There are many reasons why someone would want to keep their spare change in rolls. The most prominent reason is to make it easier to count and exchange for dollar bills at a bank or even convenience store. However, if you have a ton of rolls of quarters, they’re going to weigh a whole lot.
A single quarter weighs 0.2 ounces (5.670 grams). A standard coin roll for quarters can hold up to 40 quarters at most. So, a roll of quarters, minus the weight of the roll, will weigh 8 ounces (226.769 grams).
While coin money is becoming less and less relevant in today’s day and age, they’re probably never going to go away. If you wish to learn more about the weight of a roll of quarters, I invite you to continue reading.
Weight of a Roll of Quarters
Rolls for coins—also known as shotgun coin rolls, coin wrappers, or bankrolls—come in specific sizes for specific coins. Taking a look at the US Mint website, you’ll see that a quarter measures 24.26 millimeters (0.955 inches) in diameter, which is vastly different from the 30.61-millimeter (1.205-inch) diameter of the Kennedy coin. As such, you can only stuff a specific roll full of a particular coin.
In the case of the quarter, quarter-coin rolls are designed to house 40 of them at max. After filling a coin wrapper with 40 quarters, you will have to push down the end of the coin roll to keep all 40 quarters safe and secure.
The US Mint website also reveals that the weight of a single quarter is 5.670 grams or about 0.2 pounds. So, multiplying the weight of a single quarter by how many quarters (40) fit in a roll, we get:
- Weight of a Roll of Quarters = Weight of Single Quarter × 40
- Weight of a Roll of Quarters = 0.2 ounces (5.670 grams) × 40
- Weight of a Roll of Quarters = 8 ounces (226.769 grams)
So, a single roll that houses 40 quarters will weigh a total of 8 ounces before adding the negligible weight of the wrapper itself.
Weight of a Box of Rolls
While the weight of a single roll of quarters is similar to the weight of the average coffee mug—i.e., it hardly feels like anything—the weight will eventually add up if you prepare a box of quarter rolls.
Coin boxes are designed to hold up to 50 rolls housing the type of coin. So, we can calculate the weight of a box of quarter rolls by doing the following:
- Weight of a Box of Quarter Rolls = Weight of a Roll of Quarters × 50
- Weight of a Box of Quarter Rolls = 8 ounces (226.769 grams) × 50
- Weight of a Box of Quarter Rolls = 400 ounces or 25 pounds (11,339.8 grams or 11.339 kilograms).
Quarters Minted Between 1796 and 1964
So, the US Mint has made it clear that each quarter weighs 5.670 grams or 0.2 ounces. However, this does not apply to every quarter.
Starting from 1796, the quarter had undergone 4 different material compositions, designs, and weight changes since it was first minted in 1796.
| Year Range | Silver Composition | Silver Weight | Total Weight | Weight Change |
| 1976-1838 | 89.24% | 6.014 grams 0.212 ounces | 6.739 grams 0.238 ounces | – |
| 1838-1873 | 90% | 6.014 grams 0.212 ounces | 6.682 grams 0.236 ounces | -0.845% |
| 1873-1964 | 90% | 5.625 grams 0.198 ounces | 6.25 grams 0.22 ounces | -6.465% |
| 1964-Present | 0% | 0 grams 0 ounces | 5.67 grans 0.2 ounces | -9.280% |
So, assuming you had a roll full of quarters from the same era, the weight of the quarter roll would be as follows:
| Quarter Year Range | Weight of Quarter | Number of Quarters per Roll | Total Weight of Quarters per Roll | Weight of Box of Quarter Rolls |
| 1976-1838 | 6.739 grams 0.238 ounces | 40 | 269.56 grams 9.52 ounces | 13,478 grams 476 ounces 29.75 pounds |
| 1838-1873 | 6.682 grams 0.236 ounces | 40 | 267.28 grams 9.44 ounces | 13,364 grams 472 ounces 29.5 pounds |
| 1873-1964 | 6.250 grams 0.22 ounces | 40 | 250 grams 8.8 ounces | 12,500 grams 440 ounces 27.5 pounds |
| 1964-Present | 5.670 grans 0.2 ounces | 40 | 226.8 grams 8 ounces | 11,340 grams 400 ounces 25 pounds |
Face Value of a Roll of Quarters
So far, we’ve looked at how much a roll of quarters and a box of quarter rolls weigh. But how much are they worth?
To calculate the face value of the quarters, you would simply need to multiply the number of quarters per roll or box.
- Face Value of a Roll of Quarters = 25¢ × Number of Quarters per Roll
- Face Value of a Roll of Quarters = 25¢ × 40
- Face Value of a Roll of Quarters = $10
Now, let’s see how much money you would have if you had a box of quarter rolls.
- Face Value of Box of Quarter Rolls = Face Value of a Roll of Quarters × 50
- Face Value of a Box of Quarter Rolls = $10 × 50
- Face Value of a Box of Quarter Rolls = $500
Exchange Value of a Roll of Silver Quarters
Just for fun, let’s assume you managed to collect 40 quarters from each period when quarters were minted with silver. Assuming you wanted to exchange the silver quarters for their exchange value–$3 to $5 each, according to Gainesville Coins—you would have the following:
- Exchange Value of a Roll of Silver Quarters = $3 to $5 × Number of Quarters per Roll
- Exchange Value of a Roll of Silver Quarters = $3 to $5 × 40
- Exchange Value of a Roll of Silver Quarters = $120 to $200
Now, if we had an entire box of silver quarters, you would have:
- Exchange Value of a Box of Silver Quarter Rolls = Exchange Value of a Roll of Silver Quarters × 50
- Exchange Value of a Box of Silver Quarter Rolls = $120 to $200 × 50
- Exchange Value of a Box of Silver Quarter Rolls = $6,000 to $10,000
Now, you have a good reason to carefully check the year your quarters were minted!
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