The quarter, short for quarter dollar, is a United States coin worth 25 cents, one-quarter of a
dollar
Dollar is the name of more than 20 currencies. They include the Australian dollar, Brunei dollar, Canadian dollar, Hong Kong dollar, Jamaican dollar, Liberian dollar, Namibian dollar, New Taiwan dollar, New Zealand dollar, Singapore dollar, ...
. The coin sports the profile of
George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...
on its obverse, and after 1998 its reverse design has changed frequently. It has been produced on and off since 1796 and consistently 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 that contains nickel and strengthening elements, such as iron and manganese. The copper content typically varies from 60 to 90 percent. (Monel is a nickel-copper alloy that contains a minimu ...
(75%
copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) 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 pinkis ...
, 25%
nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with 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 slow ...
) 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 5.670 grams (0.1823 troy oz, or 0.2000 avoirdupois oz).
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; it 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
''Two Bits'' is a 1995 American drama film directed by James Foley and starring Al Pacino, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Jerry Barone. It was written by Joseph Stefano, who considered the film a personal project, with a semi-biographical stor ...
" (that is, two eighths of a piece of eight) is a common nickname for a quarter.
From 1796 the quarter was minted with 6.739 g of 89.24% fine silver (6.014 g fine silver), revised to 90% fine silver from 1838 to 1964. It weighed 6.682 g from 1838, 6.22 g from 1853, and 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 men's and boys' hair or beards. A barber's place of work is known as a "barbershop" or a "barber's". Barbershops are also places of social interaction and publi ...
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 & 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
George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...
facing left, with "Liberty" above the head, the date below, and " In God We Trust" 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 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), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...
.
History of the Washington Quarter
As of 2011, it cost 11.14 cents to produce each coin.
Regular issue Washington quarters:
*Silver quarter, 1932–1964
*Clad composition quarter, 1965–1998
* 50 State quarters, 1999–2008
*
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
-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
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
and the five inhabited US territories:
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...
,
Guam
Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...
,
American Samoa
American Samoa ( sm, Amerika Sāmoa, ; also ' or ') is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the island country of Samoa. Its location is centered on . It is east of the Internationa ...
, the
United States Virgin Islands
The United States Virgin Islands,. Also called the ''American Virgin Islands'' and the ''U.S. Virgin Islands''. officially the Virgin Islands of the United States, are a group of Caribbean islands and an unincorporated and organized territory ...
, and the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI; ch, Sankattan Siha Na Islas Mariånas; cal, Commonwealth Téél Falúw kka Efáng llól Marianas), is an unincorporated territory and commonwea ...
. 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
Albertus Magnus (c. 1200 – 15 November 1280), also known as Saint Albert the Great or Albert of Cologne, was a German Dominican friar, philosopher, scientist, and bishop. Later canonised as a Catholic saint, he was known during his li ...
.
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 12 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 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 Sestercentennial or Quarter Millennial) will be the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence of the Thirteen Colonies in 1776. Festivities will be scheduled to mark various events lead ...
. 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
Laura may refer to:
People
* Laura (given name)
* Laura, the British code name for the World War I Belgian spy Marthe Cnockaert
Places Australia
* Laura, Queensland, a town on the Cape York Peninsula
* Laura, South Australia
* Laura Bay, a bay on ...
's portrait of
George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander 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 (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
abstained in 1934 and 1949, and stopped after 1955, until it resumed in 1968 by way of making proofs.
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
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 in Philadelphia was created from the need to establish a national identity and the needs of commerce in the United States. This led the Founding Fathers of the United States to make an establishment of a continental national ...
; 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 =
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
, S =
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
. 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 (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
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
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
The Sheldon Coin Grading Scale is a 70-point coin grading scale used in the numismatic assessment of a coin's quality. The American Numismatic Association based its ''Official ANA Grading Standards'' in large part on the Sheldon scale. The scale w ...
examples, and any coin from 1981–1994 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, West Point, New York (state), New York, United States. the mint holds 22% of the United States' Gold res ...
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.
bullion coins
Bullion is non-ferrous metal that has been refined to a high standard of elemental purity. The term is ordinarily applied to bulk metal used in the production of coins and especially to precious metals such as gold and silver. It comes fro ...
Quarter (Canadian coin)
The quarter, short for quarter dollar, is a Canadian coin worth 25 cents or one-fourth of a Canadian dollar. It is a small, circular coin of silver colour. According to the Royal Canadian Mint, the official name for the coin is the 25-cent pie ...