Quarter (United States coin)

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A quarter is a coin worth one-quarter of a United States dollar, or 25 cents. The quarter has been produced since 1796, and is the highest denomination US coin commonly in circulation, although this may or may not change due to the Presidential $1 Coin Program.

It is sometimes referred to as two bits because two bits of a Spanish piece of eight coin, which was often used in the early years of the United States, made up a quarter of that coin's value.

Contents 1 List of designs 2 Current design 3 Silver series 4 Copper-nickel clad series 5 See also 6 References 7 External links

[edit] List of designs

• Silver quarters
  • Draped Bust, Small Eagle 1796
  • Draped Bust, Heraldic Eagle 1804–1807
  • Capped Bust (Large Size), With Motto 1815–1828
  • Capped Bust (Small Size), No Motto 1831–1838
  • Seated Liberty, No Motto 1838–1865
  • Seated Liberty, No Motto 1866–1891
  • Barber 1892–1916
  • Standing Liberty (Type 1) 1916–1917
  • Standing Liberty (Type 2) 1917–1930
  • Washington 1932–1964, 1992–present (Proof Only)
  • Washington Bicentennial 1975–1976 (all were dated 1776-1976) (40% Silver-clad Proof, not intended for circulation)
  • Washington Statehood special silver quarters
• Copper-nickel quarters
  • Washington 1965–1974, 1977–1998
  • Washington Bicentennial 1975–1976 (all were dated 1776-1976)
  • Washington statehood 1999–present

[edit] Current design

The current clad version is cupronickel (8.33% Ni and the balance Cu), weighs 5.670 grams (0.182 troy oz), diameter 0.955 inches (24.26 mm), width 1.75 millimeters (0.069 in) with a reeded edge. Owing to the introduction of the clad quarter in 1965, it was occasionally called a "Johnson Sandwich," after Lyndon B. Johnson, U.S. President at the time. It costs 4.29 cents to produce each coin. Before 1965, quarters contained 90% silver, 10% copper, although very early quarters through 1828 were slightly larger and thinner.

The current regular issue coin is the Washington quarter (showing George Washington) on the obverse, and an eagle on the reverse. The Washington quarter was designed by John Flanagan. It was initially issued as a circulating commemorative, but was made a regular issue coin in 1934.

The regular Washington quarter's production is temporarily suspended during the 50 State Quarters program. In 1999, the 50 State Quarters program of circulating commemorative quarters began; these have a modified Washington obverse and a different reverse for each state.

On January 23rd, 2007 the US House of Representatives passed a bill H.R. 392 extending the state quarter program to include the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. They are now waiting for the Senate to pass the same bill, but it is very likely that they will do so soon. This bill only covers the program to the end of 2009 and doesn’t address what will happen after that time. ^[1]

Congress in recent years has ordered the Treasury to redesign the Lincoln cent, Jefferson nickel, and Sacagawea dollar; also, many supporters of the dollar bill say they wish to preserve Washington's memory, and they would be equally opposed to removing him from the quarter. Thus, the odds of Washington disappearing from the quarter after 2009 are all but nonexistent, though a redesign is possible (as with the cent and nickel).

The font on the quarter varies a bit from one state to another, although most are derived from Albertus MT (which is a trademark of The Monotype Corporation).

[edit] Silver series

The current rarity for the Washington Quarter silver series are as follows: Branch Mintmarks are; D = Denver, S = San Francisco. Coins without mintmarks are all made at the main Mint in Philadelphia. This listing is for Business strikes, not the Proofs.

• 1932 D
• 1932 S
• 1934 - with Double Die Obverse (DDO)
• 1935 D
• 1936 D
• 1937 - with Double Die Obverse (DDO)
• 1937 S
• 1938 S
• 1939 S
• 1940 D
• 1942 D - with Double Die Obverse (DDO)
• 1942 D - with Double Die Reverse (DDR)
• 1943 - with Double Die ???????
• 1943 S - with Double Die Obverse (DDO)
• 1950 D/S Over mintmark ( coin is a '50-D, with underlying S mintmark )
• 1950 S/D Over mintmark ( coin is a '50-S, with underlying D mintmark )
• 1955 D

The 1940 Denver Mint, 1936 Denver mint, and the 1935 Denver Mint coins as well as many others in the series, appear as much more valuable than other coins not because of their mintages, but because they are harder to find in high grades. Many of these coins are worth only "melt value" in low grades, or only their notoriety value for some who wish to obtain these coins because they appear too expensive in better condition. Other coins in this list are expensive because of their extremely low mintages, such as the 1932 Denver and San Francisco issues. The overstruck mintmark issues are also scarce and expensive, especially in higher grades, but don't have the same popularity as overdates, which are found in pre-Washington quarter series.

The 1934 Philadelphia strike appears in two versions, one with a light motto (for "In God We Trust"), which is the same as that used on the 1932 strikings, and the other a heavy motto when the dies were reworked. Except in the highest grades the difference in value between the two is minor.

The "Silver Series" of Washington Quarters spans from 1932 to 1964; during many years in the series it will appear that certain mints did not mint Washington Quarters for that year. No known examples of quarters were made in 1933, San Francisco abstained in 1934 and 1949, and stopped after 1955, until it made proofs in 1968. Denver did not make quarters in 1938, and Philadelphia never stopped (except in 1933). Proof examples from 1936 to 1942 and 1950 to 1967 were struck in the Philadelphia Mint and in 1968 switched to the San Francisco Mint.

The mint mark on the coin is located on the reverse beneath the wreath on which the eagle is perched, and will either carry the mint mark "D" for Denver Mint, "S" for San Francisco mint, or be blank for the Philadelphia Mint.

[edit] Copper-nickel clad series

The copper-nickel clad series of Washington Quarters started in 1965, and as part of the switch Denver and San Francisco did not stamp their mint marks from 1965 to 1967 in any denomination. The switch from silver to copper-nickel clad occurred because the federal government was losing money due to the fact that the silver value of U.S. coins had exceeded their face value and were being melted down by individuals for profit. For the first three years of clad production, in lieu of proof sets, specimen sets were specially sold as "Special Mint Sets" minted at the San Francisco Mint in 1965, 1966, and 1967, (Deep Cameo versions of these spectacular coins are highly valued because of their rarity).

As it is right now there are few examples in the clad series that are valued as highly as the silver series but there are certain dates or examples that stand out. The Deep Cameo versions of proofs from 1965 to 1971 and 1981 Type Two are highly valued because of their scarcity, high grade examples of quarters from certain years of the 1980s (such as 1981 - 1986) because of scarcity in high grades due to high circulation and in 1982 and 1983 no mint sets were produced making it harder to find mint state examples, and any coin from 1981 - 1994 graded in MS67 is worth upwards of $1000.00 dollars.

The mint mark on the coin is located on the obverse at the bottom right hemisphere under the supposed date. In 1965-1967 cupro-nickel coins bore no mint mark; quarters minted in 1968-1979 were stamped with a "D" for the Denver mint, a "S" for the San Francisco mint (proof coins only), or blank for Philadelphia; and twenty-five-cent pieces minted from 1980 until the present are stamped with "D" for the Denver mint, "S" for San Francisco mint (proof coins only), or "P" for the Philadelphia mint. The Philadelphia mint was allowed to add its mint mark to all coins except the one-cent piece in 1980.

[edit] See also

• 50 State Quarters (current quarter release of five states per year)
• United States bicentennial coinage
• United States Mint coin production

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official specifications
• http://www.acoin.com/regularissue/regular25c.htm
• US Quarters by year and type. Histories, photos, and more.

v • d • e United States currency and coinage
Topics	Federal Reserve System · Federal Reserve Note · U.S. dollar · U.S. Mint
Current coinage	Cent (penny) · Nickel (5¢) · Dime (10¢) · Quarter dollar · Half dollar · Dollar
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See also	Commemoratives · Confederate dollar · Fake denominations · Obsolete denominations