Being a popular coin among collectors, you may ask yourself, are the Washington quarters worth money? Let's find out which ones are the most valuable.
The Washington Quarter was first issued in 1932 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of George Washington's birth. After being widely accepted, the Washington quarter replaced the Standing Liberty quarter, which had been in circulation since 1916.
As a collector, it’s important to have a stockpile of valuable coins, some of which may be worth a fortune. In this article, we'll look at some of the most valuable Washington quarters. Keep reading to find out which ones are worth the money.
Features of the Washington Quarter
The key features of the most valuable Washington Quarters include:
On the obverse side
- Portrait of George Washington
- The words “Liberty”, “the Date” and “In God We Trust”.
On the reverse side
- You will see the image of an eagle with wings spread out.
- A bundle of arrows
- The words “United States of America”, “E Pluribus Unum”, and “Quarter Dollar”.
Note that on both the obverse and reverse sides of the coin, the words are located at different sections.
The Washington quarter has undergone several design changes over the years. The original Washington quarters have a 90% silver metal composition, which translated to about 6.25g. After 1964, the overall metal composition of these popular coins changed to 75% copper and 25% nickel, and was consequently referred to as Clad Coins.
Examples of Most Valuable Washington Quarters
Here is a roundup of some of the most valuable Washington Quarters you might want to check out:
1. 1932 D Washington Quarter, 25C MS66 PCGS
- Mintage: 436,800
- Metal composition: 0.9 Silver & 0.1 Copper
- Diameter: 24.3mm
- Weight: 6.25g
- Approx. Value: $89,130
2. 1932-S Washington Quarter, 25C MS66 PCGS Secure. CAC
- Mintage: 408000
- Metal Composition: 0.9 Silver & 0.1 Copper
- Diameter: 24.3mm
- Weight: 6.25g
- Approx. Value: $43,200
4. 1937 P Washington Quarter, 25C PCGS/CAC MS66 (Double Die Obverse)
- Mintage: —
- Metal Composition: 0.9 Silver & 0.1 Copper
- Diameter: 24.3mm
- Weight: 6.25g
- Approx. Value: $22,250
4. 1941 D Washington Quarter, 25C MS68 PCGS. CAC
- Mintage: 16,714,800
- Metal Composition: 0.9 Silver & 0.1 Copper
- Diameter: 24.3mm
- Weight: 6.25g
- Approx. Value: $20,700
5. 1964 D Washington Quarter, MS-68 (PCGS).CAC
- Mintage: 704,135,528
- Metal Composition: 0.9 Silver & 0.1 Copper
- Diameter: 24.3mm
- Weight: 6.25g
- Approx. Value: $38,400
6. 1950 D Washington Quarter, 25C PR68 Deep Cameo PCGS
- Mintage: –
- Metal Composition: 0.9 Silver & 0.1 Copper
- Diameter: 24.3mm
- Weight: 6.25g
- Approx. Value: $31,200
7. 1941 S Washington Quarter, 25C PCGS MS68
- Mintage: 16,080,000
- Metal Composition: 0.9 Silver & 0.1 Copper
- Diameter: 24.3mm
- Weight: 6.25g
- Approx. Value: $28,750
8. 1961 D Washington Quarter, MS 67+ PCGS. CAC
- Mintage: 83,656,928
- Metal Composition: 0.9 Silver & 0.1 Copper
- Diameter: 24.3mm
- Weight: 6.25g
- Approx. Value: $24,000
9. 1962 Washington Quarter, 25C MS67+ PCGS Gold Shield
- Mintage: 39,374,019
- Metal Composition: 0.9 Silver & 0.1 Copper
- Diameter: 24.3mm
- Weight: 6.25g
- Approx. Value: $26,500
10. 1963 D Washington Quarter, MS-68 PCGS
- Mintage: 135,288,184
- Metal Composition: 0.9 Silver & 0.1 Copper
- Diameter: 24.3mm
- Weight: 6.25g
- Approx. Value: $24,000
Pro Tips!
- The above list of the most valuable Washington Quarters worth money is not exhaustive.
- All the listed Washington Quarters are available in different varieties.
Factors Affecting the Value of A Washington Quarter
If you are a seasoned collector, you know that Washington quarters, just like all other collectibles, fetch different amounts. The final value of the coin is down to a number of factors, including:
Material Composition
Washington quarters are made of a mix of at least two metals. The most common ones include Nickel, Silver, or Copper. On this basis, these quarters can be broadly classified into:
a). Silver Coins
These Washington quarters in this category have a significantly large composition of silver. For instance, most of them have at least 90% silver and 10% copper. All of them were minted between 1932 and 1964.
b). Bicentennial design
These coins were minted in commemoration of Washington Quarters’ 200 years of existence. In terms of metal composition, they were made of 60% copper and 40% silver metals. Quite a number of these categories of Washington quarters were minted and some are still in circulation to-date. They were minted in 1976.
c). Clad Coins
These coins have a multi-layered design. At the core, they have pure copper. The rest of the coin is made of an alloy of copper and nickel. They have a characteristic silvery finish, a feature they share with the Half Dollar.
Condition of the Coin
The condition of the Washington Quarter determines how much it can fetch in the market. For instance, uncirculated Washington quarter coins that are still encased and in their original mint state, fetch more than circulated Washington quarter coins that are in a good state.
Mint Mark and Year of Minting
There were only three mints; Philadelphia (P), Denver (D), and San Francisco (S). The value of the coins varies depending on their mint location. Only coins with the respective mint marks (P, D, or S) are worth more than their face value.
Be sure to always check that. And just in case you aren’t aware, Denver (D) and Philadelphia (P) mints produced no coins in 1933. That’s one of the checks pro collectors use to identify counterfeits masquerading as original Washington quarters.
Also, locate the D and P mint marks on the right side of the reverse side. For Coins with the S mint mark, locate the letter on the reverse side below the olive branch.
Minting Errors
Rare Washington quarters with minting errors tend to fetch more and are highly sought after. If you come across such coins, especially those minted before 1965, you can count yourself very lucky. That’s a jackpot right there.
There are different types of minting errors associated with different quarters, Washington coins included. Some errors fetch more than others, especially because of their rarity.
Where to Buy Washington Quarters
If you are only getting started collecting Washington quarters, it’s important to research adequately so that you have enough info about these coins. You can find valuable info about these coins on Amazon. If you wish to buy or sell Washington quarters worth money, consider paying a visit to a reputable local dealer. They should be able to help you out.
Conclusion
There you have it. We have covered the most valuable Washington quarters worth thousands of dollars. It's also important to note that the value of Washington quarters depends on several factors, including rarity, date, material composition, mintmark, and condition.
Therefore, expect some Washington quarters to be more valuable than others. It’s also important to do your research so that you have adequate info regarding market trends and the approximate worth of these coins. That being said, we come to the end of this post. Hope you found it very useful.
