Believe it or not, some 1987 Washington quarters are worth more than $600 apiece!
How can you tell if you have a 1987 quarter worth hundreds of dollars versus one that’s worth just a quarter of a dollar?
In this article, you will learn exactly what to look for — so you can tell valuable 1987 quarters apart from the ones you can safely spend at face value.
Fun Facts About 1987 Quarters
The Washington quarter was originally released in 1932.
The coin, showing a portrait of President George Washington and a heraldic eagle by John Flanagan, looked pretty much the same from the time of the coin’s initial release through 1998.
The only exception to this was a commemorative colonial drummer boy redesign in 1975-76 for the nation’s bicentennial.
Is the 1987 quarter silver?
It’s a common question — are 1987 quarters silver? And if so, what is the 1987 silver quarter worth?
The answer is NO, there is not a 1987 silver quarter.
All 1987 quarters were struck from a copper-nickel clad composition, and there are no known 1987 silver error quarters. Therefore, 1987 quarters have no significant bullion value.
Here is a list of all U.S. silver quarters.
What does a 1987 quarter weigh?
The standard weight of a 1987 quarter is 5.67 grams.
However, some 1987 quarters weigh slightly more or less than that. There is a tolerance of .227 grams — meaning that an uncirculated 1987 quarter can weigh as little as 5.44 grams or as much as 5.9 grams and still be within its official weight parameters.
Of course, some worn 1987 quarters may weigh much less than even 5.44 grams due to everyday wear or post-mint damage (such as porosity, cuts, and the like).
If you don’t have a coin scale yet, these are the best scales for weighing U.S. coins. (Also, another helpful tool for inspecting your coins more closely is a coin magnifier.)
Where is the mintmark on a 1987 quarter?
All 1987 quarters have mint letter stamps, which are known as mintmarks. The mintmark symbolizes where a coin is made. You will find one of these 3 mintmarks on your 1987 quarter:
- P = Philadelphia Mint
- D = Denver Mint
- S = San Francisco Mint
You will find the mintmark on 1987 quarters on the right side of the obverse (“heads side”) just behind — to the right of — the bow in George Washington’s ponytail.
Are 1987 quarters rare?
More than 1.2 billion (with a B!) 1987 quarters were struck. Needless to say, that’s a lot of coins. And that also means there are many of these coins still milling about out there in circulation — popping up in pocket change and being held aside by coin collectors. Therefore, the 1987 quarter is considered a common coin.
Here’s a good explanation of mintage numbers for U.S. coins.
But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some rare 1987 quarters worth looking for! We’re going to showcase some of the most valuable 1987 quarters below…
How Much Is A 1987 Quarter Worth Today?
Now, let’s see which 1987 quarters are worth more than face value…
1987-P Quarter Value
The Philadelphia Mint struck 582,499,481 examples of the 1987-P quarter. These coins readily turn up in circulation and collector channels.
- These are common coins worth only face value of 25 cents if worn.
- In uncirculated grades, they sell for between $1 and $2.
- The most valuable 1987-P quarter was graded Mint State-67 by Professional Coin Grading Service, and it sold for $689.98 in 2018.
1987-D Quarter Value
A whopping 655,594,696 specimens of the 1987-D quarter were struck at the Denver Mint. Like the Philly 1987 quarter, the Denver quarter from that same year is also a common coin.
- A circulated 1987-D quarter is worth face value of 25 cents.
- An uncirculated 1987-D quarter sells for $1 to $2.
- The most valuable 1987-D quarter was graded Mint State-67 by Professional Coin Grading Service and fetched $675.63 in a 2015 auction.
1987-S Quarter Value
A total of 4,227,728 examples of the 1987-S quarter were produced at the San Francisco Mint. Yet, despite millions of these coins being made, you may never find a 1987-S quarter in circulation. Why? Because it wasn’t intended to circulate!
The 1987-S quarter was made for inclusion in 1987 proof sets — which consist of coins made using polished blanks that were struck by specially prepared dies. Proof sets are sold by the U.S. Mint directly to the public and are intended as collectibles that are meant to be kept intact in their sets. However, sometimes non-collectors who inherit proof sets don’t realize that they are collectible items and proceed to spend the coins as regular money for face value. Thus, proof coins do occasionally turn up in circulation, and that’s why there’s a chance you may indeed find a 1987-S quarter in your pocket change.
- A typical 1987-S quarter will sell for $2 to $5.
- The most valuable 1987-S quarter was graded Proof-70 Deep Cameo and commanded $236 in a 2003 auction.
IMPORTANT: What Is The Grade Of Your 1987 Quarter?
To determine the true value of your 1987 quarter, you first need to know what condition (or grade) your coin is in.
So, grab a coin loupe and a copy of the U.S. Coin Grading Standards book. Then, watch this video to see how to grade coins yourself at home:
These are the best coin grading apps that make grading coins yourself SO much easier!
Rare 1987 Error Quarters To Look For
Some of the most valuable 1987 quarters are those that are NOT perfect!
Let’s look at what some of the most collectible 1987 quarters with errors and varieties are worth…
1987 Off-Center Quarter Error
Off-center errors are particularly cool, as they are frequently missing a huge chunk of their design — leaving an unintended blank space on the coin. While all off-center coins are technically errors, not all of these error coins are necessarily valuable.
Some off-center coins are missing only a small piece of their design — or have just minor portion of the design. In either case, values tend to be lower for coins that are either just a little off center or are way, way, off center.
Coins that are 5% to 10% off center may sell for $20 to $30. However, some of the most valuable off-center quarters are those that are about 50% off center and still show a complete date. Such 1987 off center coins that are missing about half of their design can be worth $150 or more.
1987 Doubled Die Quarter Error
One of the most common questions we receive involves the value of double die coins — which are correctly called doubled die coins.
There aren’t many super-valuable 1987 doubled die quarters known to exist at this time.
Still, there are some 1987 doubled die quarters with obscure doubling that are worth looking for. You’re most likely to find evidence of a doubled die by checking among the letters in inscriptions, eye detail on the Washington portrait, or feather details on the reverse (“tails side”).
Values for these can range anywhere from $20 to $50 or more.
1987 No Ridges / Smooth Edge Quarter Error
This has got to be one of the top quarter error questions we receive… It seems a lot of people are finding quarters without ridges, or the reeds (or lines) that are normally found on the edges of these coins. In most cases, this is due to heavy edge wear caused by using these coins in vending machines. Such 1987 quarters are worth only their face value.
But there is a type of error coin known as a broadstrike that also can have a smooth edge. Broadstrikes are created when a coin is struck outside of its retaining collar — which keeps the coin at the correct thickness and diameter while imparting edge reeding on coins that have this feature. Broadstrikes are typically wider and thinner than normal yet are of the correct weight.
A broadstrike 1987 quarter can be worth $20 to $30.
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!
