As pennies, nickels, and dimes seem to be playing a lesser, direct role in commerce (because prices keep going up, up, up!), it appears that the U.S. quarter remains perhaps the most important and most used coin in our everyday transactions.
Quarters are used in everything from toll booth payments to vending machines. And with only 4 needed to obtain a dollar, they remain among the most convenient of coins to use.
Quarters are equally important to coin collectors. Many numismatists love quarters. After all, not only do they represent a vital part of our economy and commerce, there are also many types (designs) of quarters that our nation has minted, keeping collectors busy and intrigued.
The United States' first quarter was release in 1796. Since then, the quarter has seen several design variations -- not including the 50 state quarters designs, which have been minted since 1999.
The list below includes all the different designs of U.S. quarters since 1796 -- except for the statehood quarters which includes so many different designs (50) it would require a separate list unto itself.
Designs of U.S. Quarters
- Draped Bust with Small Eagle on Reverse 1796
- Draped Bust with Heraldic Eagle on Reverse 1804-1807
- Capped Bust on large quarter (27 mm diameter) 1815-1828
- Capped Bust on small quarter (24.3 mm--current diameter) 1831-1838
- Liberty Seated without Motto Above Eagle 1838-1853
- Liberty Seated with Arrows by the Date and Rays Around Eagle 1853
- Liberty Seated with Arrows by the Date and No Rays Around Eagle 1854-1855, 1875-1891
- Liberty Seated with Motto Above Eagle 1866-1873
- Liberty Seated with Arrows by the Date 1873-1874
- Liberty Head (Barber) 1982-1916
- Standing Liberty, Type I 1916
- Standing Liberty, Type II, High Date 1917-1924
- Standing Liberty, Type II, Recessed Date 1925-1930
- Washington, 90% Silver 1932-1964
- Washington, Copper-Nickel Clad 1965-Present
- Washington, with Bicentennial Commemorative Design 1975-1976 (All dated 1776-1976)
- Washington with 50 State Quarters Designs 1999-2008
Types of U.S. Quarters
There are many distinct designs and varieties as listed above, but suffice it to say that many "type" collectors break down the entire run of quarters to only the following 5 types:
Bust 1796-1838
Liberty Seated 1838-1891
Barber 1892-1916
Standing Liberty 1916-1930
Washington 1932 to present
You see, when cost becomes a factor, coin collectors have the license to "custom-design" so to speak what they determine to be a "complete collection." The abbreviated list above is representative of a common means of minimizing how many coins are needed to "complete" a type set, as all minor design variations are eliminated.
Values for these coins vary widely. I highly recommend you peruse a price guide such as that offered by the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) or in the very comprehensive and educational Guide Book of United States Coins by R.S. Yeoman and Kenneth Bressett.
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