1932 Quarter Value (Find Out How Much Your 1932 Washington Silver Quarters Are Worth!)

The 1932 Washington silver quarters are worth a lot of money!

Not just because they contain a 90% silver composition — but also because they mark the first year Washington quarters were struck.

There are at least two kinds of rare and valuable 1932 silver quarters, which I’ll describe in a minute.

But you will be happy to know that all 1932 quarters are worth much more than face value in worn (circulated) condition… and they’re worth REALLY big bucks in uncirculated condition!

I’m going to show you exactly what to look for on your 1932 quarters AND how much 1932 silver quarters are worth today…

Why Are 1932 Quarters Special?

The year 1932 wasn’t a great time for a lot of people. Not only was it during the infamous period of economic malaise known as the Great Depression, but it was also just about the very worst time of that whole era. Joblessness was high, incomes (for many who even had one) were low, and prospects looked dim for many Americans.

Things were so tough for most Americans that there wasn’t much of a need to strike high-value coinage. In fact, the U.S. Mint put a pause on striking nickels, dimes, quarters, half dollars, and silver dollars during the early 1930s.

But the United States Mint wanted to celebrate the bicentennial of the nation’s most famous founding father in grand fashion. Revolutionary War hero and first president George Washington was born in 1732, and so officials at the United States Mint decided to place Washington’s bust on the quarter as a one-year-only commemorative design.

Originally, sculptor-engraver Laura Gardin Fraser (whose husband James Earle Fraser designed the Buffalo nickel) was set to design the Washington quarter. Her design features a right-facing bust of Washington on the “head’s side” (obverse) and a heraldic eagle surrounded by stars on the “tail’s side” (reverse). Mint officials, the United States Congress George Washington Bicentennial Committee, and the Fine Arts Commission all wanted Fraser’s design to grace the quarter.

However, the decision ultimately came down to Treasury Secretary Andrew W. Mellon, who opted for a roughly similar design by sculptor John Flanagan instead.

It was Flanagan’s design that became the face of the Washington quarter for decades and decades thereafter — debuting in 1932 and usurping the beautiful Standing Liberty motif that had appeared on the U.S. quarter since 1916.

Incidentally, Fraser’s design for the obverse of the Washington quarter was resurrected on American Women Quarters in 2022.

Mintage numbers for the 1932 silver quarter were relatively small — given the fact the coin was minted more as a commemorative AND the lack of demand from the public during the ongoing Great Depression.

The Philadelphia Mint, Denver Mint, and San Francisco Mint all struck 1932 Washington silver quarters — and these coins are highly sought after by collectors.

Are 1932 Quarters Rare & Valuable?

Yes, all 1932 silver quarters are worth more than their face value — and many of them are rare!

So… how can you tell a semi-valuable 1932 quarter from the rare silver quarters from 1932 that are worth a whole lot of money?

Much of it comes down to what mintmark is (or is NOT) on the back of your 1932 silver quarter.

Before I get into values, let’s talk about rarity. Rarity wise, all 1932 quarters are scarce.

Take a look at what I mean… Here’s how many 1932 quarters were made:

• 1932 No Mintmark Quarter (from the Philadelphia Mint) — 5,404,000
• 1932-D Quarter (from the Denver Mint) — 436,800
• 1932-S Quarter (from the San Francisco Mint) — 408,000

Those are some rather small numbers for a Washington quarter, especially in the case of the Denver and San Francisco issues! That’s right — there are fewer than a half-million each for the 1932-D and 1932-S quarters.

To put into perspective how scarce the 1932-D and 1932-S silver quarters are, the famous and rare 1909-S VDB Lincoln penny has a mintage of 484,000 — that means more of those were struck than either the 1932-D or 1932-S quarters!

However, mintages don’t tell the whole story on their own about how rare a coin really is. Populations and survival estimates are better at that.

Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) estimates that approximately 44,000 examples of the 1932-D silver quarter exist, while the 1932-S silver quarter offers around 40,000. Conversely, there are about 50,000 to 60,000 specimens of the 1909-S VDB penny believed to exist.

Now, bear in mind, demand for the 1932-S and 1932-S quarters may not be as high as with the 1909-S VCB penny — but the point remains that the 1932-D and 1932-S silver quarters are rare and valuable!

So, just how much are 1932 quarters worth? Let’s find out!…

What Are 1932 Silver Quarters Worth Today?

The 1932 Washington quarter is valuable for many reasons, including:

• They’re made from a 90% silver composition
• 1932 quarters from the Denver and San Francisco mints are rare
• All 1932 quarters are regarded as first-year-of-issue coins, making them especially collectible

That being said, ALL 1932 quarters are worth more than their face value — and some are worth more than others.

In the most basic sense, all 1932 quarters are worth at least their silver value, which fluctuates based on the current silver price.

Here’s a breakdown on 1932 silver quarter values today:

• 1932 no mintmark silver quarter: Silver spot value if heavily worn; $40+ in uncirculated condition
• 1932-D silver quarter: $75 to $150 if heavily worn; $1,000+ in uncirculated condition
• 1932-S silver quarter: $70 to $125 if heavily worn; $400+ in uncirculated condition

*Values are for 1932 silver quarters that are NOT cleaned, holed, or damaged in any way.

What’s The Most Valuable 1932 Silver Quarter?

You may be wondering what the MOST valuable 1932 silver quarters are worth. (Many people will be surprised!)

Check out these record prices for each of the three types of 1932 quarters:

• The most valuable 1932 silver quarter with no mintmark is a Mint State-67 example that sold for $40,250 in 2012.
• The record price for the public sale of a Mint State-66 1932-D quarter is $143,750 in 2008.
• The highest price ever paid in public auction for a 1932-S quarter was $45,500, paid in 2020 for a Mint State-66 example.