Which quarters are worth money? Silver dates, Washington and Standing Liberty keys, state quarter varieties, errors and grade, explained by San Antonio dealers.
Which Quarters Are Worth Money? The Short Answer
Four things make a quarter worth more than 25 cents: its metal, its scarcity, a recognized error or die variety, and its grade. Understanding which of these applies to a coin is the fastest way to sort a pile of change. Most of the quarters people find fall into none of the four categories, and that is normal. A clad quarter dated 1965 or later that shows ordinary wear is a spendable coin, and it is worth face value.
Metal comes first because it is the simplest test and applies to the largest group of coins. Quarters dated 1964 and earlier were struck in 90 percent silver, so each one is worth at least its melt value no matter how worn it is. That is why a date check is always the first step. Scarcity is the second factor. Some dates were struck in small numbers, such as the 1932-D and 1932-S Washington quarters, the 1916 Standing Liberty quarter and the 1901-S and 1913-S Barber quarters. Collectors pay a premium for those dates over the silver content, and the premium grows with condition.
The third factor is a recognized error or die variety. A handful of modern quarters, such as the 2004-D Wisconsin ’extra leaf’ coins, the 2005-P Minnesota doubled die reverse and the 1999-P Delaware ’spitting horse’, are known varieties that collectors seek. The fourth is grade, which measures how much wear a coin has and how well it was struck. A scarce date in high grade is worth far more than the same date worn smooth.
If you want a quick list of quarters worth money, start with a short set of targets. Put the silver dates, the key dates, the Bicentennial 40 percent silver issue, the state quarter varieties, the 2019-W and 2020-W West Point issues and genuine errors at the top of that list. The rest of this guide takes each category in turn, and valuable pieces generally benefit from certification by PCGS or NGC, which Lone Star Coins can facilitate.
Silver Quarters: Every Quarter Dated 1964 or Earlier
The most reliable answer to which quarters are worth money is any quarter dated 1964 or earlier. These coins are 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper, and each one holds roughly 0.18 troy ounces of pure silver. Their value tracks the silver market, so it rises and falls with the spot price. Our live silver price page shows the current market, and multiplying the silver content by that price gives the melt floor for a single coin. Dealers often describe worn, common-date silver coins as ’junk silver’ because they sell for their metal rather than for collector demand.
There are three quick ways to tell a silver quarter from a clad one. The first is the date: 1964 is the last year of regular 90 percent silver quarters. The second is the edge. A silver quarter shows a solid silver-colored edge, while a clad quarter shows a copper stripe sandwiched between two layers of copper-nickel. The third is weight. A silver quarter weighs 6.25 grams, and a clad quarter weighs 5.67 grams. If you own a small scale, the difference is easy to see. Silver coins also tend to ring with a longer, clearer tone when dropped on a hard surface, though the edge is the more dependable check.
The 1964 quarter is the most common silver quarter because the Mint struck so many of them, which means that most worn 1964 coins are worth their melt value and little more. We cover that coin in detail in our 1964 quarter guide. The same melt-first rule applies to worn Washington quarters from 1932 through 1963 and to older worn silver designs, although the earlier series often carry additional collector premiums.
A special note applies to 1965. A few quarters dated 1965 were mistakenly struck on leftover 90 percent silver planchets. These transitional errors are rare, and a 1965-dated quarter with a silver edge and the heavier weight is worth a closer look. Only certification by PCGS or NGC establishes a genuine transitional error.
Washington Quarter Key Dates
The Washington quarter debuted in 1932 to mark the 200th anniversary of George Washington’s birth, with a portrait by sculptor John Flanagan. It was meant as a one-year commemorative, but the design proved popular and became the standard quarter. The series runs in silver from 1932 through 1964 and in clad composition from 1965 onward, which is why the date matters so much when sorting.
The two key dates of the series are the 1932-D and the 1932-S. The Denver Mint struck 436,800 quarters in 1932 and the San Francisco Mint struck 408,000, both tiny totals for a coin that normally runs in the tens of millions. The Philadelphia Mint did not strike quarters that year. Because the mintage was so low, even heavily worn examples are worth a substantial premium over silver melt, and the premium climbs steeply as the grade improves. On coins from this era the mint mark sits on the reverse, below the wreath, and a coin with no mint mark came from Philadelphia. Checking for a D or an S under the wreath on any 1932 quarter takes only a moment.
Beyond the 1932 keys, other early Washington dates from the 1930s carry premiums in better grades, particularly those struck at Denver and San Francisco. Collectors also pursue silver proof quarters from 1936 through 1964, which were struck with mirrored fields for collectors and are valued above comparable circulation strikes in many cases. In the middle and later dates, the majority of circulated coins are worth their silver melt value, while uncirculated examples with strong luster and clean surfaces bring a modest premium.
Mint marks moved to the obverse beginning in 1968, to the right of Washington’s ribbon. Clad Washington quarters from the 1970s through today are almost always worth face value unless they show a recognized error or variety, or a very high grade on a scarcer issue.
Rare Standing Liberty and Barber Quarters
Older silver quarters are where many of the most valuable quarters are found, and two series stand out for scarcity: the Barber quarter and the Standing Liberty quarter. Both were struck in 90 percent silver, so even worn, common dates are worth at least melt value, but the keys sell for a significant premium.
The Barber quarter was struck from 1892 to 1916 and was designed by Mint Chief Engraver Charles Barber, with a Liberty head wearing a cap and a laurel wreath. Its two scarce keys among the better-known issues are the 1901-S and the 1913-S, with mintages of 72,664 and 40,000 respectively. The 1913-S is especially scarce, and both are worth a large premium over silver in nearly any grade. On Barber quarters the mint mark appears on the reverse, below the eagle. Barber dates are also prone to smoothing, so a worn, nearly blank date is common on coins that have been in circulation for a century.
The Standing Liberty quarter replaced the Barber design in 1916 and ran through 1930, with sculptor Hermon MacNeil’s figure of Liberty stepping through a gateway. The 1916 issue is the key of the series, with a mintage of only 52,000. Early 1917 coins, called Type 1, show a bare-breasted Liberty, while the design was modified later in 1917 into Type 2, which has a mailed breast. Date wear is a major issue on the series because the date sits on a raised pedestal and wears away quickly, so a clearly dated coin is more desirable. Collectors also seek coins with a fully struck head, a condition known as Full Head, which commands a premium.
Our Standing Liberty quarter guide goes deeper on types, dates and grade. If you have an old quarter with a seated or draped figure, or with a very worn eagle reverse, it is worth a look before it goes back into a drawer, since those older designs are all silver and many carry collector value beyond melt.
Bicentennial Quarters: Which 1776–1976 Quarters Are Worth More
Bicentennial quarters are among the most commonly asked-about coins in pocket change, and the honest answer for most of them is face value. To mark the 200th anniversary of American independence, the Mint struck quarters, half dollars and dollars with a dual date of 1776–1976. The quarter reverse features a colonial drummer boy designed by Jack L. Ahr, and the coins were struck during 1975 and 1976. No quarters dated simply 1975 or 1976 were struck, so any quarter you find with the dual date is a Bicentennial issue.
The vast majority of Bicentennial quarters were produced in clad composition for circulation and are worth 25 cents. A clad coin that has spent years in a pocket has no collector premium. Uncirculated clad coins that kept bright, unmarked surfaces are slightly more interesting but remain modest in value.
The exception is the 1976-S 40 percent silver issue. The San Francisco Mint struck Bicentennial coins in a 40 percent silver composition and sold them to collectors in uncirculated and proof sets. These coins carry an S mint mark and are worth more than face value because of the silver content, and in the best condition they carry an additional premium. Not every S-marked Bicentennial quarter is silver, however, because clad proof versions were struck at San Francisco as well. The silver version is slightly heavier than the clad quarter and shows a silver-toned edge without the usual copper stripe. If you have an S-marked Bicentennial quarter in a holder, set or original packaging, the packaging may state which composition it is.
We cover the full story in our Bicentennial quarter guide. If you have a Bicentennial set, bring it to our showroom and we can tell you which pieces are silver.
State and America the Beautiful Quarters Worth Money
State quarters worth money are the exception rather than the rule. The 50 State Quarters Program ran from 1999 through 2008, issuing five new designs a year, and the Mint struck hundreds of millions of coins for each. Because so many were made and saved, a typical state quarter is worth face value. The ones that carry a premium are specific die varieties that collectors recognize.
The best-known is the 2004-D Wisconsin quarter with the ’extra leaf’ on the reverse corn design. It comes in two forms, a high leaf and a low leaf, and both are sought by variety collectors. The 2005-P Minnesota quarter with a doubled die reverse, commonly called the ’extra tree’, shows extra images in the evergreen treeline of the state outline. The 1999-P Delaware quarter has a die crack that runs through the horse’s neck and mouth and is nicknamed the ’spitting horse’. These varieties can appear in circulation, so they are worth knowing, and since similar-looking marks can come from post-mint damage, only certification by PCGS or NGC establishes a recognized variety.
The America the Beautiful series followed from 2010 to 2021, and two of its years have a collectible hook. The 2019-W and 2020-W quarters were struck at the West Point Mint, which normally does not strike circulating quarters, and were released into circulation. The Mint struck 2 million of each 2019 design. The 2019 group includes the San Antonio Missions design for Texas, a fitting find for local collectors. The W mint mark sits on the obverse, and a quarter with that letter that came from change is worth a premium to collectors over face value.
The lesson for state quarters is to check the mint mark and the design against these known varieties, and otherwise spend the coin.
Quarter Errors and Varieties to Look For
Errors are the reason many people look twice at an ordinary quarter, and they can be some of the most valuable quarters found in change. Our quarter errors guide covers them in depth, but the main categories are worth summarizing here.
Off-metal errors occur when a quarter is struck on a planchet intended for another coin or made of the wrong alloy. The best-known example is the 1965 transitional quarter struck on a 90 percent silver planchet, which is rare and a significant premium coin when certified. Off-center strikes happen when the planchet is not properly seated in the press, leaving part of the design missing and a blank crescent on one side. The more of the design that remains, and the clearer the date and mint mark, the more collectors typically pay.
Broadstrikes and broadsides are related but different. A broadstrike occurs when the coin is struck without the retaining collar, which allows the metal to spread outward and produces a wider, smoother-edged coin. A double strike occurs when the coin is struck twice, leaving a second, shifted image. Each of these is a genuine mint error, and each commands a premium to collectors.
The key point is the difference between true mint errors and post-mint damage. Scratches, gouges, flattened edges, environmental corrosion, plating and coins that were hammered or machine-altered after leaving the Mint are damage, not errors, and they do not bring a collector premium. Coins that look like doubled or shifted designs are often the result of this kind of damage or of minor strike doubling, which is far more common than a recognized doubled die. Certification by PCGS or NGC is what establishes a real error or variety, and for any coin you think may be one, that is the step that confirms it. Lone Star Coins is a PCGS and NGC Authorized Dealer and can facilitate that process.
How Grade Changes a Quarter’s Value
Grade is the fourth value factor, and it explains why two quarters with the same date can differ so widely in worth. Coins are graded on the Sheldon scale, which runs from 1 to 70. Circulated grades run from Good through About Uncirculated (AU-50 to AU-58), and Mint State grades run from MS-60 to MS-70, with MS-70 meaning a perfect coin. Strike, luster, surface marks and eye appeal all enter into the number a grader assigns.
For common-date silver quarters, grade matters less than people expect. A worn Washington or Barber quarter from a common date is generally worth its silver melt value, because collectors have little reason to pay more for a coin that is plentiful in every condition. For scarce dates, the picture reverses. A 1932-D, 1932-S, 1916 Standing Liberty quarter or 1913-S Barber quarter commands a premium even in low grades, and the premium grows steeply in higher grades. The jump between circulated grades and Mint State grades for these coins is substantial.
Standing Liberty quarters add a special factor, the Full Head designation, which applies to coins where Liberty’s head details are completely struck. Proofs and cameo contrast, in which frosted devices stand out against mirrored fields, also affect value on proof coins. Natural toning with attractive color can add to eye appeal, while harsh cleaning does the opposite and can reduce a coin’s value substantially. That is why we recommend that you never polish or clean old coins.
For modern clad quarters, grade matters only for scarcer issues or varieties. Most uncirculated clad quarters from large mintages are worth little more than face value, even at high Mint State grades. This is where certification for valuable pieces matters, because a third-party grade from PCGS or NGC lets buyers and sellers agree on condition.
How to Check Your Quarters: A Step-by-Step Sort
Sorting a jar of change or an inherited collection goes faster with a fixed order of checks. Start with the date. Pull out every quarter dated 1964 or earlier and set them in a separate pile. These are your silver coins, and every one is worth at least its melt value. Check the edge on any quarter close to the cutoff, since a solid silver edge and a weight of 6.25 grams confirm silver composition, while a copper stripe and 5.67 grams mean clad.
Next, look at the silver pile for key dates and older designs. Check 1932 Washington quarters for a D or S below the wreath, look for 1916 Standing Liberty quarters, and look for S-mint Barber quarters dated 1901 and 1913. Any quarter with a seated, draped or capped figure is older and worth a closer look. Set aside anything in an old album or holder untouched.
Then move to the clad pile. Look for Bicentennial quarters with an S mint mark, which could be the 40 percent silver issue. Check state quarters for the Wisconsin, Minnesota and Delaware varieties by date and mint mark: 2004-D, 2005-P and 1999-P. Look for a W mint mark on America the Beautiful quarters dated 2019 and 2020. Finally, look for anything that does not look like a normal quarter, such as a missing portion of the design, a double image, an odd color, or a wrong size or weight.
Handle coins by the edges, keep them separate rather than mixed with change, and do not clean them. Cleaning removes surface and can reduce collector value. If a coin passes any of these checks, bring it in for a second opinion rather than guessing.
Getting Quarters Appraised and Sold
Once you have sorted out the quarters that may be worth money, the next step is learning what they are actually worth. Lone Star Coins buys and sells coins and currency every day at our showroom at 2622 NW Loop 410 in San Antonio and online. We offer free coin appraisals in San Antonio with no appointment required. You can bring in a single unusual quarter, a jar of change, or an inherited collection, and we will tell you what you have and explain why.
For silver quarters, a dealer typically evaluates the coins first as metal, using the current spot price, and then adds a premium for any date, mint mark or condition that collectors want. That is why it helps to separate common-date silver from key dates before you come in. Our live silver price page lets you see the market that sets the melt floor, so you can follow the number yourself. A coin with a recognized error, variety or very high grade may be worth more as a collectible than as metal, which is where certification comes in.
We are PCGS and NGC Authorized Dealers, so we can facilitate certification of particularly valuable specimens such as key-date Washington, Standing Liberty and Barber quarters, and potential errors or varieties. A certified grade gives buyers a common standard, which can make a sale smoother.
If you are outside San Antonio, we ship nationwide. The same process applies to quarters, rolls and full collections. If you are not sure whether your quarters are worth looking at, the quick sort above followed by a visit to our counter will answer the question.
Frequently asked questions
What quarters are worth money?+
Quarters worth money fall into a few groups: silver quarters dated 1964 and earlier, key dates like the 1932-D and 1932-S Washington quarters, the 1916 Standing Liberty and 1901-S and 1913-S Barber quarters, the 1976-S 40 percent silver Bicentennial, recognized state quarter varieties, 2019-W and 2020-W issues, and genuine mint errors. Most clad quarters are worth face value. Lone Star Coins in San Antonio offers free, no-appointment appraisals if you want a second look at yours.
What is the most valuable quarter?+
There is no single answer, but the scarcest regular-issue quarters are the key dates of the older silver series. The 1913-S Barber quarter, with a mintage of 40,000, and the 1916 Standing Liberty quarter, at 52,000, are among the scarcest, and the 1932-D and 1932-S Washington quarters are the series keys. Rare errors such as 1965 transitional silver strikes are also valuable. Grade and certification heavily influence what any specific coin is worth.
Are 1964 quarters worth more than face value?+
Yes, 1964 quarters are worth more than face value because they are 90 percent silver. Each coin is worth at least its silver melt value, which moves with the spot price, so our live silver price page shows the current market. Most 1964 quarters are common, so worn examples sell near melt, while uncirculated or proof coins can bring a modest premium. Our 1964 quarter guide covers the details.
Are state quarters worth anything?+
Most state quarters are worth face value, since hundreds of millions of each design were struck. A few specific varieties carry a premium, including the 2004-D Wisconsin ’extra leaf’ high and low leaf, the 2005-P Minnesota doubled die reverse ’extra tree’, and the 1999-P Delaware ’spitting horse’ die crack. Certification by PCGS or NGC establishes a recognized variety, and Lone Star Coins can help facilitate that.
What quarter errors are worth money?+
Genuine mint errors that collectors pay a premium for include off-metal strikes, off-center strikes, broadsides, double strikes and 1965 transitional quarters struck on 90 percent silver planchets. Value depends on how dramatic the error is and on the coin’s condition. Damage that happens after minting, such as scratches or flattening, is not an error. Our quarter errors guide explains each type, and certification by PCGS or NGC establishes a real error.
How can I tell if my quarter is silver?+
Check the date first: quarters dated 1964 or earlier are 90 percent silver. Then look at the edge, because a silver quarter has a solid silver-colored edge, while a clad quarter shows a copper stripe. Weight also separates them, with silver at 6.25 grams and clad at 5.67 grams. Bring any doubtful coin to Lone Star Coins in San Antonio and we can tell you quickly, free of charge.
Is a Bicentennial quarter worth anything?+
Most Bicentennial quarters with the 1776–1976 dual date and drummer boy reverse are clad and worth face value. The exception is the 1976-S 40 percent silver issue, sold in collector sets, which is worth more than face because of its silver content and condition. An S mint mark alone does not prove it is silver, since clad proofs also carry that mark. Our Bicentennial quarter guide explains how to tell the difference.
Where can I sell valuable quarters in San Antonio?+
You can sell valuable quarters at Lone Star Coins, 2622 NW Loop 410 in San Antonio, where we buy coins and currency daily. We offer free appraisals with no appointment, explain what each quarter is worth and why, and make an offer on the spot. As PCGS and NGC Authorized Dealers, we can also facilitate certification of especially valuable pieces. If you live elsewhere, we buy and ship nationwide.