The first old silver quarter I ever received as a collector was dated 1953, and today it’s worth a whole lot more than face value.
It was this realization that old silver quarters are valuable that helped inspire me as a young coin collector to continue looking for rare coins and other interesting things in my pocket change.
These days, my coin collection has grown to include more silver coins like this valuable 1953 quarter.
You’re probably wondering what 1953 quarters are really worth — especially if you have some yourself.
What is the 1953 silver quarter value? I’m going to tell you…
What You Need To Know About 1953 Quarters
You probably already know that all U.S. quarters made in 1964 or earlier contain 90% silver.
Therefore, all 1953 quarters are worth more than their 25-cent face value — based on silver content alone. The question is just how much more?
I’m going to get into that in a minute, but there are some important things you should know about 1953 silver quarters first.
Where is the mint mark on a 1953 quarter?
Look at a 1953 quarter and you’ll find a portrait of first U.S. President George Washington on the obverse (“heads side”) and a heraldic eagle on the reverse (“tails side”). This design by John Flanagan first appeared on the coin in 1932.
You’re going to find the “D” mintmark of the Denver Mint or “S” from San Francisco on the reverse in the lower-center portion of the coin under the wreath and above the “ER” of “QUARTER.”
What if you don’t see a mintmark there on a 1953 quarter? Then that means it was struck at the Philadelphia Mint, which did not put any mintmark or mint letter stamp on Washington quarters in 1953.
How much should a 1953 silver quarter weigh?
The standard weight of a 1953 90% silver quarter is 6.25 grams.
However, if your silver quarter doesn’t weigh exactly 6.25 grams, that doesn’t automatically mean it’s an error!
The permitted tolerances (or leeway) for the weight of a silver United States quarter is .194 grams more or less — meaning an uncirculated 1953 silver quarter may weigh as little as 6.05 grams or as much as 6.44 grams and still be perfectly normal.
And that doesn’t account for a 1953 quarter that may weigh even less than 6.05 grams due to loss of metal through wear, tear, and damage.
In other words, if your silver quarter weighs a little more or markedly less than 6.25 grams, it’s most likely not an error.
If you don’t already have a coin scale, these are the best scales for weighing U.S. coins. (Another helpful tool for inspecting your coins closely is a coin magnifier.)
Are 1953 quarters rare or common?
Generally speaking, the 1953 quarter is a common coin.
All told, nearly 90 million were struck across the three United States Mint locations (Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco Mints) that were actively striking coins at that time.
However, that doesn’t mean that all 1953 quarters are considered common…
Examples of 1953 quarters in exceptional condition are rare and worth more money — due to their pristine state of preservation.
Errors and varieties are considered scarce, as are proof specimens that were specially struck and sold by the mint directly to coin collectors.
Here’s the difference between rare coins vs. scarce coins in numismatics.
All 1953 Silver Quarter Values Today
The value of 1953 silver quarters (especially well-worn examples that have no errors or varieties) is highly dependent on the current silver bullion price.
Because the prices of silver are up and down, I’m going to list 1953 quarter prices on the basis of silver being $20 per ounce.
Here goes…
1953 Quarter Value (No Mintmark)
The Philadelphia Mint made 18,536120 circulation-strike quarters in 1953, along with 128,800 proof quarters.
Certainly, the circulation strikes are far more common than the proofs. Of the two Philly-Mint types from 1953, circulating strikes are the kind you’re most likely to find when searching through rolls or receiving in an inherited coin collection.
In general, a circulation strike 1953 quarter with no mintmark is worth $5 to $8 in average circulated condition.
Uncirculated 1953 quarters with no mint mark sell for around $10 and up.
A 1953 proof quarter with no mintmark has a value of $35 to $50.
1953-D Quarter Value
The 1953-D quarter is the most common of the various 25-cent U.S. Mint issues that year — with a total output of 56,112,400 examples coming from the Denver Mint.
Values for circulated 1953-D quarters hover around $5 to $8.
Uncirculated 1953-D quarters sell for $10 or more.
1953-S Quarter Value
The 1953-S quarter saw the lowest mintage of the three different circulation-strike Washington quarters that year. Only 14,016,000 of the 1953-S quarters were made at the San Francisco Mint — which, in the scope of circulating U.S. coin production, is a rather small number of coins.
Even still, values for the 1953-S quarter are similar to those for the 1953 no mintmark and 1953-D circulation strikes.
Well-worn examples of the 1953-S quarter are worth in the neighborhood of $5 to $8.
Uncirculated 1953-S quarters start around $10 and go up from there.
Rare 1953 Quarter Errors And Their Values
There are some pretty funky errors out there…
For example, any 1953 quarters with real errors and not just post-mint damage can bring a lot of money. Errors like off-center strikes or broadstrikes can easily be worth $50 or more apiece. But there are some crazy 1953 quarter errors worth a whole lot more than that!
Here are a few examples of rare and valuable 1953 quarter errors:
- 1953 no mintmark quarter struck on a dime planchet — sold for $1,495 in 2008
- 1953-S quarter double struck, second strike 75% off center — sold for $1,057.50 in 2013
- 1953 no mintmark proof quarter with re-engraved tailfeathers variety — sold for $630
The Most Valuable 1953 Quarter
You’re probably curious which 1953 quarter is the most valuable today.
It might not come as a shock to you that the most valuable 1953 quarters are the ones that are in nearly perfect condition — and they can sell for many hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
But the most valuable 1953 quarter didn’t just sell for four-figure thousands — it took five figures!
The most valuable of the 1953 quarters is a proof specimen that was graded Proof-69 Ultra Cameo by Numismatic Guaranty Company and sold for a whopping $15,600 in a 2021 auction.
READ NEXT: A List Of All Rare U.S. Quarters
I’m the Coin Editor here at TheFunTimesGuide. My love for coins began when I was 11 years old. I primarily collect and study U.S. coins produced during the 20th century. I’m a member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA) and the Numismatic Literary Guild (NLG) and have won multiple awards from the NLG for my work as a coin journalist. I’m also the editor at the Florida United Numismatists Club (FUN Topics magazine), and author of Images of America: The United States Mint in Philadelphia (a book that explores the colorful history of the Philadelphia Mint). I’ve contributed hundreds of articles for various coin publications including COINage, The Numismatist, Numismatic News, Coin Dealer Newsletter, Coin Values, and CoinWeek. I’ve authored nearly 1,000 articles here at The Fun Times Guide to Coins (many of them with over 50K shares), and I welcome your coin questions in the comments below!
