Brown 1974 quarter

I don't know much about coins, and I'm not American so bear with me. I found this 1974 quarter on the street and instead of being silver its bronzy-brown with red marbling. The head and eagle patterns on the coin stick out quite a bit, more than on other American coins I've seen. Very 3D. Is this worth anything? Or is this just how 1974 quarters normally look?

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

1974 quarters are not made out of silver, it is more of an alloy with a copper core. The bronze-brown color is probably just from being on the street for a while, and the weather has worn and corroded it.

It is worth, 25 cents.


-Rob

 

Please post some photos----mroe than likely Rob is right but there is a small chance that it could be something else.

Speedy

 

I'll try to get a photo. In the mean time, what are my slim chances?

 

silver

I'm sure he meant silver the color, not silver the metal.
I am interested about the possible higher relief though.

 

There is a chance that it could be a foreign planchet---but that is really slim...
It is the same size as a normal quarter?.....if it was smaller I would say it could be struck on a cent planchet.
It could also be struck just on the copper layer of a clad coin but you would be able to see that because it would be thin and the detail wouldn't be good.

The chance that it is a foreign planchet is really really slim.....but I try not to push something out untill its proven.

Speedy

 

Odd 1974 quarter

Hi, my names josh and I started working at a gas station, and i was excited to some degree just so i could examine money that goes through my hands, I found many interesting currency in a short time as a result. Anyways, i found a 1974 quarter that i pulled aside as well, when im really busy i shake the change in my hand before i give to a customer and i can usually hear a silver coin or such , but i found this quarter as well by a different tone, and it has the same color scheme the other posted. Its more brown then silver in color and has a different tone when its hit then a normal quarter or a silver quarter. Any ideas?

 

nanowarrior that is interesting. You might want to weigh it and compare it against a silver and the nickel clad quarter. That will definately tell if there is something different. Worst case would be that it's a counterfeit - ridiciously as it may sound but hey, you don't find such "coins".

Welcome to cointalk by the way.

 

coin guy

It would be possible that all the layers of the clad coin are not present, making the reverse actually struck on the copper inner layer. I have some certified coins with the similar situation going on.
Brian

 

strange sounding 1974 quarter

Last year i had some change and my 1974 quarter sounds different on other change too like a hollow metallic sound just like the gas clerk's quarter sounded different. So i set mine aside. Trying to figure out whats different about it.

 

Just as the others have described I have just discovered one of these Quarters, searching google about it led me to this thread. The quarter when dropped on a counter has a very tinny sound to it, mind you not as much as a silver quarter, but definately not the same alloy as a normal quarter. The overall look of it is copper (like an old penny) it has silver on some of the surfaces but I don't know if that is under or over the brownish parts.
here are a few pics next to a normal quarter for comparison.
It might be nothing but as I am a store manager I handle money ALL the time for the past 18 years, so this definitely caught my attention.

 

Welcome to CT. The quarter looks like it has some environmental damage, but that doesn't really explain the sound difference. Does the edge show the normal nickel/copper/nickel sandwich?

 

You have to forgive me, I don't know what that means

 

Modern clad coinage (dimes, quarters and half dollars) are made of copper and nickel. This can be seen by looking at the edge. Normal coins will have nickel (silver looking) outer faces (heads and tails sides) and a copper core. I'm sure you've seen it a thousand times without realizing what it was.

 

Well, I took photos for you.
It most certainly looks different, thicker and more defined color is mostly brown unlike the normal quarter.

 

It appears to be a normal quarter that has spent some time in the elements staining/toning it brown.

 

looks like it has been in the ground. When I metal detect and bring up non silver dimes, nickels, and quarters they look like that if the spend much time in the soil.

 

What about the fact that it sounds different, just like the other 1974 quarters spoken about here, if you want I can post video so you can hear it's tone

 

not meaning to rain on anyone's parade, but I notice from time to time when I get clad coins in change they have a different ring from time to time. The one pictured above looks dug to me. I have a whole box full that look just like it.