Washington Quarters

John Flanagan designed the original Washington quarter, though the story of how he got the commission is tangled up in one of the Mint's more regrettable decisions. Congress authorized a Washington quarter in 1931 for the bicentennial of Washington's birth, and the Commission of Fine Arts recommended a design by sculptor Laura Gardin Fraser, who had submitted what most observers considered the superior entry. Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon overruled the commission and selected Flanagan's design instead. The reasons were never made fully clear, and the decision has been second-guessed ever since. Fraser, who was married to Buffalo nickel designer James Earle Fraser, would eventually get her Washington portrait onto the quarter in 2022, ninety years late. Flanagan's obverse depicted Washington facing left, based on the famous Houdon bust, with LIBERTY arched above, IN GOD WE TRUST at the left, and the date below. The reverse showed a heraldic eagle with spread wings perched on a bundle of arrows, with olive branches below. The design was solid and workmanlike, well suited to high-volume production if not particularly inspired.

The first Washington quarters were struck in 1932, a year into the Depression, and the series has been in continuous production ever since, making it the longest-running quarter design in American history. The original composition was 90% silver and 10% copper, at 6.25 grams and 24.3 millimeters, matching the specifications of every quarter since the Seated Liberty era. No quarters were struck in 1933, the only gap in the series, as the Depression had reduced demand for new coinage to a trickle.

Production resumed in 1934 and climbed steadily through the late 1930s and 1940s as the economy recovered and wartime demand increased. Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco all struck Washington quarters, with San Francisco dropping out of circulation-strike production after 1955 and shifting to proof-only coinage. Mintages ranged from the low millions in the early Depression years to hundreds of millions by the 1960s.

The composition changed in 1965. Rising silver prices had created the same problem that had plagued the Mint periodically since the 1850s: the metal in the coins was worth more than the face value, and people were hoarding and melting them. The Coinage Act of 1965 replaced the silver alloy with a copper-nickel clad composition, a copper core bonded between layers of 75% copper and 25% nickel, at a slightly reduced weight of 5.67 grams. Silver quarters disappeared from circulation almost overnight, and the clad coins that replaced them have been the standard ever since. The 1976 Bicentennial quarters, dual-dated 1776-1976 with Jack Ahr's Colonial Drummer reverse, were also struck in a 40% silver version for collector sets, a nod to the old composition that would be repeated for various special issues in later decades.

The 1932-D and 1932-S are the key dates, the only first-year branch-mint issues. Denver struck 436,800 and San Francisco 408,000, small quantities that reflected Depression-era demand. Both were recognized as scarce immediately and have been the two most expensive regular-issue Washington quarters since the series began. Beyond those two, the series has no great rarities in circulation strikes. The 1934 Double Die Obverse and 1937 Double Die Obverse are the most collected varieties, and the 1942-D Double Die Obverse is another popular error. The 1950-D/S and 1950-S/D overmintmark varieties offer die variety interest for specialists.

The proof issues tell their own story. Philadelphia struck proofs from 1936 through 1942 and again from 1950 through 1964 before proof production moved to San Francisco in 1968. The 1936 through 1942 proofs were produced in small quantities, a few thousand per year, and are scarce relative to the later issues. The San Francisco proofs from 1968 onward were struck in much larger numbers, millions per year, and are common. Silver proofs returned in 1992, giving collectors a way to own the Washington quarter in its original 90% silver composition, and have been produced annually since. The 1979-S and 1981-S Type 2 Clear S proofs are recognized varieties where a clearer mintmark punch was used partway through the year, and both carry premiums.

The Washington quarter has been the most important coin in American daily commerce for most of its existence. Twenty-five cents in 1932 bought a gallon of gasoline, a movie ticket, a good lunch, or a pack of cigarettes. By the 1960s, the quarter was the standard coin for pay phones, parking meters, laundromats, and vending machines. The entire coin-operated infrastructure of American life was built around the quarter, and it remains the denomination that machines are most likely to accept. Even as the quarter's purchasing power declined through the decades, dropping from a meal to a gumball, the coin retained its central role in cash transactions because it sits at exactly the right point in the denominational structure. It is small enough to accumulate without thought, large enough to contribute meaningfully to a purchase, and universally accepted in a way that dollar coins have never managed.

By 1998, the final year of the original Flanagan reverse, the Washington quarter had been in production for sixty-six years, and it was about to enter a new phase entirely. The State Quarters program of 1999 would transform the denomination from a stable, unchanging workhorse into a rotating canvas for fifty different designs, and the quarter would never be quite the same again. Flanagan's heraldic eagle had served for over six decades, longer than any other quarter reverse, and its replacement marked the end of an era in which coins were expected to look the same year after year. The old quarter was reliable, familiar, and boring. The new quarters would be none of those things.

Sources: Q. David Bowers, A Guide Book of Washington and State Quarters (Whitman Publishing, 2006); Walter Breen, Walter Breen's Complete Encyclopedia of U.S. and Colonial Coins (Doubleday, 1988); R.S. Yeoman & Jeff Garrett, A Guide Book of United States Coins (Whitman Publishing, 2025); PCGS CoinFacts.

Read more about Washington Quarters ▼

1932–1998Years struck

157Date/variety entries

Philadelphia, Denver, San FranciscoMints

Circulation Strikes Proofs

Key date

Semi-key

Variety

Proof

Special

NIFC

Regular

1932 1932-D 1932-S 1934 Doubled Die Obverse 1934 Heavy Motto 1934 Light Motto 1934 Medium Motto 1934-D 1934-D Heavy Motto 1935 1935-D 1935-S 1936 1936-D 1936-S 1937 1937 Doubled Die Obverse 1937-D 1937-S 1938 1938-S 1939 1939-D 1939-S 1940 1940-D 1940-S 1941 1941-D 1941-S 1942 1942-D 1942-D Doubled Die Obverse 1942-S 1943 1943 Doubled Die 1943-D 1943-S 1943-S Doubled Die Obverse 1944 1944-D 1944-S 1945 1945-D 1945-S 1946 1946-D 1946-S 1947 1947-D 1947-S 1948 1948-D 1948-S 1949 1949-D 1950 1950-D 1950-D D/S 1950-S 1950-S S/D 1951 1951-D 1951-S 1952 1952-D 1952-S 1953 1953-D 1953-S 1954 1954-D 1954-S 1955 1955-D 1956 1956-D 1957 1957-D 1958 1958-D 1959 1959-D 1960 1960-D 1961 1961-D 1962 1962-D 1963 1963-D 1964 1964-D 1965 1966 1967 1968 1968-D 1969 1969-D 1970 1970-D 1971 1971-D 1972 1972-D 1973 1973-D 1974 1974-D 1976 Bicentennial, Clad 1976-D Bicentennial, Clad 1976-S Bicentennial, Silver 1977 1977-D 1978 1978-D 1979 1979-D 1980-D 1980-P 1981-D 1981-P 1982-D 1982-P 1983-D 1983-P 1984-D 1984-P 1985-D 1985-P 1986-D 1986-P 1987-D 1987-P 1988-D 1988-P 1989-D 1989-P 1990-D 1990-P 1991-D 1991-P 1992-D 1992-P 1993-D 1993-P 1994-D 1994-P 1995-D 1995-P 1996-D 1996-P 1997-D 1997-P 1998-D 1998-P

Date	Variety	Mintage	Classification	CK #
1932	—	5,404,000	Regular	CK-2758
1932-D	—	436,800	Key Date	CK-2759
1932-S	—	408,000	Key Date	CK-2760
1934	Doubled Die Obverse	—	Variety	CK-2761
1934	Heavy Motto	—	Variety	CK-2762
1934	Light Motto	—	Variety	CK-2763
1934	Medium Motto	31,912,052	Regular	CK-2764
1934-D	—	3,527,200	Semi-Key	CK-2765
1934-D	Heavy Motto	—	Variety	CK-2766
1935	—	32,484,000	Regular	CK-2767
1935-D	—	5,780,000	Semi-Key	CK-2768
1935-S	—	5,660,000	Regular	CK-2769
1936	—	41,303,837	Regular	CK-2770
1936-D	—	5,374,000	Semi-Key	CK-2772
1936-S	—	3,828,000	Regular	CK-2773
1937	—	19,701,542	Regular	CK-2774
1937	Doubled Die Obverse	—	Variety	CK-2776
1937-D	—	7,189,600	Regular	CK-2777
1937-S	—	1,652,000	Regular	CK-2778
1938	—	9,480,045	Regular	CK-2779
1938-S	—	3,832,000	Regular	CK-2781
1939	—	33,548,795	Regular	CK-2782
1939-D	—	7,092,000	Regular	CK-2784
1939-S	—	2,628,000	Regular	CK-2785
1940	—	35,715,246	Regular	CK-2786
1940-D	—	2,797,600	Regular	CK-2788
1940-S	—	8,244,000	Regular	CK-2789
1941	—	79,047,287	Regular	CK-2790
1941-D	—	16,714,800	Regular	CK-2792
1941-S	—	16,080,000	Regular	CK-2793
1942	—	102,117,123	Regular	CK-2794
1942-D	—	17,487,200	Regular	CK-2796
1942-D	Doubled Die Obverse	—	Variety	CK-2797
1942-S	—	19,384,000	Regular	CK-2798
1943	—	99,700,000	Regular	CK-2799
1943	Doubled Die	—	Variety	CK-2800
1943-D	—	16,095,600	Regular	CK-2801
1943-S	—	21,700,000	Regular	CK-2802
1943-S	Doubled Die Obverse	—	Variety	CK-2803
1944	—	104,956,000	Regular	CK-2804
1944-D	—	14,600,800	Regular	CK-2805
1944-S	—	12,560,000	Regular	CK-2806
1945	—	74,372,000	Regular	CK-2807
1945-D	—	12,341,600	Regular	CK-2808
1945-S	—	17,004,001	Regular	CK-2809
1946	—	53,436,000	Regular	CK-2810
1946-D	—	9,072,800	Regular	CK-2811
1946-S	—	4,204,000	Regular	CK-2812
1947	—	22,556,000	Regular	CK-2813
1947-D	—	15,338,400	Regular	CK-2814
1947-S	—	5,532,000	Regular	CK-2815
1948	—	35,196,000	Regular	CK-2816
1948-D	—	16,766,800	Regular	CK-2817
1948-S	—	15,960,000	Regular	CK-2818
1949	—	9,312,000	Semi-Key	CK-2819
1949-D	—	10,068,400	Regular	CK-2820
1950	—	24,971,512	Regular	CK-2821
1950-D	—	21,075,600	Regular	CK-2823
1950-D	D/S	—	Variety	CK-2824
1950-S	—	10,284,004	Regular	CK-2825
1950-S	S/D	—	Variety	CK-2826
1951	—	43,505,602	Regular	CK-2827
1951-D	—	35,354,800	Regular	CK-2829
1951-S	—	9,048,000	Regular	CK-2830
1952	—	38,862,073	Regular	CK-2831
1952-D	—	49,795,200	Regular	CK-2833
1952-S	—	13,707,800	Regular	CK-2834
1953	—	18,664,920	Regular	CK-2836
1953-D	—	56,112,400	Regular	CK-2837
1953-S	—	14,016,000	Regular	CK-2838
1954	—	54,645,503	Regular	CK-2839
1954-D	—	42,305,500	Regular	CK-2841
1954-S	—	11,834,722	Regular	CK-2842
1955	—	18,558,381	Regular	CK-2843
1955-D	—	3,182,400	Semi-Key	CK-2845
1956	—	44,813,384	Regular	CK-2846
1956-D	—	32,334,500	Regular	CK-2848
1957	—	47,779,952	Regular	CK-2849
1957-D	—	77,924,160	Regular	CK-2851
1958	—	7,235,652	Regular	CK-2853
1958-D	—	78,124,900	Regular	CK-2854
1959	—	25,533,291	Regular	CK-2855
1959-D	—	62,054,232	Regular	CK-2857
1960	—	30,855,602	Regular	CK-2858
1960-D	—	63,000,324	Regular	CK-2860
1961	—	40,064,244	Regular	CK-2862
1961-D	—	83,656,928	Regular	CK-2863
1962	—	39,374,019	Regular	CK-2864
1962-D	—	127,554,756	Regular	CK-2866
1963	—	77,391,645	Regular	CK-2867
1963-D	—	135,288,184	Regular	CK-2869
1964	—	564,341,347	Regular	CK-2871
1964-D	—	704,135,528	Regular	CK-2873
1965	—	1,819,717,540	Regular	CK-2874
1966	—	821,101,500	Regular	CK-2876
1967	—	1,524,031,848	Regular	CK-2878
1968	—	220,731,500	Regular	CK-2880
1968-D	—	101,534,000	Regular	CK-2881
1969	—	176,212,000	Regular	CK-2883
1969-D	—	114,372,000	Regular	CK-2884
1970	—	136,420,000	Regular	CK-2886
1970-D	—	417,341,364	Regular	CK-2887
1971	—	109,284,000	Regular	CK-2889
1971-D	—	258,634,428	Regular	CK-2890
1972	—	215,048,000	Regular	CK-2892
1972-D	—	311,067,732	Regular	CK-2893
1973	—	346,924,000	Regular	CK-2895
1973-D	—	232,977,400	Regular	CK-2896
1974	—	801,456,000	Regular	CK-2898
1974-D	—	353,160,300	Regular	CK-2899
1976	Bicentennial, Clad	809,784,016	Regular	CK-2901
1976-D	Bicentennial, Clad	860,118,839	Regular	CK-2902
1976-S	Bicentennial, Silver	7,059,099	Regular	CK-2905
1977	—	468,556,000	Regular	CK-2906
1977-D	—	256,524,978	Regular	CK-2907
1978	—	521,452,000	Regular	CK-2909
1978-D	—	287,373,152	Regular	CK-2910
1979	—	515,708,000	Regular	CK-2912
1979-D	—	489,789,780	Regular	CK-2913
1980-D	—	518,327,688	Regular	CK-2917
1980-P	—	635,832,000	Regular	CK-2916
1981-D	—	575,722,000	Regular	CK-2920
1981-P	—	601,716,000	Regular	CK-2919
1982-D	—	480,042,788	Regular	CK-2924
1982-P	—	500,931,000	Regular	CK-2923
1983-D	—	617,806,446	Regular	CK-2927
1983-P	—	673,535,000	Regular	CK-2926
1984-D	—	546,483,064	Regular	CK-2930
1984-P	—	676,545,000	Regular	CK-2929
1985-D	—	519,962,888	Regular	CK-2933
1985-P	—	775,818,962	Regular	CK-2932
1986-D	—	504,298,660	Regular	CK-2936
1986-P	—	551,199,333	Regular	CK-2935
1987-D	—	655,594,696	Regular	CK-2939
1987-P	—	582,499,481	Regular	CK-2938
1988-D	—	596,810,688	Regular	CK-2942
1988-P	—	562,052,000	Regular	CK-2941
1989-D	—	896,535,597	Regular	CK-2945
1989-P	—	512,868,000	Regular	CK-2944
1990-D	—	927,638,181	Regular	CK-2948
1990-P	—	613,792,000	Regular	CK-2947
1991-D	—	630,966,693	Regular	CK-2951
1991-P	—	570,968,000	Regular	CK-2950
1992-D	—	389,777,107	Regular	CK-2954
1992-P	—	384,764,000	Regular	CK-2953
1993-D	—	645,476,128	Regular	CK-2958
1993-P	—	639,276,000	Regular	CK-2957
1994-D	—	880,034,110	Regular	CK-2962
1994-P	—	825,600,000	Regular	CK-2961
1995-D	—	1,103,216,000	Regular	CK-2966
1995-P	—	1,004,336,000	Regular	CK-2965
1996-D	—	906,868,000	Regular	CK-2970
1996-P	—	925,040,000	Regular	CK-2969
1997-D	—	599,680,000	Regular	CK-2974
1997-P	—	595,740,000	Regular	CK-2973
1998-D	—	821,000,000	Regular	CK-2978
1998-P	—	896,268,000	Regular	CK-2977