Betty Lou Smith, age 9, of Marion, Ohio, for her question:

WHEN DID THE QUARTER LOSE ITS SILVER?

The Washington quarter, the quarter dollar coin that is worth 25 cents, was first minted in 1932, the 200th anniversary of Geroge V7,,2,Z ( Washington's birth. Washington's head appears on one side and an eagle is on the other side.

Until 1965, quarters contained 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper. Because of a shortage of silver, the Coinage Act of 1965 eliminated silver from the coin. Since then it has consisted of a layer of copper between layers of a copper nickel mixture.

The government issued the first quarters in 1796.

Although the Washington quarter has been in use since 1932, the government did issue special bicentennial quarters in 1975 and 1976. Washington is featured on one side and a colonial drummer on the other.