Wondering if you have any rare and valuable 1997 Washington quarters worth more than face value?
If you do, you could be sitting on serious cash money!
Of course, you’ve got to know which 1997 quarters are rare and which ones are worth just face value.
The problem is… to the untrained eye, the valuable 1997 quarters can look pretty much like common coins.
So, how can you tell which 1997 quarters are worth keeping?
Here’s everything you need to know…
Are 1997 Quarters Rare?
The 1997 quarter seems to be turning up with less frequency as the years go on. So naturally, collectors are curious if these old quarters are worth looking for.
In general, 1997 quarters are very common coins.
Nearly 1.2 billion were struck in 3 different U.S. Mint facilities. (Read more about this below.)
Most of these coins entered circulation. However, some were made only for coin collectors, and others that were struck for use in commerce were saved in coin collections. A few are rare by the fact that they are in such pristine condition — only a handful of 1997 quarters are in these top grades, and thus are considered rare coins from that perspective.
Otherwise, 1997 quarters are fairly rudimentary in nature. All carry the same head’s side (obverse) portrait of George Washington and heraldic eagle motif on the tail’s side (reverse). These designs were originally engraved on the Washington quarter in 1932 by John Flanagan.
Where Is The Mintmark On A 1997 Quarter?
Trying to find the mint letter stamp (a.k.a. mintmark) on your 1997 Washington quarter?
You will find it just to the right side of the Washington portrait — behind the bow of his ponytail.
You will see one of these 3 mintmarks on every 1997 quarter:
- “P” mintmark (Philadelphia Mint)
- “D” mintmark (Denver Mint)
- “S” mintmark (San Francisco Mint)
If you happen to find a 1997 quarter with no mint letter stamp, it’s most likely a post-mint alteration — because there are currently no errors of this kind known to exist on 1997 quarters.
How Much Do 1997 Quarters Weigh?
In terms of metal composition and weight, there are two kinds of 1997 quarters:
- 1997 copper-nickel clad quarters — These have a standard weight of 5.67 grams.
- 1997 90% silver quarters — Their standard weight is 6.25 grams.
How else can you tell a 1997 silver quarter apart from a clad one?
By the presence of an “S” mintmark. Since all 1997 silver quarters were struck at the San Francisco Mint, they will all have an “S” mint stamp.
However, not all 1997-S quarters are made from silver. (More about this in a minute.)
Need a coin scale? These are the best scales for weighing U.S. coins.
TIP: Now is a good time to grab a coin magnifier and a copy of the U.S. Coin Grading Standards book. These are the two best tools that will help you determine the value of all U.S. coins.
A List Of All 1997 Quarter Values
If you want to find out what all of the different 1997 quarters are worth, then read on!
These are the current values for all 1997 quarters:
1997-P Quarter Value
The 1997-P quarter was struck at the Philadelphia Mint to the tune of 595,740,000 pieces.
With more than a half billion examples struck, 1997 quarters with the “P” mintmark are extremely common and you’re bound to find one in your pocket change sooner or later.
- Since these coins are so common and don’t contain any silver or other precious-metal content, the 1997-P quarter is worth only its face value of 25 cents if found in worn condition.
- Uncirculated examples in mint condition are usually worth $1 to $3.
- The most valuable 1997-P quarter was graded MS-67+ by Professional Coin Grading Service and sold for $3,525 in a 2016 auction.
1997-D Quarter Value
The 1997-D quarter hails from the Denver Mint and has an even higher mintage than the Philadelphia issue. The 1997 quarter with the “D” mintmark saw a mintage of 599,680,000 — just shy of 600 million!
Like its same-year Philly counterpart, the 1997-D quarter is a common coin.
- A circulated 1997-D quarter that’s worn is worth just its face value of 25 cents.
- Uncirculated examples that have never been used as money tend to go for $1 to $3 in a retail setting.
- The most valuable 1997-D quarter was graded MS-68 by Professional Coin Grading Service and sold for $978 in 2004.
1997-S Clad Proof Quarter Value
The United States Mint in San Francisco struck a relatively small number of 1997-S quarters exclusively for sale to coin collectors and others who wanted a shiny memento of the year.
These 1997-S proof quarters were struck in a very special way — with each blank polished and every die prepared just so that these proof coins would show mirrorlike surfaces with frosted designs and inscriptions.
There are two kinds of 1997-S proof quarters — those made from a copper-nickel clad composition and those struck in a 90% silver format.
- The 1997-S clad quarters saw a mintage of 2,055,000 pieces and typically sell for around $3 to $5.
- The most valuable 1997-S clad quarter was graded Proof-70 Deep Cameo by Professional Coin Grading Service and fetched $719 in a 2003 sale.
1997-S Silver Proof Quarter Value
The 1997-S proof quarters made from 90% silver were created in much the same way as the clad proofs. They were produced using polished blanks that were struck by specially prepared dies.
The 90% silver proof quarters of 1997 saw a significantly lower mintage than the 1997-S clad proofs — with just 741,678 pieces made.
- While this is a much lower mintage than the clad proofs, the 1997-S silver proofs are not considered rare in general, and they usually take $8 to $10 apiece in the retail market.
- However, the 1997-S proof quarters with the most well-preserved surfaces and highest grades are comparatively rare and sell for much more than the more typical examples out there. The most valuable 1997-S silver proof quarter was graded Proof-70 Deep Cameo by Professional Coin Grading Service and commanded $495 in a 2003 auction.
A List Of Valuable 1997 Quarter Errors
There are many kinds of rare and valuable 1997 quarter errors and varieties out there.
Following is a list of values for some of the most popular error quarters worth looking for.
And yes… these can actually be found in your pocket change today:
- 1997 Doubled Die Quarter Error — Doubled dies are rare types of errors that show doubling on some parts of the design and can trade for at least $50 to $100 or more.
- 1997 Smooth Edge / No Ridges On Edge Quarter Error — Most 1997 quarters without ridges on the edge (edge reeding) are that way due to extensive vending machine wear. However, many error quarters with no ridges are known as broadstrikes, and these trade for $15 to $30.
- 1997 Off-Center Quarter Error — These error coins are often quite drastic looking. They are missing part of the design because the coin was struck off center. The value of an off-center error depends on how much of the design is missing and the presence of a complete date, but they can range from $20 to $30 up to $200 or more.
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!
