Washington Quarters: See How U.S. Quarter Values Have Changed Over 15 Years

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Washington quarters seem to be the workhorse of today’s coinage.

We use quarters for everything from buying drinks and snacks from vending machines to paying the toll while driving on the highway. And quarters are the favorite snack food of parking meters from sea to shining sea!

Washington-quarters-us-coins

As a collectible, Washington quarters have seen increasing popularity since the beginning of the ambitious, 10-year-long 50 State Quarters program.

Washington quarters have performed well in the market.

Collecting Washington Quarters

Washington quarters are a fairly easy series of coins to collect, especially in the lower grades (for the older dates).

Yet, there are several scarce dates in the Washington quarters series that have posed challenges for coin collectors.

Washington quarters have seen some significant price increases over the last 15 years.

Washington Quarter Values In 1994 vs. In 2009

Comparing the prices quoted in the 1994 edition of A Guide Book of United States Coins to those of the 2009 edition shows that many Washington quarters have seen upward movement since the mid-1990s.

  • 1932-D: $38-4,500 in Very Good to Mint-State 65 (1994)
  • 1932-D: $175-22,000 in Very Good to Mint-State 65 (2009)
  • 1932-S: $32-3,500 in Very Good to Mint-State 65 (1994)
  • 1932-S: $185-6,000 in Very Good to Mint-State 65 (2009)
  • 1934 Doubled-Die: $75-1,500 in Very Fine to Mint-State 65 (1994)
  • 1934 Doubled-Die: $135-4,500 in Very Fine to Mint-State 65 (2009)
  • 1937 Doubled-Die: $200 in Extremely Fine (1994)
  • 1937 Doubled-Die: $100 in Extremely Fine (2009)
  • 1937-S: $16-165 in Extremely Fine to Mint-State 65 (1994)
  • 1937-S: $35-400 in Extremely Fine to Mint-State 65 (2009)
  • 1940-D: $11-85 in Extremely Fine to Mint-State 65 (1994)
  • 1940-D: $24-300 in Extremely Fine to Mint-State 65 (2009)
  • 1940-S: $4-45 in Extremely Fine to Mint-State 65 (1994)
  • 1940-S: $9-65 in Extremely Fine to Mint-State 65 (2009)
  • 1949: $1.75-30 in Extremely Fine to Mint-State 65 (1994)
  • 1949: $10-60 in Extremely Fine to Mint-State 65 (2009)
  • 1955-D: $1.75-6 in Extremely Fine to Mint-State 65 (1994)
  • 1955-D: $4-60 in Extremely Fine to Mint-State 65 (2009)
  • 1982-P: $4.25 in Mint-State 65 (1994)
  • 1982-P: $20 in Mint-State 65 (2009)
  • 1983-P: $5 in Mint-State 65 (1994)
  • 1983-P: $55 in Mint-State 65 (2009)

Why Washington Quarters Increase In Value

Note the steep increases in price for most of these Washington quarters.

Of particular interest, look at the 1982-P and 1983-P coins. Those have seen tremendous value increases over the past 15 years. Ultra-modern coins like those do not typically escalate in value like that.

Most 1982- and 1983-dated U.S. Washington quarters in mint-state value have increased in value. Why? Because there were no official mint sets produced during those years. Also, relatively few of those coins were saved in mint state by the roll.

Demand for those Washington quarters in uncirculated grades far exceeds supply. In fact, there have been incidences in recent years of some better-grade circulated 1982 and 1983 Washington quarters commanding a nice premium over face value when sold.

All in all, most Washington quarters (especially the scarce ones) have performed very well over the last several years. If these prices remain high or go higher after the 50 States Quarters program fades into history remains to be seen, though.

That is one reason why investing in Washington quarters can be risky. It’s a volatile market that has seen its fair share of price increases and price decreases. Therefore, do not use this as a guide as to which Washington quarters you should invest in. This article serves only to illustrate trends that have already been witnessed.

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14 thoughts on “Washington Quarters: See How U.S. Quarter Values Have Changed Over 15 Years”

  1. I just found (3) 1983- P Washington Quarters while going through a coin jar, after getting interested in knowing how much my loose change is worth. after looking online, i found that, even in poor condition, which these are, they’re worth about $22 a piece. How do I find out for sure, without getting ripped off?

    Reply
    • Lee,

      1982 and 1983 quarters are perhaps the only regular-issue, non-error copper nickel clad coins issued in the U.S. that have collector value in worn grades! You may not get $22 for them (these are closer to high-end retail values; coin dealers usually pay a bit less) they should be worth somewhere between $5 and $15, depending on their individual condition. Nice finds!

      Reply
  2. Hi Joshua. My name is Kristina. Im a first time poster to anything so ima virgin to all this lol. I’ve been collecting a few months, and i came across a 1983 P quarter in some change i got from a burger place today. Its not in great shape but is off center and has some significant DD and the P looks like a little blob with a tail lol. And all the letter R’s look like someone sharpened one side of them. Is this unusual and rare or common for this quarter?? Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much.

    Reply
  3. Great pic, Kristina!

    While this coin is off-center, it’s by about 3-5 percent. That isn’t quite enough to really rev up the value on this piece, but I would hang onto it anyway since it is perceptibly off-center and might be of interest to a specialist who collects all degrees of off-center error coins.

    All my best,
    Josh

    Reply
  4. Joshua, I have received a 2012 S Hawaii States coin that is a proof . I just wondered if it was worth more than face value . We just have never seen one in circulation.

    Reply
    • Hello, Fred —

      Proof coins sometimes end up in circulation, and when they have wear or other signs of circulation-related impacts, they are often referred to as “impaired proofs.” There’s no book value, per se, on a circulated 2012-S Hawaii quarter, though it is probably in the neighborhood of 75 cents to $1, as these pieces are far less common than the business-strike Philadelphia and Denver strikes. What a neat find!

      Best wishes,
      Josh

      Reply

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