1982-S Proof

The 1982-S proof quarter follows the second of the two famous Type 1 / Type 2 mintmark transitions and represents a return to settled production technique at San Francisco. The flat-top S punch introduced midway through 1981 carried into 1982 without modification, and no Type 1 / Type 2 variety has been attributed to the date by PCGS, the Professional Coin Grading Service, or NGC, the Numismatic Guaranty Company. The S mintmark appears on the obverse at the right side of Washington's hair queue, consistent with the position established in 1968. The reverse continues the John Flanagan heraldic eagle paired with the Houdon-derived Washington portrait, with the JF initials at the truncation of the neck. Composition is the standard cupronickel clad sandwich at 5.67 grams, with the reddish copper edge line visible on the rim.

San Francisco struck 3,857,479 proof sets in 1982, modestly down from the 4.06 million combined 1981 figure and broadly consistent with the early-1980s subscription baseline. Authentication on this issue runs through the brilliant proof finish first: squared rims, mirrored fields, and crisp square-edged devices that separate the strike from a well-made business strike. Cameo, the strong contrast between mirrored fields and frosted devices, occurs at a strong rate on the date, and Deep Cameo specimens at Proof 69 are widely available because the surviving population came almost entirely from undisturbed original government packaging. The 1982 proof set is sometimes confused with the famous 1982 No-P Roosevelt dime variety from Philadelphia circulation production, but the quarter carries no comparable error and the mintmark on the proof quarter is unambiguous. Counterfeit pressure is essentially nil.

The site classifies the issue Regular, the standard catalog handling for any proof entry. Practical acquisition flows from intact 1982 proof sets pulled from storage and a steady supply of certified Proof 69 Deep Cameo material in modern slabs. Pricing stays modest through Proof 69 and steps into a sharper tier at Proof 70 Deep Cameo, where the certified population thins enough to support grade-rarity premiums. Buyers cluster into year-set builders, registry collectors chasing top-pop Deep Cameo strikes, and Washington proof specialists. For the broader story of John Flanagan's design and the series' proof program, see the Washington Quarter series history.