Quarter Dollar · 1932–1998

Washington Quarter

George Washington's bust faces left with LIBERTY above, IN GOD WE TRUST at left, and the date below. An eagle with spread wings perches on a bundle of arrows above two olive branches, with E PLURIBUS UNUM above.

Designer

John Flanagan

Diameter

24.26 mm

Edge

Reeded

Mint mark

Reverse below the wreath (1932-1964); obverse right of the ribbon in Washington's hair (1968-1998); no quarters have mint marks 1965-1967

Composition

1932–1964: 90% silver, 10% copper · 6.25 g Silver

1965–1998: Copper-nickel clad (75% copper, 25% nickel outer layers over a pure copper core) · 5.67 g

Did you know? For America's 200th birthday, no quarter is dated 1975 — every quarter struck in 1975 and 1976 carries the dual date 1776-1976 and a Colonial drummer reverse. And in 1970 the San Francisco Mint accidentally struck a proof quarter on top of a 1941 Canadian quarter — the one-of-a-kind coin made headlines when it was offered for $35,000, which is why so many people check their 1970 quarters.

Beginner tip: Check the date first: anything 1964 or earlier is 90% silver and worth several dollars minimum, and a quick weigh helps too — silver quarters are 6.25 g, clad are 5.67 g.

Key dates to look for

1932-D Washington Quarter

$75 – $150 worn, $1,000+ uncirculated

First-year key, only 436,800 made

1932-S Washington Quarter

$75 – $140 worn, $500+ uncirculated

First-year key, only 408,000 made

1936-D Washington Quarter

$10 – $25 worn, $500+ uncirculated

Semi-key — cheap worn but scarce in high grade

1970-D Washington Quarter

Face value worn; $1 – $5 uncirculated

Very common in circulation (over 417 million made), but 1970 quarters are famous because of the unique 1970-S proof struck over a 1941 Canadian quarter — so give any 1970 quarter a second look for dramatic errors like clipped planchets, off-center strikes, and doubling

1976-S Washington Quarter

Silver versions $3 – $8; ordinary clad 1776-1976 quarters are face value

Bicentennial drummer reverse; San Francisco struck special 40% silver collector versions sold in mint sets

1982-P Washington Quarter

Face value worn; $10 – $50 in choice uncirculated

No mint sets were sold in 1982, so few were saved new — scarce in top condition

1983-P Washington Quarter

$1 – $5 lightly worn; $50 – $200+ in choice uncirculated

The best-known modern condition rarity — no 1983 mint sets and heavy circulation mean nice examples are genuinely hard to find

Valuable varieties & errors

1934 Doubled Die Obverse

rare

$50 – $500+ depending on wear

A misaligned hubbing in 1934 doubled the obverse lettering, most dramatically in the motto. It is one of the strongest doubled dies of the early Washington series.

How to check: With a loupe, read IN GOD WE TRUST to the left of Washington. On the variety every letter of the motto shows clear, separated doubling — thick letters with a visible second outline, not just a flat shelf.

1937 Doubled Die Obverse

extreme

$150 – $2,500+ depending on wear

A rotated hubbing produced bold doubling across the obverse. Far fewer exist than the 1934 doubled die, making this one of the rarest Washington quarter varieties.

How to check: Check IN GOD WE TRUST, LIBERTY, and the date under magnification. Genuine examples show strong, rounded doubling with separation on the motto and date — if the doubling looks flat and shelf-like, it is worthless machine doubling instead.

1942-D Doubled Die Obverse

rare

$100 – $2,000+ depending on wear

A Denver obverse die was hubbed twice slightly out of register, doubling the motto and date. It is a listed PCGS/NGC variety that still turns up in old silver accumulations.

How to check: Look at IN GOD WE TRUST with a loupe — the variety shows clear doubling on the motto letters, with LIBERTY and the date doubled more subtly. Confirm the D mint mark is below the wreath on the reverse.

1943-S Doubled Die Obverse

rare

$100 – $1,500+ depending on wear

A San Francisco obverse die from 1943 shows bold doubling from a misaligned hubbing. It is one of the more dramatic wartime doubled dies and is widely collected.

How to check: Under magnification, check the date and the letters of IN GOD WE TRUST and LIBERTY — the variety shows obvious separated doubling, strongest on the date digits. The S mint mark is on the reverse below the wreath.

1950-D/S Overmintmark

rare

$50 – $500+ depending on wear

In 1950 the Mint re-used dies between branch mints, punching a D over an existing S. It is one of a famous pair of overmintmarks from that year.

How to check: With a loupe, examine the mint mark below the wreath on the reverse. On the variety you can see curved remnants of an S peeking out from behind and inside the D. Compare with photos of the certified variety, since the traces are small.

1950-S/D Overmintmark

rare

$75 – $600+ depending on wear

The mirror twin of the 1950-D/S: a San Francisco die was punched with an S over an existing D. Both 1950 overmintmarks are listed by PCGS and NGC.

How to check: Check the mint mark below the wreath on the reverse. On the variety the S sits atop a D, and the straight upright and corners of the D remain visible poking out from the curves of the S.

1964-D Doubled Die Reverse

scarce

$25 – $300 depending on wear

In the final and busiest year of silver quarters, a Denver reverse die was hubbed with noticeable doubling. It is an affordable doubled die a beginner can realistically find in a bag of silver quarters.

How to check: Flip the coin over and read UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and QUARTER DOLLAR with a loupe — the variety shows clear doubling on the reverse lettering. The coin should also be 90% silver, so it weighs about 6.25 g.

1965 Struck on Silver Planchet

extreme

$5,000 – $15,000+

When the Mint switched from silver to clad in 1965, a few leftover 90% silver blanks were accidentally fed into the presses and struck with 1965 dies. These transitional errors are among the most valuable modern quarters.

How to check: Weigh the coin: a normal 1965 clad quarter is 5.67 g, but a silver one weighs about 6.25 g. Also check the edge — clad quarters show a copper-colored stripe, while a silver coin's edge is solid silver-white. Any candidate must be authenticated by PCGS or NGC.

1970-S Proof Struck Over 1941 Canadian Quarter

extreme

Unique — offered at $35,000; not something you can find, but the reason 1970 quarters get checked

A 1941 Canadian quarter somehow ended up in the San Francisco proof presses and was struck with 1970 proof quarter dies, leaving ghostly traces of the Canadian design underneath. It is unique — only one exists — and it made national news when offered for sale at $35,000.

How to check: You will not find another one: this is a one-of-a-kind coin, and the single known example is already accounted for. Its fame is still a good reason to inspect any odd-looking 1970 quarter, because genuine wrong-planchet and overstrike errors from other years do surface. Anything suspicious should be weighed and sent to PCGS or NGC.

1970-S Proof Doubled Die Obverse

scarce

$50 – $500 depending on strength and grade

Some 1970-S proof quarters were struck from an obverse die with visible hub doubling. Since proofs come from mint sets, examples survive in high grade.

How to check: On a mirror-finish proof with an S below the ribbon, check IN GOD WE TRUST and LIBERTY with a loupe — the variety shows distinct doubling on the motto letters. This only exists on proofs, so a dull circulated coin will not be one.

1976 Doubled Die Obverse (Bicentennial)

scarce

$30 – $300 depending on wear

Some Philadelphia Bicentennial quarters were struck from an obverse die with hub doubling in the lettering. It gives the famous drummer-reverse quarter a collectible twist.

How to check: On a 1776-1976 quarter with no mint mark, check IN GOD WE TRUST and LIBERTY with a loupe for clear, separated doubling on the letters. Flat, shelf-like doubling is common machine doubling and adds no value.

Error types found on this series

Doubled Die (Obverse)

The front design shows a second, shifted image because the die itself was made doubled.

Doubled Die (Reverse)

Same as a doubled die obverse, but the doubling appears on the back of the coin.

Repunched Mint Mark (RPM)

The mint mark was punched into the die more than once, slightly off position, leaving a doubled letter.

Wrong Planchet

A coin struck on a blank intended for a different denomination or country — like a quarter design on a nickel blank.

Off-Center Strike

The blank wasn't centered when struck, so part of the design is missing and part of the coin is blank.

Clipped Planchet

A bite-shaped piece of the coin is missing because the blank was punched from an already-punched part of the metal strip.

Die Crack

A crack in the die fills with metal during the strike, leaving a thin raised line on the coin.

Machine Doubling

The die bounced or chattered at the moment of striking, smearing a flat shelf-like second edge onto the design.

Strike-Through

A foreign object — cloth, wire, grease, or a metal fragment — was on the blank when it was struck, leaving its impression in the coin.

Missing Clad Layer

A dime, quarter, or half is missing its outer silver-colored layer on one side, exposing the copper core.

Real photos where available (credits); others are illustrations.

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