Silver Washington Quarter Values
How Much Is My Silver Washington Quarter Worth?
By James Bucki, About.com Guide
This guide provides silver Washington quarter values for coins minted from 1932 to 1964. The table below has average coin values based upon the condition of the coin. If the coin shows evidence of wear on it due to being used in commerce, it is considered "circulated." If it was never used, then it is classified as "uncirculated." The pictures below illustrate examples of each condition. Some coins are very valuable even in well worn condition. Do not clean your coins because you cannot increase a coin's value by cleaning it. In fact, cleaned coins are worth considerable less and coin dealers can spot a cleaned coin immediately. Therefore, never clean your coins.
Introduction to Coin Values
There are many factors that go into determining the value of your coins. First of all you must understand how the coin market operates. If a coin dealer runs out of 1932-D silver Washington quarters, he cannot just order more of them from the U.S. Mint because the mint does not make coins dated 1932 anymore. The coin dealer must replenish his supply by buying coins from other coin dealers or people that walk into his store. What he pays you for that coin is known as the "wholesale price" or "value." If you want to buy that 1932-D coin from the coin dealer, that is known as the "retail price" or "price."
Market Analysis
Silver Washington quarters are made of 90% silver and 10% copper. Therefore, they have approximately 5.625 grams of pure silver. With silver selling for about $31.00 per Troy ounce, there is approximately $6.00 worth of silver in every coin. As illustrated in the chart below, you will see that certain coins are worth significantly more than their base silver value.
But don't expect to walk in to a coin shop with a big jar of silver Washington quarters and have the coin dealer dig through them to pull out the nice ones. If you want top dollar for your silver Washington quarter, you need to sort them and organize them so the dealer can quickly see what you have.
Key Dates, Rarities and Varieties
The following silver Washington quarters in any condition, are worth considerable more than common ones. As such, these coins may be counterfeited or altered from common coins. Therefore, before you start celebrating your new found fortune, have the coin authenticated by a reputable coin dealer or third party grading service.
- 1932-D
- 1932-S
- 1934 DDO (Doubled Die Obverse)
- 1937 DDO
- 1942-D DDO
- 1943 DDO
- 1943-S DDO
- 1950-D D/S (D over S Repunched Mintmark)
- 1950-S S/D (S over D Repunched Mintmark)
Learn More About:
Condition or Grade Examples
Circulated
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Uncirculated
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Click on the photos above for a larger image. Photos courtesy of Teletrade Coin Auctions, www.teletrade.com Learn More About: |
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Mint Marks
Silver Washington quarters were produced at three different mints: Philadelphia (no mint mark), Denver (D) and San Francisco (S). As illustrated in the picture below, the mint mark is located on the reverse of the coin, just below the wreath and above the "R" in "QUARTER DOLLAR.
 Mint Mark Location |
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| Images Courtesy of: Heritage Auction Galleries, Ha.com | |
Silver Washington Quarter Average Values
The following table lists the value (what you can expect a dealer to pay you) for your silver Washington quarter. The first column lists the date and mint mark (see the photo above) followed by the value of an average circulated (Avg Circ) coin and the average value for an uncirculated (Avg Unc) one. These are approximate values and the actual offer that you will receive from a particular dealer will vary depending on the actual grade of the coin and a number of other factors.
| Date | Avg Circ | Avg Unc | Date | Avg Circ | Avg Unc | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1932 | $6.25 | $43.00 | 1947 | $6.25 | $13.00 | |
| 1932-D* | $150.00 | $1,400.00 | 1947-D | $6.25 | $9.00 | |
| 1932-S* | $150.00 | $520.00 | 1947-S | $6.25 | $10.00 | |
| 1934 | $6.25 | $32.00 | 1948 | $6.25 | $8.40 | |
| 1934 DDO* | $130.00 | $1,200.00 | 1948-D | $6.25 | $12.00 | |
| 1934 Lt Motto | $6.70 | $90.00 | 1948-S | $6.25 | $10.60 | |
| 1934 Hv Motto | $6.25 | $65.00 | 1949 | $6.25 | $30.00 | |
| 1934-D Lt Motto | $11.00 | $250.00 | 1949-D | $6.25 | $21.00 | |
| 1934-D Hv Motto | $15.00 | $230.00 | 1950 | $6.25 | $14.00 | |
| 1935 | $6.25 | $22.00 | 1950-D | $6.25 | $19.00 | |
| 1935-D | $11.00 | $210.00 | 1950-D D/S* | $55.00 | $800.00 | |
| 1935-S | $6.25 | $100.00 | 1950-S | $6.25 | $14.00 | |
| 1936 | $6.25 | $28.00 | 1950-S S/D* | $80.00 | $310.00 | |
| 1936-D | $19.00 | $510.00 | 1951 | $6.25 | $7.40 | |
| 1936-S | $6.25 | $100.00 | 1951-D | $6.25 | $6.80 | |
| 1937 | $6.25 | $24.00 | 1951-S | $6.25 | $15.00 | |
| 1937 DDO* | $240.00 | $3,000.00 | 1952 | $6.25 | $7.60 | |
| 1937-D | $6.25 | $67.00 | 1952-D | $6.25 | $7.30 | |
| 1937-S | $11.00 | $180.00 | 1952-S | $6.25 | $13.00 | |
| 1938 | $6.25 | $80.00 | 1953 | $6.25 | $7.40 | |
| 1938-S | $8.00 | $90.00 | 1953-D | $6.25 | $8.10 | |
| 1939 | $6.25 | $16.00 | 1953-S | $6.25 | $7.60 | |
| 1939-D | $6.25 | $36.00 | 1954 | $6.25 | $6.50 | |
| 1939-S | $9.50 | $100.00 | 1954-D | $6.25 | $6.50 | |
| 1940 | $6.25 | $21.00 | 1954-S | $6.25 | $6.30 | |
| 1940-D | $10.30 | $90.00 | 1955 | $6.25 | $7.30 | |
| 1940-S | $6.25 | $26.00 | 1955-D | $6.25 | $7.70 | |
| 1941 | $6.25 | $12.00 | 1956 | $6.25 | $5.80 | |
| 1941-D | $6.25 | $35.00 | 1956-D | $6.25 | $6.00 | |
| 1941-S | $6.25 | $30.00 | 1957 | $6.25 | $6.20 | |
| 1942 | $6.25 | $9.50 | 1957-D | $6.25 | $6.20 | |
| 1942-D | $6.25 | $22.00 | 1958 | $6.25 | $6.40 | |
| 1942-D DDO* | $270.00 | $3,000.00 | 1958-D | $6.25 | $5.60 | |
| 1942-S | $6.25 | $80.00 | 1959 | $6.25 | $6.30 | |
| 1943 | $6.25 | $8.10 | 1959-D | $6.25 | $6.50 | |
| 1943 DDO* | $550.00 | $3,000.00 | 1960 | $6.25 | $6.50 | |
| 1943-D | $6.25 | $26.00 | 1960-D | $6.25 | $6.20 | |
| 1943-S | $6.25 | $25.00 | 1961 | $6.25 | $6.40 | |
| 1943-S DDO* | $150.00 | $1,100.00 | 1961-D | $6.25 | $6.20 | |
| 1944 | $6.25 | $7.60 | 1962 | $6.25 | $5.90 | |
| 1944-D | $6.25 | $17.00 | 1962-D | $6.25 | $5.60 | |
| 1944-S | $6.25 | $15.00 | 1963 | $6.25 | $6.50 | |
| 1945 | $6.25 | $7.50 | 1963-D | $6.25 | $6.40 | |
| 1945-D | $6.25 | $17.00 | 1964 | $6.25 | $6.50 | |
| 1945-S | $6.25 | $9.50 | 1964-D | $6.25 | $6.70 | |
| 1946 | $6.25 | $7.50 | ||||
| 1946-D | $6.25 | $11.00 | ||||
| 1946-S | $6.25 | $9.00 |
*= See the section above "Key Dates, Rarities and Varieties" for more information on these coins.
These values have been compiled through my personal analysis of the coin market, referencing
magazines and books such as Numismatic News,
Coin World, "The Official Blue Book; Handbook of U.S. Coins," The Coin Dealer Newsletter,
published auction results and consulting with various coin dealers.
Read More About Washington quarters:
How to Collect Washington Quarters How to Grade Washington Silver Quarters Washington Clad Quarter Values (1965-1998) How to Recognize Key Dates, Rarities and Varieties for Washington Quarters How Much Should I Pay For a Silver Washington Quarter (1932-1964)? How Much Should I Pay For a Clad Washington Quarter (1965-1998)?
Read About How to Sell Your Coins
What Determines the Value and Price of Coins? How to Sell Your Coins for the Most Money How to Find an Honest Coin Dealer How to Sell Coins on eBay
Read How to Preserve and Protect Your Coins
Protecting, Preserving and Storing Your Coin Collection Seven Ways to Ruin Your Coins
