List Of The Most Valuable U.S. Quarters
Did you know it’s possible to find valuable quarters in circulation?
Of course, it will take some effort to track them down, but there are actually several U.S. quarters worth money out there just waiting to be found.
So what old and rare quarters should you be looking for?
Following is your cheat — a sheet listing all of the old, valuable, or rare quarters that you may be able to find in pocket change, coin rolls, or coin boxes from the bank!
In this article you will find:
- Silver U.S. quarters that are the most valuable
- The most valuable Barber quarters from 1892 to 1916
- The most valuable Standing Liberty quarters from 1916 to 1930
- The most valuable Washington quarters from 1932 to 1964
Each of the U.S. quarters listed below is worth $1 or more.
Old & Rare Silver Barber Quarters
U.S. Mint Chief Engraver Charles E. Barber designed the Liberty Head quarter in 1892. The design soon became known by the engraver’s last name, and the Barber quarter is what this coin came to be called by coin collectors.
Barber quarters were made from 1892 to 1916.
While most of these silver quarters are considered relatively common (in terms of how many were actually made), they really haven’t been seen in pocket change since the early 1960s.
However, Barber silver quarters, do still turn up on very rare occasions — and some people have even better luck finding them while searching coin rolls.
The 1896-S quarter and 1901-S quarter are particularly rare and valuable, with some uncirculated specimens reaching 5-figures.
Even well-worn Barber quarters can be worth a dollar or more depending on the date and mint mark.
Most Barber silver quarters that still get around today are common, and they’re worth about $7 to $12 in well-worn grades.
Old & Rare Silver Standing Liberty Quarters
After the Barber quarter was last minted, next up was the Standing Liberty quarter.
This design was created by Hermon A. MacNeil. It was minted from 1916 through 1930.
There are 2 types of Standing Liberty silver quarters:
- Type 1 Standing Liberty quarters (1916 and 1917) show Miss Liberty’s exposed right breast. These are worth $15 and up.
- Type 2 Standing Liberty Quarters (1917 to 1930) feature a more modest depiction of Miss Liberty. These are worth $7 to $12 and up.
Early issues (1916-1923) with low mintages are particularly valuable — especially in uncirculated condition. For example, a 1916-D Standing Liberty Quarter in Mint State (MS+) condition can sell for over $10,000!
While it’s certainly possible to find Standing Liberty silver quarters in spare change, the ones you’re most likely to find will have a date from 1925 or after.
Another common type of Standing Liberty quarter you may find actually has no date at all. These were most likely made before 1925 — when the date was raised much more prominently on the coin than it was after 1924, thus causing the date to wear off the coin fairly quickly.
Many dateless Standing Liberty quarters and most Standing Liberty quarters made from 1925 through 1930 are worth around $5 and up.
Old & Rare Silver Washington Quarters
What began as a temporary commemorative quarter honoring the 200th anniversary of George Washington’s birth became the nucleus of a permanent coin series.
John Flanagan’s George Washington quarter is by far one of the most popular collectible coins today and easily the workhorse coin of all circulating U.S. coinage.
While common in circulation, certain pre-1965 Washington Quarters with low mintages or mint errors can be particularly valuable.
Look for key dates and mint marks — like the 1964-D quarter with a doubled die error, which can be worth well over $100.
All silver George Washington quarters made from 1932 through 1964 have a minimum value of $4 — so they’re definitely worth hanging on to, if you happen to find any in your loose change. There are also several other silver George Washington quarters that you may find if you’re really lucky.
Here are the rare Washington quarters to watch for:
- 1932-D quarter — $115 and up
- 1932-S quarter — $125 and up
- 1934 doubled die obverse quarter — $75 and up
- 1937 doubled die obverse quarter — $75 and up
- 1943-S doubled die obverse quarter — $30 and up
- 1950-D/S quarter — $30 and up
- 1950-S/D quarter — $32 and up
Old & Rare Copper-Nickel Washington Quarters
These are the most valuable copper-nickel quarters you should look for in circulation:
- 1982-P quarter — $3 and up
- 1982-D quarter — $1.50 and up
- 1983-P quarter — $5 and up
- 1983-D quarter — $3.50 and up
- 2004-D Wisconsin quarter error (extra leaf low) — $100 and up
You’ll notice I didn’t mention anything about 1776-1976 Bicentennial quarters, most of the 50 State quarters, or any of the America the Beautiful quarters. That’s because, while these coins are definitely fun to collect, the copper-nickel versions that usually pop up in pocket change are worth only face value with obvious signs of wear on them.
That said, the Type I clad Bicentennial quarters are generally more valuable than the later Type II copper-nickel Bicentennial quarters.
And uncirculated Type I Bicentennial quarters can be worth several dollars each, while some proof sets can fetch hundreds.
More About Rare & Valuable U.S. Quarters
In addition to the links I’ve included above, here are some other resources to help you find the most valuable quarters in circulation and in collections:
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!
