Did you know that some quarters in your collection could be worth a lot more than 25 cents? The U.S. quarter has been around since 1796, and over the years, some of them have become incredibly valuable. Collectors are willing to pay thousands, even hundreds of thousands of dollars for rare and well-preserved quarters.
The quarter was first introduced by the Mint Act of April 2, 1792, alongside other silver coins like dimes and half dollars. Quarters didn’t see much demand at first, so after their initial release in 1796, they weren’t minted again until 1804.
Since then, there have been seven different designs for the quarter, most of which are known by the image on the front, except for the Barber Quarter, which was named after its designer, Charles Barber. In 1932, a commemorative quarter was created for George Washington’s 200th birthday, and this design is still used on quarters today.
Even though commemorative quarters are fun to collect, what really makes a quarter valuable is its rarity and condition. Let’s take a look at some of the rarest quarters that are worth a small fortune.
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1. 1927-S Full Head Standing Liberty Quarter
- Sold at auction for: $175,000
This quarter had a low mintage, with only 396,000 produced. Out of those, only around 3,900 were Full Head varieties, which means Lady Liberty’s head is clearly visible on the coin. Today, just 65 Full Head examples are known to exist, and only two are in better condition than this one, making it a prized item for collectors.
2. 1919-S Full Head Standing Liberty Quarter
- Sold at auction for: $235,000
In 1919, 1,836,000 quarters were minted in San Francisco, but over time, the dates on many of these coins wore off. Very few remain in mint condition, and only three other quarters are of the same high quality as this one, making it extremely rare and valuable.
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3. 1901-S Barber Quarter
- Sold at auction for: $258,500
The San Francisco Mint only produced 72,664 quarters in 1901, and most of them ended up in circulation, particularly in the Western U.S., where coins were heavily used. As a result, very few 1901-S Barber quarters have survived in mint condition. Only two have been rated as mint by the PCGS, and this particular coin is one of only two superb gems rated by NGC.
Ethan is a passionate rare coin collector with years of experience uncovering the stories and history behind unique coins. His insightful articles are a go-to for anyone curious about coin values or their fascinating backstories.