The quarter, formally known as the quarter dollar, is a coin in the United States valued at 25 cents, representing one-quarter of a

dollar Dollar is the name of more than 25 currencies. The United States dollar, named after the international currency known as the Spanish dollar, was established in 1792 and is the first so named that still survives. Others include the Australian d ...

. Adorning its obverse is the profile of

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

, while its reverse design has undergone frequent changes since 1998. Since its initial production in 1796, the quarter dollar has held a significant place in American

numismatics Numismatics is the study or collection of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money, medals, and related objects. Specialists, known as numismatists, are often characterized as students or collectors of coins, but the discipline also inclu ...

, with consistent production since 1831. It has a diameter of 0.955 inch (24.26 mm) and a thickness of 0.069 inch (1.75 mm). Its current version is composed of two layers of

cupronickel Cupronickel or copper–nickel (CuNi) is an alloy of copper with nickel, usually along with small quantities of other metals added for strength, such as iron and manganese. The copper content typically varies from 60 to 90 percent. ( Monel is a n ...

(75%

copper Copper is a chemical element; it has symbol Cu (from Latin ) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish-orang ...

, 25%

nickel Nickel is a chemical element; it has symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel is a hard and ductile transition metal. Pure nickel is chemically reactive, but large pieces are slo ...

) clad on a core of pure copper. With the cupronickel layers comprising 1/3 of total weight, the coin's overall composition is therefore 8.33% nickel, 91.67% copper. Its weight is 0.1823 troy oz. or 0.2000

avoirdupois Avoirdupois (; abbreviated avdp.) is a measurement system of weights that uses pounds and ounces as units. It was first commonly used in the 13th century AD and was updated in 1959. In 1959, by international agreement, the definitions of the p ...

oz. (5.670 grams).

Designs before 1932

The choice of a quarter-dollar as a denomination, as opposed to the or the 20-cent piece that is more common elsewhere, originated with the practice of dividing Spanish milled dollars into eight wedge-shaped segments, which gave rise to the name "piece of eight" for that coin. " Two bits" (that is, two eighths of a piece of eight) is a common nickname for a quarter. From 1796 the quarter was minted with 0.2377 oz. (6.739 g) of 89.24% fine silver (.2121 oz. .014 gfine silver), revised to 90% fine silver from 1838 to 1964. It weighed 0.2357 oz. (6.682 g) from 1838, 0.2194 oz. (6.22 g) from 1853, and 0.2204 oz. (6.25 g) from 1873 to 1964. Six designs, five regular and one commemorative, have been issued until 1930: * Draped Bust 1796–1807 **Draped Bust, Small Eagle 1796 **Draped Bust, Heraldic Eagle 1804–1807 * Capped Bust 1815–1838 **Capped Bust (Large Size), With Motto 1815–1828 **Capped Bust (Small Size), No Motto 1831–1838 * Seated Liberty 1838–1891 **Seated Liberty, No Motto 1838–1865 **Seated Liberty, With Motto 1866–1891 *

Barber A barber is a person whose occupation is mainly to cut, dress, groom, style and shave hair or beards. A barber's place of work is known as a barbershop or the barber's. Barbershops have been noted places of social interaction and public discourse ...

1892–1916 * Isabella quarter commemorative 1893 * Standing Liberty 1916–1930 **Standing Liberty (Type 1) 1916–1917 (featured an image of Liberty with one of her breasts exposed) **Standing Liberty (Type 2 or Type 2a) 1917–1924 **Standing Liberty (Type 3 or Type 2b) 1925–1930 File:1822_25C_PR_(over_50C).jpg, Capped Bust quarter, 1822 File:Seated_Liberty_Quarter_with_Arrows_and_Rays.jpg, Liberty Seated quarter with arrows and rays, 1853 File:1914_Barber_Quarter_NGC_AU58_Obverse.png, Barber quarter, 1914 File:Standing_Liberty_Quarter_Type1_1917S_Obverse.png, Type 1 Standing Liberty Quarter with bare breast, 1917 File:Standing_Liberty_Quarter_Type2_1924D_Obverse.png, Standing Liberty quarter, 1924

Washington quarter

The original version of the Washington quarter issued from 1932 to 1998 was designed by sculptor John Flanagan. The obverse depicted

facing left, with "Liberty" above the head, the date below, and "

In God We Trust "In God We Trust" (also rendered as "In God we trust") is the United States national motto, official motto of the United States as well as the motto of the U.S. state of Florida, along with the nation of Nicaragua (Spanish language, Spanish: '' ...

" in the left field. The reverse depicted an eagle with wings outspread perches on a bundle of arrows framed below by two olive branches. It was minted in 0.2204 oz. (6.25 g) of 90% fine silver until 1964, when rising silver prices forced the change into the present-day cupronickel-clad-copper composition, which was also called the "Johnson Sandwich" after then-president

Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, under whom he had served a ...

. History of the Washington Quarter
As of 2011, it cost 11.14 cents to produce each coin. Regular issue Washington quarters: *Silver quarters, 1932–1964 *Clad composition quarter, 1965–1998 * 50 State quarters, 1999–2008 * District of Columbia and United States Territories quarters, 2009 * America the Beautiful quarters, 2010–2021 *Washington Crossing the Delaware, 2021 * American Women quarters, 2022–2025 *Semiquincentennial quarters, 2026 *Youth Sports quarters, 2027–2030 Commemorative and bullion issue Washington quarters: * United States Bicentennial coinage quarter in clad & 40% silver, 1975–1976 (all were dated 1776–1976) *Silver

proof Proof most often refers to: * Proof (truth), argument or sufficient evidence for the truth of a proposition * Alcohol proof, a measure of an alcoholic drink's strength Proof may also refer to: Mathematics and formal logic * Formal proof, a co ...

set quarter, 1992–1998 * America the Beautiful silver bullion coins in 5-ounce silver, 2010–2021 File:United_States_Quarter.jpg, Obverse and reverse of Washington quarter, 1983 (clad composition) File:1976_Bicentennial_Quarter_Rev.png, Reverse of bicentennial quarter, 1976 File:1999_NJ_Proof.png,

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

-designed State Quarter, 1999

US states and territories quarters, 1999–2009

In 1999, the 50 State quarters program of circulating commemorative quarters began. These have a modified Washington obverse and a different reverse for each state, ending the former Washington quarter's production completely. On January 23, 2007, the House of Representatives passed extending the state quarter program one year to 2009, to include the

District of Columbia Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...

and the five inhabited U.S. territories:

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

Guam Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...

American Samoa American Samoa is an Territories of the United States, unincorporated and unorganized territory of the United States located in the Polynesia region of the Pacific Ocean, South Pacific Ocean. Centered on , it is southeast of the island count ...

, the

United States Virgin Islands The United States Virgin Islands, officially the Virgin Islands of the United States, are a group of Caribbean islands and a territory of the United States. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located ...

, and the

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), is an unincorporated territory and commonwealth of the United States consisting of 14 islands in the northwestern Pacific Ocean.Lin, Tom C.W.Amer ...

. The bill passed through the Senate, and was signed into legislation by President George W. Bush as part of , on December 27, 2007. The typeface used in the state quarter series varies a bit from one state to another, but is generally derived from Albertus.

America the Beautiful quarters, 2010–2021

On June 4, 2008, the America's Beautiful National Parks Quarter Dollar Coin Act of 2008, , was introduced to the House of Representatives. On December 23, 2008, President Bush signed the bill into law as . The America the Beautiful quarters program began in 2010 and ended in 2021, lasting 11 years and depicting a natural or historic site for each state and territory.

2021: Return of the original obverse, new legislation

Following the conclusion of the America the Beautiful quarter series in 2021, Treasury Secretary

Steven Mnuchin Steven Terner Mnuchin ( ; born December 21, 1962) is an American investment banker and film producer who served as the 77th United States secretary of the treasury as part of the first cabinet of Donald Trump from 2017 to 2021. Serving for nearl ...

had the option of ordering a second round of 56 quarters, but did not do so by the end of 2018 as required in the 2008 legislation. The quarter's design for 2021 therefore reverted to Flanagan's original obverse design, paired with a new reverse rendition of Washington crossing the Delaware River on the night of December 25, 1776. In October 2019, the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) met to consider designs, with the final choice made by Mnuchin. On December 25, 2020, the Mint announced the successful design, by Benjamin Sowards as sculpted by Michael Gaudioso. This quarter was released into circulation on April 5, 2021, and was minted until the end of 2021. The Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020 () established three new series of quarters for the next decade. From 2022 to 2025, the Mint may produce up to five coins each year featuring prominent American women, with a new obverse design of Washington. In 2026, there will be up to five designs representing the

United States Semiquincentennial The United States Semiquincentennial, also called the Bisesquicentennial, the Sestercentennial, America250 or the Quarter Millennium, will be the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence. Festivities will mark various e ...

. From 2027 to 2030, the Mint may produce up to five coins each year featuring youth sports. The obverse will also be redesigned in 2027, and even after 2030 is still to depict Washington.

American Women Quarters

The American Women Quarters Program will issue up to five new reverse designs each year from 2022 to 2025 featuring the accomplishments and contributions made in various fields by women to American history and development. The obverse features Laura Gardin Fraser's portrait of

originally intended for the first Washington quarter in 1932.

Collecting silver Washington quarters

The "silver series" of Washington quarters spans from 1932 to 1964; during many years in the series it will appear that certain mints did not mint Washington quarters for that year. No known examples of quarters were made in 1933,

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

abstained in 1934 and 1949, and stopped after 1955, until it resumed in 1968 by way of making proofs.

Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

did not make quarters in 1938. Proof examples from 1936 to 1942 and 1950 to 1967 were struck at the

Philadelphia Mint The Philadelphia Mint is a branch of the United States Mint in Philadelphia. It was built in 1792 following the Coinage Act of 1792, in order to establish a national identity and the needs of commerce in the United States, and is the first and ...

; in 1968, proof production was shifted to the San Francisco Mint. The current rarities for the Washington quarter "silver series" are: Branch mintmarks are D =

, S =

. Coins without mintmarks were all made at the main Mint in Philadelphia. This listing is for business strikes, not proofs: *1932-D *1932-S *1934 – with Doubled Die Obverse (DDO) *1935-D *1936-D *1937 – with Doubled Die Obverse (DDO) *1937-S *1938-S *1939-S *1940-D *1942-D – with Doubled Die Obverse (DDO) *1943 – with Doubled Die Obverse (DDO) *1943-S – with Doubled Die Obverse (DDO) *1950-D/S Over mintmark (coin is a 1950-D, with underlying S mintmark) *1950-S/D Over mintmark (coin is a 1950-S, with underlying D mintmark) The 1940-D, 1936-D and the 1935-D coins, as well as many others in the series, are considerably more valuable than other quarters. This is not due to their mintages, but rather because they are harder to find in high

grades Grade most commonly refers to: * Grading in education, a measurement of a student's performance by educational assessment (e.g. A, pass, etc.) * A designation for students, classes and curricula indicating the number of the year a student has reach ...

(a situation referred to as "condition rarity"). Many of these coins are worth only melt value in low grades. Other coins in the above list are expensive because of their extremely low mintages, such as the 1932 Denver and San Francisco issues. The overstruck mintmark issues are also scarce and expensive, especially in the higher grades; even so they may not have the same popularity as overdates found in pre-Washington quarter series. The 1934 Philadelphia strike appears in two versions: one with a light motto or "In God We Trust" which is the same as that used on the 1932 strikings, and the other a heavy motto seen after the dies were reworked. Except in the highest grades, the difference in value between the two is minor. The mint mark on the coin is located on the reverse beneath the wreath on which the eagle is perched, and will either carry the mint mark "D" for the Denver Mint, "S" for the San Francisco Mint, or be blank if minted at the Philadelphia Mint.

Collecting clad Washington quarters

The copper-nickel clad Washington quarter was first issued in 1965 and as part of the switch, the

mintmark was added in 1968, which did not reappear on any US coin denomination until 1968. For the first three years of clad production, in lieu of proof sets, specimen sets were specially sold as "Special Mint Sets" minted at the San Francisco mint in 1965, 1966, and 1967 (Deep Cameo versions of these coins are highly valued because of their rarity). Currently, there are few examples in the clad series that are valued as highly as the silver series but there are certain extraordinary dates or variations. The deep cameo versions of proofs from 1965 to 1971 and 1981 Type 2 are highly valued because of their scarcity, high grade examples of quarters from certain years of the 1980s (such as 1981–1987) because of scarcity in high grades due to high circulation and in 1982 and 1983 no mint sets were produced making it harder to find mint state examples, and any coin from 1981 to 1994 graded in MS67 is worth upwards of $1000. The mint mark on the coin is currently located on the obverse at the bottom right hemisphere under the supposed date. In 1965–1967 cupro-nickel coins bore no mint mark; quarters minted in 1968–1979 were stamped with a "D" for the Denver mint, an "S" for the San Francisco mint (proof coins only), or blank for Philadelphia. Starting in 1980, the Philadelphia mint was allowed to add its mint mark to all coins except the one-cent piece. Twenty-five-cent pieces minted from 1980 onwards are stamped with "P" for the Philadelphia mint, "D" for the Denver mint, or "S" for San Francisco mint. Until 2012 the "S" mint mark was used only on proof coins, but beginning with the El Yunque (Puerto Rico) design in the America the Beautiful quarters program, the US Mint began selling (at a premium) uncirculated 40-coin rolls and 100-coin bags of quarters with the San Francisco mint mark. These coins were not included in the 2012 or later uncirculated sets or the three-coin ATB quarter sets (which consisted of an uncirculated "P" and "D" and proof "S" specimen) and no "S" mint-marked quarters are being released into circulation, so that mintages will be determined solely by direct demand for the "S" mint-marked coins. In 2019, the

West Point Mint The West Point Mint is a U.S. Mint production and depository facility erected in 1937 near the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York. the mint holds 22% of the United States' gold reserves, or approximately (over $100 billion USD as o ...

released two million of each of the five designs that year with a "W" mint mark for general circulation, in a move intended to spur coin collecting. This was continued in 2020, which turned out to be the final year of the "W" mint marked quarters as no quarters with the mint mark have been produced since.

References

External links

Official specifications
* http://www.usmint.gov/faqs/circulating_coins/index.cfm?action=faq_circulating_coin * https://web.archive.org/web/20040813033020/http://acoin.com/regularissue/regular25c.htm
US Quarters by year and type.
Histories, photos, and more.
Extensive quarter coin knowledge
Coin specifications for all quarter coins
Quarter Dollar, Coin Type from United States
Detailed information, descriptions, photos, mintage and historical background. {{Coinage (United States coin) Twenty-five-cent coins of the United States 1796 introductions George Washington on United States currency