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Did you know that all quarters from 1964 on back were made of silver?
Yep – but none of the newer quarters (1965 to the present) are silver.
Silver quarters are worth about 10 times face value — because silver is up right now.
History Of The Washington Quarter
The history of how the Washington quarter came to be is one of the more interesting…
In 1931 it was decided that a 1-year commemorative half dollar coin should be made in 1932 — in honor of the 200th anniversary of the birth of George Washington.
The front of the coin would be a design of Washington, and a contest would be held to come up with a design for the reverse of the coin.
The contest was held before the approval of Congress was given to go forward with the new commemorative coin. The winner was Laura Gardin Fraser, the wife of James E. Fraser who was the designer of the Buffalo nickel.
Congress decided to change things a little. Instead of a half dollar commemorative, Congress decided that it was time to change the design of the U.S. quarter (which was the standing liberty quarter at the time) and that a portrait of Washington would be the design for the front of the new quarter.
After Congress authorized the new quarter, the Treasury Department initiated another contest. It was strongly recommended to Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon that Fraser’s design from the previous contest be adopted for the new quarter. Mellon refused, and proceeded with the competition.
More than 100 entries were submitted on October 27, 1931.
Among all of these, Fraser’s design (modified to fit on a quarter) was also submitted again. Once again, the artwork of Laura Fraser was favored, but Secretary Mellon preferred the design of a man named John Flanagan. It was argued over for several months and before it was settled, Mellon left the department to pursue his career elsewhere. The man to replace him was Ogden Mills, who then ended the debate. He stated that he was sticking with the decision of his predecessor and the design of John Flannigan was to be selected.
The new Washington quarter was officially released on August 1, 1932 and has been with us ever since.
As for Laura Gardin Fraser — who many felt was the most deserving in 1932 — she belatedly received a great honor. In 1999, 33 years after her death, her Washington design was selected to grace the commemorative half eagle ($5 gold coin) observing the 200th anniversary of the death of our first president.
So I’m guessing that if you’ve taken the time to read the article this far you’d like to see what Laura Fraser’s design looked like?
Here is Laura Fraser’s design on the Washington commemorative half eagle coin.
Washington Quarter Values (1965-Present)
Now that we’ve covered the lengthy history of the Washington quarter, let’s talk about the value.
All circulated quarters from 1965 to the present date are only worth 25 cents — with one exception. Silver clad bicentennial quarters are worth about $4 in mint state condition.
Now don’t confuse these valuable bicentennial quarters with the bicentennial coins you find in your change. Those are not silver clad issues. The silver clad issues were only made for sale to collectors in Mint sets and Proof sets — not for circulation.
So, the value of non-clad bicentennial quarters is 25 cents. There were several hundred million minted and they are still commonly found in pocket change.
It’s interesting though that the “drummer boy” on the reverse was also chosen by holding a contest. The winning design was submitted by Jack L. Ahr. The dual-dated coin was struck in 1975 and 1976.
Here’s what the bicentennial quarter for circulation looks like.
Washington Quarter Values (1932-1964)
If you’ve read any of my other articles, then you know that prior to 1965 coins were made out of 90% silver.
That being said, most quarters from 1964 to 1936 are worth about $3 to $8, depending on the grade — because they’re silver quarters. Most coin shops will only buy silver quarters of these dates for about $2.25 each.
Of course, there are exceptions:
- 1950 S/D – S mint mark stamped over D mint mark $150
- 1950 D/S – D mint mark stamped over S mint mark $135
- 1943 S Double Die – Front of coin looks like it was struck twice $125
- 1943 Double Die – Same as above $225
- 1942 D Double Die – Same as above $400
- 1937 Double Die – Same as above $100
NOTE: The prices listed above are for coins in EF (extra fine) condition. If you have one of these uncommon varieties, I suggest that you have it graded by a 3rd party grading service, such as NGC to better determine the value of your coin. If your coin is a lower grade, it will be worth considerably less, and if it’s a higher grade it could be worth considerably more. You could also have a local coin dealer give you an idea.
To finish off the list, quarters between 1935-1932 are worth more — between 7 to $20, depending on the grade. But there are 3 exceptions to this, as well:
- 1934 Double Die – IN GOD WE TRUST looks doubled $75 to $225.
The last 2 coins to mention, the 1932 S quarter and the 1932 D quarter, are generally the most sought after specimens of the Washington quarter — due to such low mintage:
- 1932 S – $185 in low grade (VG-8) to $1,500 in high grade (MS-63)
- 1932 D – $180 in low grade (VG-8) to $3,200 in high grade (MS-63)
See what the more expensive 1932 D quarter looks like.
The Bottom Line…
That about wraps it up for info you need to know about Washington quarters.
Hopefully you’ve enjoyed reading the history behind the coin and maybe you have a quarter that’s worth more than 25 cents!
TIP: If you have a collection of Washington quarters, then you’ll want to organize them in Washington quarter folders for safe storage.
I have been collecting and trading coins for years. Coin collecting is a hobby for me, and I’ve done a lot of research about coins through the years.
A great way to help you spread the news that you are a coin collector is to let your favorite teller @ your bank know. I worked in a bank for five years and was always so happy to hang on to bills and coins for collectors until they came in again.
Jackie,
Great idea! When I was much younger I used to frequent a bank where one or two tellers held aside a few things for me. It was really beneficial, especially when I was first getting into the hobby!
how much can i get for silver quarters in a refinery
Jose,
Silver U.S. quarters are worth around $5 to $6 each right now. The most conventional way to make money from “junk” silver coins is to sell them to coin dealers.
i got 2007 silver washington quarter the one i found is a Pmint all i can find is the s mint WHY CANT I FIND SILVER P MINT IS MINE SO RARE THEY MADE A MISTAKE
Hi, Bob –
Are you sure it is silver? My only explanation is that a silver planchet was fed into the machinery and out popped a silver 2007 P. What does your quarter weigh in grams?
for years my husband has been sorting through our loose change, pulling out the 1965-1969 quarters and dimes supposedly because they have higher silver content. from the little bit of research I did today, it appears he’s been wasting his time. However, I found plenty of others asking about these coins’ value when I googled it and I was wondering where this misinformation came from.
Hi, Linda –
Unfortunately for you and your husband, 1965 through 1969 dimes and quarters do not contain any silver content; this information might have been misconstrued a bit since half dollars made from 1965 through 1969 are 40 percent silver.
If there are any coins he should be looking for in the pursuit of silver, he should be focusing on all dimes and quarters made before 1965, though these are extremely hard to find in pocket change these days.
Unfortunately, on the internet, there are tons of forums where information is tossed around without the poster(s) vetting the information through multiple reliable resources and / or having years of personal experience studying the topic.
All the best to you and your husband on the continued search for silver coins and other valuable pieces! Let us know if you find any, as there are some still in circulation just waiting to be found.
Here’s some more info on many popular silver U.S. coins: https://coins.thefuntimesguide.com/value-of-silver-coins/
How come on the “Coin Trackers” website, they say that almost ALL of the Washington quarters between 1964 (those previous to 1964 being worth more) and 1999 are worth AT LEAST $1.00 (“numistally” I think it said, i.e. for coin collectors) – and even some of those are worth more than $1.00 if they are in great condition. (I checked them one by one) But everywhere else, it’s said that they are only worth a quarter? I don’t get it!! Should I start saving all Washington quarters previous to the “State” ones?
I have a 1932 silver quarter, circulated, no mint mark? Whats the value of that quarter, as well i have found a 1999 silver quarter mint mark D? Is that a valuable quarter? I also have two buffalo nickles, one the year isnt there, and the other is year, 1936?? Anyone know more then i do ??
Hello, Carla —
A 1932 Philadelphia (no mintmark) Washington quarter is worth at least $4 to $5 and is actually from the first year of the Washington quarter series, so it is a neat collectible. To prove that a 1999-D quarter is silver would require the coin being weighed to help confirm the composition, which is usually copper-nickel clad. A copper-nickel clad Washington quarter is 5.67 grams, and a silver issue would weigh 6.25 grams. If it is a silver quarter (the San Francisco Mint struck 90% silver varieties that year), then it could be worth $500 to $1,000 or more as an off-metal error.
A dateless Buffalo nickel is worth only 25 cents or so, but a 1936 Buffalo nickel would be worth anywhere from about $1 up to $20 or more based on the condition. If you don’t mind uploading a photo of your 1936 Buffalo nickel to the comments forum I could check and see what your piece is worth.
Thank you for your questions!
Best wishes,
Josh
Hello,
Sorry to bug u , but, could u please maybe, tell me what year pennys collectors are actually seeking to filter my search?? Id appreciate ur input
No worries, Carla!
Best,
Josh
Hi my name is Danyell and I have a 1943 quarter how much is it worth?
Hello, Danyell —
A 1943 Washington quarter in average-circulated condition with no errors or other varieties is worth about $4 given current silver spot values.
Thank you for your question,
Josh
I thought that 1909 was the oldest wheat Penny https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4014099a696956379dc6c0bc005039490771e908dd51aa2e74d962b2f058c0c7.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/382e080f945d698b63ce33a9dbc05703c564e2d382f3cb5c25adffff213e8946.jpg
Hi, Carla —
While the reverse (tails side) shows what appears to be two stalks of wheat, its actually an oak wreath. This 1906 Indian Head cent may be the one you asked about in a previous post? If so, it looks cleaned but is still worth 50 cents to $1 and is a great antique collectible from yesteryear.
Best wishes,
Josh
I have found a 1906 Indian Wheat Penny , or one cent??
Hi, Carla —
Assuming your 1906 Indian Head cent has an average amount of wear and isn’t cleaned or otherwise damaged, it’s worth approximately $2 to $3.
Nice find,
Josh