It is hardly a secret among the general public and collectors that the quarter dollar is the most popular coin used today in the marketplace. This was not always true, however, and for many years the silver quarters struck at the Philadelphia Mint were not all that common in the hands of the citizenry. Yet, at the same time, the denomination was widely used in commerce, which requires an explanation. In 1783, the Treaty of Peace ending the Revolutionary War had allowed the government to consider other matters besides military affairs, and one of these was a coinage for the new nation. Various ideas were discussed, and even a few patterns struck, but the debates sharpened in 1784 and 1785. One of the proposals was for a silver quarter dollar, but other wanted a 20-cent piece.
The problem arose from the fact that the Spanish 2-reale piece, which was 1/4 of the 8 reales (dollar), circulated widely in the United States, but there was another 2 reales worth only 20 cents. The first-named was struck in the Spanish-American mints, such as Mexico City and Potosí, but the lighter coins were made in Spain and called “pistareens” by the public. The pistareens were well used in Virginia and other Southern states.
An influential congressman from Virginia named Thomas Jefferson was in favor of the 20-cent version and was to prevail. In 1786, the Confederation Government passed a coinage bill including
