2023-S Eleanor Roosevelt, Silver Proof

Struck in .999 fine silver at San Francisco and distributed through the 2023 Silver Proof Set and the dedicated American Women Quarters Silver Proof Set, this issue reports a mintage of 395,000 pieces. Roosevelt's diplomatic legacy through the United Nations and her chairmanship of the drafting committee for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights mark the modern era of international human rights law as much as any single document or institution can, and her selection for the AWQ program was widely anticipated from the moment the legislation was signed. Silver proof channels attract the buyers most likely to maintain coins long term in original packaging.

On a pure silver planchet, Hess's reverse design takes on the warmer reflective tone characteristic of .999 fine substrate compared to the cooler look of clad proofs, and the frosted devices appear softer at the edges under direct light. Phebe Hemphill's preparatory sculpting work, originally completed for the clad proof, transfers directly to the silver dies without modification. Specifications: .999 fine silver, 6.343 grams, 24.3 millimeters, reeded edge, with the S mintmark below IN GOD WE TRUST on the obverse alongside Laura Gardin Fraser's 1932 Washington portrait. Authentication checks the weight against a calibrated scale, examines the rim profile for the slight thickening typical of silver planchets under the same dies, and confirms the reeded edge count matches 2023 silver tooling records.

Population reports from Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) and Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) show PR69 and PR70 grades dominating the small certified pool, and complete 2023 five-coin silver sets in original Mint packaging continue to provide the most cost-efficient pathway to assembling the design family. Original Mint silver proof set packaging adds provenance for the highest-grade examples, and bullion-aware buyers value the .999 fine silver content as a price floor beyond the numismatic premium. Read the full Washington Quarters (American Women) series history.