Washington Quarters

Washington Quarter Coins

Minted since 1932

Washington quarter is the current quarter dollar or 25 cents issued by the United States Mint. It has evolved since 1932, and it has undergone a series of modifications based on the United States mint specifications. Below is a piece of brief information about its designer, design, composition, history, and its value. They will give you a better understanding of the Washington silver quarter coins’ evolution.

Designer

Sculptor John Flanagan initially designed the Washington quarter dollar upon being requested by the bicentennial committee members formed by Congress. The committee suggested a Washington half dollar, but Congress gave the orders to replace the Standing Liberty Quarter. The committee sought sculptor Laura Gardin Fraser. In the event of selection, Congress accepted John Flanagan’s design after the treasury secretary chose his design amongst others presented by Laura Gardin Fraser.

Design

Congress intended to replace the Walking Liberty half dollar, but they opted to permanently change the Standing Liberty Quarter where they proposed the image of Washington to appear on the obverse of the new coin. The coin had a mass of 6.25g with a diameter of 24.3mm, a reeded edge, and an orientation of 180 degrees. It consists of 75% copper and 25% nickel. The series of Washington silver quarters consisted of 90% silver and 10% copper.
The new silver quarters entered circulation in 1932 but remained coated with silver until the Mint transitioned to copper-nickel. After 1965, all the coins issued for circulation didn’t have any silver.

History

Initially, the Washington quarter dollar was introduced occasionally to celebrate the birthday of the then president George Washington in 1932. It was supposed to be a 1-year commemorative coin, but upon the return of their demand in 1934, the Mint continued to distribute the Washington design used up to date. In 1974, Congress approved the Mint to continue striking 1974-dated quarters until bicentennial coinage began. The Mint also sold the silver sets in both uncirculated and proof before ending sales in 1986. In 1999, the Washington quarter production was completely shut down due to the introduction of the 50 state quarters program.

Value

The Washington silver coins are still valuable to date, and it’s still in use. The coin’s face value has not changed, and thus it’s a valuable tool of exchange. Its value has since 1932 been increasing since people have also understood its importance as well.

Another fascinating coin: Kennedy Half Dollar Coin

How to Tell If You Have a Silver Washington Quarter

The easiest way to check whether a Washington quarter is silver is to look at its edge. Pre-1965 quarters have a solid silver edge, while later copper-nickel clad quarters show a visible copper stripe sandwiched between two outer layers. Weight is another clue: silver quarters weigh 6.25 grams, noticeably heavier than the 5.67-gram clad quarters minted from 1965 onward. Because silver prices fluctuate, even a well-worn pre-1965 quarter is generally worth several times its 25-cent face value based on its silver content alone. See our guide on what melt value means and how it’s calculated to work out the exact figure for any date.