United States Quarters

Quarters, so called because their face value is one quarter of a dollar, have existed as a United States denomination since 1796. In recent years, the quarter has been a popular selection for circulating commemorative coin programs, such as the State Quarters series and the America the Beautiful program. The latter of these is scheduled to run until 2021.

United States quarters have been issued in six major design variations, not including the two commemorative reverse series. Most of these major versions have several subtypes within them, which interests collectors. One subtype is the seated Liberty quarter. This quarter ran from 1838 to 1891 across two distinct types: the no motto from 1838 to 1865 and the with motto from 1866 to 1891. The motto in question was "In God We Trust," which is a common sight on modern coins.

Condition is one of the most significant challenges for an aspiring collector of quarters. Due to the popularity of the quarter as a circulation coin, as well as the designs which typically grace the denomination, high-grade quarters can be challenging to find. This is especially true of standing Liberty quarters, which were issued from 1916 to 1930. Due to the positioning of the date, it has become very challenging to identify the date of many standing Liberty quarters that circulated.

Quick Facts

• The Washington quarter, which is still issued today, was originally minted in silver. In 1965, all existing silver series were converted to a copper-nickel alloy
• A 1796 draped bust quarter sold at auction for $1.5 million in 2013. The coin displays a unique type of toning that highlights the coin's individual beauty
• Quarter Dollar was not added to the obverse of the quarter until 1999. Previously, the phrase appeared as 25c, Quar. Dol., or the full Quarter Dollar, but only on the reverse of the coin