Rare and valuable quarters minted after 1965 can be worth a significant amount of money due to their rarity, condition, and historical significance, making collecting them an exciting endeavor. But what are they? Let's find out!
Quarters are 25-cent coins circulated since 1796, making them one of the oldest US currency denominations. In most cases, old coins are usually more valuable because it's difficult to find older ones in excellent condition.
Their rarity increases their value. For quarters, 1965 is the cut-off date. Quarters produced after 1965 are considered new coins and may be valued close to their face value. However, some quarters after 1965 are valued highly because of their uniqueness and errors. With that said, here are the 8 most valuable quarters after 1965.
1. 1965 Silver Quarter
In 1965, the US Mint began transitioning from using silver in its coins to using less expensive base metals due to a silver shortage which led to skyrocketing silver prices.
As a result, quarters minted in 1965 and later years do not contain as much silver as those minted in previous years. The US mint ended the production of most silver coins and instead used cost-effective materials such as copper and nickel.
Due to this, the older silver quarter became highly sought after and valuable to collectors. The older quarters have a starting value of $15 and can go for significantly higher prices when in excellent condition. This was not the case for the newer quarters after 1965, which rarely sold above $2.
However, the 1965 silver quarter is an exception. During the transition, various errors were made, and the 1965 silver dollar is a product of one such error. The US mint mistakenly struck the 1965 silver quarters with the older silver planchets.
Since only a few of these coins are valuable, their value is significantly high. A 1965 quarter can have a value of between $5000 and $10,000 and even higher when highly graded.
2. 2004 Wisconsin Extra Leaf Quarters
The 2004 Wisconsin quarter features a design of a cow, a wheel of cheese, and an ear of corn to represent Wisconsin's dairy industry and agricultural heritage. Due to a double die error, the 2004 Wisconsin state quarter has two different varieties: Extra Leaf Low and Extra Leaf High. This coin's error resulted in an extra leaf on the corn stalk on the coin's reverse side.
The extra leaf is pointing downwards for the Extra Leaf Low variety, while the Extra Leaf High variety has an extra leaf pointing upwards. These errors are what make the 2004 Wisconsin Extra Leaf quarters extremely valuable. They make the coins unique and appealing to collectors increasing the demand and hence increasing their value.
The Extra High Leaf variety can have a value of around $50 in circulated condition and up to $130 when uncirculated. On the other hand, the Extra Leaf Low can sell for around $30 circulated and up to $100 in uncirculated condition.
3. 2005 Minnesota Double Die Quarters
The 2005 Minnesota State Quarter is a circulating commemorative quarter dollar issued by the United States Mint in 2005 as part of the 50 State Quarters Program.
The design of the Minnesota quarter features a depiction of the state's famous lakes, a swimming duck, a boat with two fishermen on it, an elaborate treeline of pine trees on the river banks, and an outline of the Minnesota map with the motto Land of 10,000 Lakes inscribed inside.
With a background with so many features, it's not uncommon for errors to happen during the minting process. Therefore, the 2005 Minnesota quarter is another valuable coin with errors.
The most common error is the double die error which occurred when the coin is struck twice, causing a slight doubling of the design elements. This error is easily noticeable to the naked eye.
The doubling makes the Minnesota quarter a rare and valuable coin that can command a premium price in the market. A 2005 Minnesota Double Die quarter can sell for $50 in good condition but could go for more than $300 when in excellent condition.
4. Uncirculated 1982, 1983, and 1984 Washington Quarters
The Uncirculated 1982, 1983, and 1984 Washington quarters are those coins that have never been used and show no signs of wear or damage. Being in this condition makes them rare and highly sought after, therefore available at a premium price.
During the 1980 recession. Most coins were forced into circulation. Therefore, only a few coins remained uncirculated and preserved in excellent condition. The shortage of uncirculated coins inflated the value of the 1982, 1983, and 1984 Washington quarters that remained in mint state. They became more desirable and rarer to find on the collectors market.
Therefore, you should expect a mint state 1982, 1983, and 1984 Washington quarter to have a value of between $8 and 30. These coins can even be worth thousands of dollars.
5. 1999-P Connecticut Feeder Finger Error Quarter
Typically, the Connecticut quarter is not worth a lot. However, those coins with the feeder finger error are worth a fortune. During the minting process, the coin makers made the feeder fingers to push the planchets into place.
However, the feeders jammed, and some coins were struck on the feeder's finger. This resulted in coins with a distorted or missing portion or those with a blank area where the design should be. The coins with these errors are extremely valuable to collectors, especially if they are in uncirculated condition.
Depending on the extent of the error and the condition of the coin, a 1999-P Connecticut quarter with feeder finger error can sell for up to $3720.
6. 2000-P Maryland Wrong Strike Quarter
The 2000-P Maryland wrong strike quarters were struck on a smaller-sized planchet or in the wrong order. Therefore, most of their features seem out of place, making them unique and hence more valuable.
On the obverse side, you'll notice that George Washington's head seems off-center, and words like LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, and QUARTER DOLLAR appear to be bursting out. These types of errors are relatively rare and can increase the value of the 2000-P Maryland coin.
This coin should have a value of more than $20 when in good condition. However, it could go for a much higher value when in excellent condition. The coin's best price is 6325 USD in the best mint state.
7. 2005 Kansas Quarter Error
The 2005 Kansas quarter is a popular coin among collectors known for its In God We Rust error. During the minting process, the coin was struck through grease, leading to the omission or weakly stamped T in the word TRUST.
This uncommon error has attracted collectors, making the 2005 Kansas “In God We Rust” error coins highly sought after and can fetch higher prices than regular ones. Coins with this error can go for a price of more than $100 when in excellent condition.
8. 2002-P Indiana Quarter Struck on Dime Planchet
The 2002-P Indiana quarter is another highly valued quarter after 1965. Instead of striking the coin on the correct planchet, the makers placed the coin's art on a dime. Since dimes were smaller than planchets intended for the quarters, these coins were cut into extra small pieces, and their features appeared incomplete.
The coin's edges are also missing. While this was a huge error, this imperfection is what makes the 2002-P Indiana quarters valuable. The coin's best price in the mint state can be as high as $4025.
Conclusion
After 1965, most US quarters were made of a copper-nickel clad composition and were produced in large quantities for circulation. This means that most of these coins are common and worth only their face value. While that may be the case, we have some valuable quarters worth a fortune.
We hope that by now you know the top most valuable quarters after 1965. If you have any of the coins mentioned above, you may be sitting on a fortune worth thousands of dollars.
