Junk Silver Quarters: Pre-1965 90% Silver Explained Junk silver quarters are real U.S. money you can hold. In this video, Joshua D. Glawson, Content Manager for Money Metals, shows Pre-1965 90% Silver QUARTERS, often called junk silver, constitutional silver, and sound money. What is junk silver? Junk silver is a common industry term for circulated U.S. coins minted before 1965, mainly dimes, quarters, and half dollars, that contain 90% silver and are bought and sold primarily for their silver c