The Washington Quarter, first struck in 1932, was originally intended to be a one year only commemorative coin issued to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of America's first president and one of its greatest heroes, George Washington. However, the coin proved so popular with the public, that beginning in 1934, it became the country's new regular-issue quarter. Originally struck in .900 fine silver, rising silver prices in the early 1960s forced the US mint to alter the metal composition. Starting in 1965, the Mint began issuing quarters made from a clad material containing only copper and nickel.