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No. U.S. quarters still carry a date. What changed is which side of the coin it sits on. Beginning with the 50 State Quarters program in 1999, the year moved from the front (heads) to the back (tails). Two other changes from the 1960s get mixed up with it: the switch from silver to copper-nickel clad metal in 1965, and a 1965–1967 pause in mint marks. They are separate events.
Where the date sits on a quarter
The front of a coin is the obverse, which most people call heads. The back is the reverse, or tails. Since 1932 the quarter’s obverse has shown George Washington, according to the United States Mint’s history of the coin. For most of the coin’s life, the date appeared on that front side with Washington’s portrait. That is the arrangement many people remember, and it is why the State Quarters change surprised people when it arrived.
The 1999 move to the back of the coin
In 1998 the Mint explained that the legislation creating the State Quarters program allowed the year to move from the obverse to the reverse. The same legislation allowed the phrases “United States of America” and “quarter dollar” to move in the opposite direction, from the reverse to the obverse. The Mint’s announcement quoted Philip N. Diehl, then the Mint Director: “We believe the public will welcome the new balanced design on the obverse side of the quarter, and our engravers will have the artistic freedom needed for the statehood designs on the reverse.”
That statement describes the design flexibility the change created. It does not say that layout was the only reason for the move, and the official sources reviewed here do not give a broader explanation. What it does establish is that the change was a layout decision. The date stayed on the coin.
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The Mint’s history identifies the 50 State Quarters program as running from 1999 through 2008. On those coins, the year appears on the reverse alongside the state design. A quarter dated 1999 or later can therefore show its year on tails, while a quarter from 1998 or earlier shows it on heads.
The 1965 change was about metal, not the date
The change most often confused with a date change is the 1965 switch in composition. The Coinage Act of 1965, approved by President Lyndon B. Johnson on July 23, 1965, removed silver from circulating dimes, quarters, and half dollars and authorized clad coinage. Production of the new quarters began at the Philadelphia Mint on August 23, 1965, and they were released into circulation on November 1, 1965.
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Those were the first quarters to carry the date 1965. The Mint’s own timeline places the date change in the new coins as a consequence of a new production run, not a removal of dates. Clad quarters have a copper core with a copper-nickel outer layer, while earlier quarters were 90 percent silver. A 1964 quarter and a 1965 quarter therefore differ in metal content, not in whether they show a year.
The 1965–1967 mint mark pause
Mint marks are a separate feature. A mint mark is a small letter that identifies the facility that struck the coin, and it is not the same as the date. According to the Mint, circulating coins had no mint marks during 1965 through 1967 under the 1965 Act’s arrangements. Mint marks returned in 1968, placed on the obverse. A coin from that window can have a date and no mint mark, which is one reason the two features are easy to confuse.
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Summary of the three changes
| Change | When | What it affected | What it did not affect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year moved to the reverse | Program beginning 1999 | Placement of the date on State Quarters | Whether the coin carries a date |
| Silver replaced by clad metal | Circulating production from August and release on November 1, 1965 | Metal composition | Presence of the date |
| Mint marks absent | 1965 through 1967, returning in 1968 | Mint mark on circulating coins | Presence of the date |
Quarters in circulation today
Quarters continue to be dated. The Mint’s description of its 2021 Washington Crossing the Delaware quarter, for example, lists the year among the obverse inscriptions, which shows that a date can appear on the front again when the design calls for it. Quarter designs change from program to program, and the Mint’s annual themes change too. For current designs and where the date sits on each, check the Mint’s current program page rather than relying on older coins as a guide.
How to check where the date is on a quarter
- Identify the side with Washington’s portrait. That is the obverse, or heads.
- Look for the year on the obverse first. On a quarter from 1998 or earlier, the date will normally be there.
- If the obverse has no year, turn the coin over and check the reverse. A State Quarter from 1999 onward shows the year on that side, usually near the design’s rim.
- Separately, look for a mint mark. On circulating coins from 1968 onward, the mint mark is on the obverse. A quarter with a date but no mint mark may come from the 1965–1967 window or simply be a coin that did not carry one.
What this does not tell you
Knowing where the date sits does not tell you what a coin is worth. The sources behind this explanation describe the Mint’s design, metal, and mark history, not market value, condition, or rarity. A 1965 quarter, for example, is a useful example of the first clad year, but its value depends on factors this article does not cover.
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