spanish Silver Dollar. The common practice was to slice up the Spanish Silver Dollar into 8 equal segments and use each of the wedges (or bits) as currency. When the US Quarter first came out it was often referred to as “two bits” (as in one quarter of a Spanish Dollar).

Side Note: Spanish dollars remained in use for sometime after the U.S. Mint started producing currency in 1792. In fact Spanish Dollars were more popular than the first U.S. dollars because they were heavier and made of higher quality silver.