1979-S Type 2, Clear S Proof

The 1979-S Type 2 Clear S proof quarter is the later-year, scarcer half of the 1979 San Francisco mintmark transition and the variety that gives the date its collector reputation. The S punch in use since 1968 had degraded through early 1979 production, producing the blob-shaped filled mintmark now catalogued as Type 1. Midway through the proof run, the Mint introduced a fresh punch with cleanly cut open loops, and the later strikes carry the sharp, well-defined S that defines the Type 2 attribution. The change was a tooling-maintenance step rather than a deliberate variety, but the visual gap between a filled blob S and a crisp open S is wide enough to be recognized under modest magnification and is attributed on the holder by PCGS, the Professional Coin Grading Service, and NGC, the Numismatic Guaranty Company.

The combined 1979-S proof mintage stands at 3,677,175 sets, with the Type 2 representing the minority share since the punch change occurred relatively late in the year. Authentication on this issue runs through the mintmark under 5x to 10x magnification: a clear, well-cut S with both loops fully open and the serif terminals sharp reads as Type 2. The strike standard is the strong proof finish typical of late-1970s San Francisco, with crisp Washington portrait detail, squared rims, and mirrored fields that take Cameo, the strong contrast between mirrored fields and frosted devices, on most early die impressions. Deep Cameo specimens at Proof 69 are available with patience and premium pricing. The Type 2 commands a meaningful step-up over the Type 1 across all grade tiers, with the gap widening at Deep Cameo Proof 69 and above where the survivor pool is genuinely thin.

The site currently classifies the issue Semi-Key but the end-of-run SQL update resets it to Regular, reflecting site policy that proof entries always read Regular on the badge with rarity context carried by the prose. Functional scarcity is real: the Type 2 is the scarcer of the 1979 San Francisco pair, premiums run several multiples of the Type 1 in equivalent grade, and the gap is widest in Deep Cameo Proof 69 and Proof 70 where certified populations are limited. Practical acquisition runs through certified holders with the attribution on the slab; raw cherrypicking from intact 1979 proof sets is possible but the visual distinction is easier to confirm under TPG grading. Buyers cluster into Type 1 / Type 2 mintmark-variety specialists, registry collectors chasing the top-pop Deep Cameo material, and modern proof set builders adding the harder of the pair. For the broader story of John Flanagan's design and the series' proof program, see the Washington Quarter series history.