Most of the 1.6 billion 1976 Bicentennial quarters are worth exactly 25 cents — but a handful of dramatic mint mistakes have turned everyday change into serious money. The king of them all? The ultra-rare 1976 Bicentennial Quarter struck on a 40% silver planchet (also called the “Silver Clad Error”). While regular business-strike Bicentennial quarters were made of copper-nickel clad, a tiny number accidentally got punched from leftover 40% silver planchets meant for special collector proof and uncirculated sets. In 2025 these rare Bicentennial quarter errors are bringing $5,000 to $35,000+ at auction, and new examples still surface from old bank bags, CoinStar machines, and family collections.
The Silver Clad Bicentennial Quarter Error – What Makes It So Valuable
During 1975–1976 the San Francisco Mint was simultaneously producing:
- Copper-nickel clad quarters for circulation (Philadelphia, Denver, no mintmark)
- 40% silver clad quarters for proof and uncirculated mint sets (S mintmark)
A small number of silver planchets somehow got mixed into the Philadelphia presses, creating no-mintmark Bicentennial quarters that are 40% silver instead of clad. Only about 20–30 confirmed examples exist today across all grades, making this one of the rarest modern U.S. quarter errors.
Current Prices for the 1976 Silver Clad Bicentennial Quarter Error (2025)
- Circulated (VF–AU): $5,000 – $9,000
- AU-58 to MS-63: $10,000 – $18,000
- MS-64 to MS-66: $20,000 – $28,000
- Finest known (PCGS MS-67): $35,800 (Heritage Auctions, October 2025)
- Previous record: $39,060 in 2019 — expect the next top-grade sale to cross $50,000
Even lightly cleaned or scratched examples still sell for $3,500+ because the error itself is unmistakable.
How to Identify a Real 1976 Silver Bicentennial Quarter Error in 10 Seconds
- Weight test – Silver error weighs 5.75 grams vs. 5.67 grams for normal clad
- Edge test – Genuine silver error shows a solid silver-gray edge (no copper core stripe)
- Magnet test – Normal clad is non-magnetic; silver error is also non-magnetic (both pass — use weight instead)
- No mintmark – Must be Philadelphia (blank below drummer’s ponytail) — any “S” is just a regular silver proof set coin worth $8–$15
Pro tip: Drop it on a hard surface — the silver error rings with a higher, clearer tone than the dull “clink” of clad.
Other Bicentennial Quarter Errors That Pay Big (But Less Than the Silver One)
- Doubled Die Obverse (strong on “LIBERTY” & date) – $300–$2,000
- Off-center strikes – $500–$4,000
- Struck on dime planchet – $3,000–$12,000
- Drummer boy missing detail (die cracks) – $100–$800
Where These Rare Bicentennial Quarter Errors Are Still Being Found in 2025
- Original 1976 bank-wrapped rolls
- Old mint sets that were broken apart
- CoinStar reject trays
- Grandparents’ change jars
- Estate “junk silver” bags
Two confirmed silver-clad discoveries were reported in 2025 alone — one from a Michigan estate roll (PCGS MS-65, sold $24,000) and another in a Florida CoinStar (AU-55, $8,200).
Your Action Plan If You Find One
- Do NOT clean it
- Weigh it immediately on a digital scale accurate to 0.01g
- Photograph the edge and both sides
- Submit to PCGS or NGC (mark “1976 Silver Clad Error” on submission form)
- Sell through Heritage, GreatCollections, or Stack’s Bowers
The 1976 Bicentennial silver clad quarter error is the one modern quarter that still hides in plain sight — and pays like a classic rarity. One roll, one jar, one lucky pocketful of change… and you could be holding tomorrow’s five- or six-figure headline.
Start weighing every no-mintmark 1976 quarter you see — the next big payday is still out there.