Did you know that some 1969 quarters are worth more than face value? Like way more than face value.
You should definitely be looking for 1969 Washington quarters in your pocket change!
Of course, you’re probably wondering how to tell a rare and valuable 1969 U.S. quarter that’s worth a lot of money from one that is worth only 25 cents.
Here’s how…
Fast Facts About The 1969 Washington Quarter
- The Washington quarter debuted in 1932 as a commemorative coin honoring the 200th anniversary of the birth of George Washington, a celebrated Revolutionary War general and later the first president of the United States.
- Sculptor John Flanagan designed the likeness of George Washington that became famous on the U.S. quarter. Washington’s portrait is based off a bust by Jean-Antoine Houdon. Flanagan paired the portrait of Washington on the obverse (“head’s side”) with a depiction of a heraldic eagle on the reverse (“tails side”).
- Washington quarters were made from a 90% silver composition from their inception in 1932 through 1964 — the year the U.S. Mint removed the precious metal from the quarter due to rising bullion costs.
- Beginning in 1965, all regular-issue circulating quarters (like the kind you find in your pocket change) are now made from a copper-nickel clad format. These clad Washington quarters contain no precious metals whatsoever.
- Therefore, despite what you may have heard, no 1969 silver quarters were struck by the U.S. Mint — all were struck in copper-nickel clad.
- That said, if any rare 1969 silver quarters were accidentally made, they would’ve been errors struck from old silver planchets. Such silver error quarters would, indeed, be valuable— most likely worth thousands of dollars!
How Much Is A 1969 Quarter Worth Today?
Following are the current values, plus tips to help you distinguish a 1969 Washington quarter worth face value from one that is worth much more…
1969 Quarter Value (No Mintmark)
The 1969 quarter with no mint mark is a relatively common coin in worn condition with a mintage of 176,212,000.
All 1969 Washington quarters with no mintmark were made at the Philadelphia Mint — which did not place any mint marks on its quarters at the time.
Here’s how much they’re worth:
- Circulated 1969 no-mintmark quarters with wear are worth their face value of 25 cents.
- Uncirculated 1969 Washington quarters with no mint mark in pristine condition are truly rare! Base-level uncirculated 1969 quarters are worth $5 to $10, while gem-quality uncirculated 1969 quarters are valuable coins fetching $20 to $50.
- The most valuable 1969 no mint mark quarter was graded MS-67 by Professional Coin Grading Service and sold for $3,290 in 2015.
1969-D Quarter Value
The 1969-D quarter has an even lower mintage than the 1969 no mintmark quarter — however, this is still a relatively common coin.
There were 114,372,000 quarters struck in 1969 with a “D” mint mark — indicating that they were made at the Denver Mint.
While not necessarily rare or valuable, 1969-D quarters are nevertheless tough to find in loose change anymore.
Here’s how much they’re worth:
- A worn example of a 1969-D quarter is worth face value of 25 cents.
- An uncirculated 1969-D quarter is worth about $4 and up, with the gem uncirculated specimens commanding about $18 or more!
- The most valuable 1969-D quarter was graded MS-68 by Professional Coin Grading Service and sold for $3,819 in a 2013 auction.
1969-S Quarter Value
The 1969-S quarter is a special type of coin that never circulated — rather, it was specially minted for coin collectors.
Modern proof coins like the 1969-S quarter are made with polished dies that are intentionally struck twice by specially prepared dies on high-tonnage presses to ensure that even the most minute details are fully struck.
Modern proof coins are generally packaged in sets at the U.S. Mint — which directly sells these proof sets to coin collectors and others who want them.
The 1969-S proof quarter was struck at the San Francisco Mint and hence bears the “S” mintmark.
A total of 2,934,631 were struck — all for inclusion in the 1969 proof set.
Back in the day, collectors could buy the 1969 proof set from the Mint for $5. Now, the 1969 proof set can be bought from coin dealers for around $10.
Here’s how much they’re worth:
- Individual 1969-S proof quarters normally trade for $1.50 to $3 apiece in typical condition.
- The most valuable 1969-S proof quarter was graded PR-69 Deep Cameo by Professional Coin Grading Service and crossed the auction block for $1,410 in 2013.
IMPORTANT: What Is The Grade Of Your 1969 Quarter?
To determine the true value of your 1969 Washington quarter, you first need to know what condition (or grade) your coin is in.
Grab a coin magnifier and a copy of the U.S. Coin Grading Standards book. Then, watch this video to see how to grade coins yourself at home:
Rare 1969 Quarter Errors And Their Values
Most 1969 Washington quarters that appear to have errors or varieties are really just showing some signs of post-mint damage and are worth their face value.
However, there are some really rare and valuable 1969 quarter errors worth big bucks!
Here are some of the most popular 1969 quarter errors and their current values…
1969 Doubled Die Quarter Error
Find a 1969 doubled die quarter?
If you did, then you have just landed a pretty valuable coin.
While most coins that appear to be doubled dies to beginners are really just showing signs of common machine doubling, a rare 1969 doubled die quarter could be worth $125 or more.
Look for signs of doubling in Washington’s eye, hairlines, the eagle’s feathers, and lettering on both sides of the coin.
1969 Quarter Without Ridges Error
Many folks report finding a 1969 U.S. quarter without ridges or edge reeding. Others think they see something wrong with the brown copper color on the edge of the coin — or no copper color at all.
Most of these 1969 quarter no ridge and/or rim errors are the result of post-mint damage.
However, there is a kind of 1969 quarter rim error known as a broadstrike — which looks flatter and wider than a normal quarter and has no edge reeding at all.
These are definite keepers! A 1969 quarter broadstrike error could trade for $25 or more.
1969 Off-Center Quarter Error
There are few quarter errors as popular as the off-center strike — which is a pretty drastic-looking oddity, in many cases.
A 1969 U.S. quarter that was struck off center may be as little as only 1% to 5% off-center or as much as 90% or more off-center.
A 1969 quarter that is 10% or 20% off center might snap up a bid of $20 or $30 — which isn’t too bad for a neat error like this. But a 1969 quarter that is about 50% off center yet still reveals a complete date could take $150 or even more!
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!
