🚨 STOP! You could be holding a fortune! 🚨
The quarter in your pocket, purse, or piggy bank might be one of the rarest and most valuable coins in U.S. history. Forget gold or silver—we’re talking about Washington Quarters that have sold for astronomical sums, with some individual examples commanding prices over $300,000 each. The shocking truth is that ten specific Washington Quarters, mostly modern coins minted between 1965 and 1986, are known to have sold for sums totaling over $10 Million due to extraordinary minting errors. It’s time to Check Your Pocket Change NOW!
Most people assume only quarters from before 1965 (the 90% silver ones) hold real value, but the modern clad quarters (copper-nickel) from the late 20th century are home to some of the most sought-after and expensive error coins ever discovered. These are manufacturing mistakes so rare, so profound, that they turn a 25-cent piece into a six- or even seven-figure collectible treasure. Coin collectors, or numismatists, are constantly hunting for these accidental masterpieces, which are still occasionally found in circulation. Their value is driven by an incredible combination of extreme rarity and historical intrigue, as they represent a lapse in the rigorous quality control of the U.S. Mint.
What makes certain Washington Quarters worth a fortune? The answer is almost always a catastrophic mint error. These aren’t minor flaws; they are dramatic, visible mistakes from the minting process that slipped past inspectors. Here are 10 types of Washington Quarter errors that have crossed the $300,000 mark at auction, proving they are true pieces of buried treasure:
- The Wrong Metal: Silver Planchet Errors: The absolute peak of rarity. The most valuable Washington Quarter on record is a 1965 Washington Quarter mistakenly struck on a 90% silver planchet (blank coin disk) intended for the 1964 coinage, which has sold for over $1.4 Million. A similar error on a 1985 Washington Quarter also topped $1 Million. If your post-1964 quarter has a solid silver edge with no copper stripe, you could be rich.
- Foreign Planchet Error: Another metal mistake involves the quarter being struck on a blank intended for a foreign coin, such as a Philippine planchet. A 1980 Washington Quarter with this error commanded over $1.17 Million.
- Broadstruck Error: Look for a coin that appears wider and flatter than normal, lacking the reeded edge. A 1986 Washington Quarter with this dramatic error, where the collar die failed to hold the coin in place during striking, has been valued at nearly $1 Million.
- Double Strike: This error occurs when the coin blank is struck more than once, resulting in overlapping images. A top-condition 1983 Washington Quarter with a double strike error is valued at nearly $900,000.
- Major Cud Error: A “cud” is a raised lump or blob of metal on the coin’s edge, caused by a piece of the die breaking off. A major cud error on a 1977 Washington Quarter is a six-figure coin, valued around $765,000.
- Clipped Planchet: An unmistakable error where a curved portion is visibly missing from the edge of the coin because the blank was improperly punched from the metal strip. A 1974 Washington Quarter with this issue has been valued up to $680,000.
- Off-Center Strike: If the design of George Washington is noticeably shifted off the center of the coin, it’s an off-center error. A severely off-center 1970 Washington Quarter is a major collector’s item, valued over $500,000.
- Rotated Die Error: This error is visible when the reverse (tail side) of the coin is significantly tilted when the coin is flipped, instead of being perfectly aligned. A key example, the 1968 Washington Quarter, is valued at over $420,000.
- Struck Through Error: This occurs when a foreign object (like debris, wire, or cloth) gets between the die and the coin blank during striking, leaving a weak or missing design element. A major struck-through error on a 1967 Washington Quarter has reached a value of $350,000.
Beyond these million-dollar modern errors, classic Washington Quarters from the first year of mintage in 1932 are still highly prized. The 1932-D (Denver Mint) and 1932-S (San Francisco Mint) are considered “Key Dates” due to their exceptionally low mintages. The top-graded 1932-D Washington Quarter, for example, has an auction record of over $143,000. Remember that all quarters minted between 1932 and 1964 contain 90% silver, making them immediately valuable above their face value, even in worn condition.
Don’t let these financial marvels slip through your fingers! Start your search today. Examine the weight, the edge, the alignment, and the details of every quarter you touch. Your next cup of coffee could be paid for with a seven-figure coin. Check your pocket change NOW!
