George Washington Quarter

As the bicentennial of President George Washington’s birth in 1732 neared, various coins were proposed to commemorate the event. The Congress approved a quarter dollar issued in 1932 that was issued to the tune of over 6.2 million coins (including 5.4 million 1932, 436,800 1932-D and 408,000 1932-S coins) the at a time when that was a very large mintage. The coin was so popular with the public that it returned in 1934 as an ongoing release that is still issued and widely collected today. 

Just as many older collectors got started with silver Washington quarters in their youths, many younger and newer collectors today start by collecting the current series of Washington quarters although it is harder to do this from circulation as it was in decades past.

1932-D quarter

This coin is by far the key, largely because although its mintage is similar to the 1932-S, it is 5 to 10 times rarer in grades MS63 and above than the S-mint coin. In those grades especially this issue remains a popular item at coin auctions, but both coins remain the series keys as discussed below.

Washington state quarter

The reverse of Washington quarters was changed in 1999 from the original Heraldic eagle design to various changing reverse designs starting with the 50 State quarter program that was followed by the America the Beautiful program in 2010.

In addition to new reverse designs for each of those state and national parks coins, the obverse design that since 1932 featured John Flanagan’s left-facing portrait of Washington was modified in 19999 to include more details in the hair and by moving the inscriptions “United States of America” and “Quarter dollar” from the reverse to the obverse, while “Liberty” was moved from above the portrait to its left, and “In God We Trust” moved from the left to the right of the portrait.

The parks series ends early in early 2021 with the Tuskegee airmen coin that will start circulating on February 1 and will be succeeded with a new reverse design unveiled this past Christmas Day by the U.S. Mint showing Washington commanding his troops through the overnight crossing of the Delaware River before the Battle of Trenton in 1776. Designed by Benjamin Sowards and sculpted by Michael Gaudioso, the coin will be released into circulation on April 5 and will also be issued as a 5-ounce silver bullion coin. In addition, the obverse designed used before the State and national parks coins will be reprised.

More designs coming

The U.S. Congress just passed a major coin bill (the Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020) that if enacted will result in the issuance of several series of new quarters, including: from 2022 to 2025 up five reverse designs per year of prominent American women; for the Semi-quincentennial of our founding in 2026 with up to five different reverse designs plus new obverse and reverse designs for all other circulating coins for that year only (including cent, nickel, dime, half dollar and dollar); and up to five reverse designs on youth sports from 2027 to 2030 and one half dollar reverse design for Paralympic sports. The bill has passed the House and Senate with an amendment to ensure the coins are issued at no expense to taxpayers. However, it still has to pass both houses again before the end of 2020.

Like the national parks series, the forthcoming quarter series are expected to also be issued in 5-ounce .999 silver versions and possibly also in fractional silver versions as laid out in the bill.

Silver Washington quarter

All quarters issued from 1932 (except no coins in 1933) to 1964 as well as those made for proof sets from 1998 to present are made of 90% silver and 10% copper. But beginning in 2019 with the Lowell National Historic Park coin and those issued since for silver proof sets are made of .999 silver.

The 90% coins have a net silver weight on .18084 ounces, so at today’s spot price of $26.14, each of those has a melt value of $4.7273, while the .999 coins with a weight of 6.343 grams are worth $5.3234.

Because most of the silver coins from 1932 to 1964 are mostly valuable in higher mint state, a complete set in quite affordable. Another affordable set is the 1950-1964 Proof coins.

Washington quarter values

Because it is a long series with common dates starting in the 1930s for higher mintage issues, a type example in MS60 is just $8, $25 in MS65 and $110 in MS67 – the highest grade for the older coins.

For the coins issued since 1999, mainly only examples graded MS69 and 70 and Proof 70 or errors are valuable.

Washington quarter key dates

In addition to the 1932-D coin that as explained is scarce in higher quality mint state examples, the 1932-S as the lowest mintage Washington quarter and a first year of issue coin is also a popular key date coin.

In lower circulated grades both issues are worth about $100. Then in XF the 1932-D is worth $200, while the S is priced at $145. By MS60 the gaps widens considerably with the D at $1,100, and the S at $350. In MS64 they are respectively $1400 and $375, at MS65 they are $7500 and $2450 and at the highest grade known they are an amazing $85,000 and $47,500 with just 2 and 5 coins graded by PCGS at those levels. But the record sale price from 2008 is $143,750 for an MS66 D-mint.

Washington quarter errors

There are quite a few errors in this series, but the most well known and valuable are: 1937 Doubled Die Obverse that is worth $550 in XF40, $2,000 in MS60 and $6500 in MS65; 1942-D Doubled Die Obverse worth $275, $2,000 and $8,000 in the same grades; and 1943 Doubled Die Obverse (the rarest of this type of error with only 137 coins total graded by PCGS) worth $3,000, $10,000 and $16,500; and 1943-S Doubled Die Obverse worth $240, $525 and $1150.

Among the state quarters, there are several error coins with the best-known being the 2004-D with an extra leaf of corn that comes in high and low leaf varieties worth respectively $145 and $100 in MS63; $200 and $125 in MS65; and jumps in MS67 to $3,250 and $4,500.

The other well-known error is 2005 Minnesota coin with an extra tree worth under $20-$45 in MS63-MS66 and $70 in MS67.

The State quarter series in particular is credited with creating many new coin collectors. It remains to be seen what the impact of the all the new reverse designs coming in 2021 and over the next decade will be on the hobby. But no matter what happens, the Washington quarter will remain a key staple of U.S. numismatics that straddles the classic/modern coin divide and can be collected at all levels.