There are coins that demonstrate by their existence a serious generational change and a change in the economy, but not everything is always so rosy.
There are also just ordinary ones that have been consistently produced and don’t have many expensive parts.
There are a lot of such Quarters among Washington, because it was a huge series of quarters, and it is simply physically impossible for each series to be in perfect condition and cost a lot of money at auctions.
Nevertheless, the 1974 quarter is just the coin that most often begins the collection of any numismatist.
The History of the Washington Quarter Series
The series of coins, which was released in 1932, was dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the first President of the United States, George Washington, and it was originally planned that the design would only be used for one year, but because the coin became so popular, the mint decided to keep it as a regular 25-cent coin.
The Silver Time (1932–1964)
The obverse shows the face of George Washington, facing left, with the word “LIBERTY” written above his head and the date of issue of the coin below it, while the reverse shows an eagle standing on several arrows with olive branches around them and the words “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA“, “ONE MULTITUDE” and “A QUARTER OF A DOLLAR”.
The coin was made of 90% silver and 10% copper.
The Change to the Clad
In the mid-1960s, silver prices rose, which meant that the metal in the coin was worth more than 25 cents, and this problem led to the passage of the 1965 Coinage Act, a law that changed American coins forever.
Outer layer is 75% copper, 25% nickel
Inner layer is pure copper
Composition is 8.33% nickel, 91.67% copper
Due to the special layered structure, these coated coins have a clear reddish or brown copper tint on the side edge, which is easily visible between the nickel layers.
Technical Specifications of the 1974 Quarter
| Characteristic | Value |
| Nominal | 25 cents |
| Year of Issue | 1974 |
| Composition | Copper-Nickel Clad Alloy |
| Weight | 5.67 grams |
| Diameter | 24.26 mm |
| Thickness | 1.75 mm |
| Edge | Reeded 119 notches |
| Designer | John Flanagan |
Mints and Number of Coins Made
| Mint | Mark | Number Made |
| Philadelphia | — | 677,956,000 |
| Denver | D | 823,215,000 |
| San Francisco | S (Proof) | 2,612,568 |
Features of 1974
Coins made in Philadelphia (P) didn’t have the mint stamp, which was common for most American change coins before 1980, with the exception of quarters and dimes from 1975-1976.
Since the number of coins issued was very large, more than 600-800 million, ordinary 1974 quarters are very common, so their value is high only if they are in perfect condition.
The trial coins, which were made in San Francisco, were intended for collectors and always cost much more.
Errors and Varieties
Clad Quarter Mistakes
Lamination error, in which one of the outer layers doesn’t fit well to the copper core and begins to peel off.
An off-center impact occurs when the metal billet doesn’t fully fit into the die ring upon impact, and if the impact is large by more than 10-15%.
A double strike is when a coin hits the stamp twice, shifting slightly between impacts.
Stamp Differences
The doubling of the drawing looks double or blurred because the stamp moved when the image was cut out on it, and even though there are no very large and clear images on it.
Expensive DDOS for 1974, as well as for the 1937 quarter, can reveal small doubles on closer inspection.
Broken stamps or small “bumps” appear on the coin due to wear or breakage of the metal stamp.
The “Silver Quarter 1974” Idea
If the 1974 coin was accidentally made on a 90% silver blank, it would be a huge sensation, but because the process was made simple and the Mint stopped making silver change coins, this kind of mistake is almost impossible.
The 1965-1998 Series
1974 was a period when the coin’s design didn’t change for a long time, but many important events took place around it.
Quality and Design Problems in the 1970s
In the 1970s, the U.S. Mint was forced to produce as many coins as possible, which sometimes led to a decrease in their quality.:
Many coins from the 70s, including 1974, have fragments of Washington’s hair and eagle feathers that don’t have clear outlines, so coins in perfect condition, but with very clear details, are much more expensive.
Coins issued in 1974 should look bright and shiny in perfect condition, which proves that the coin hasn’t been damaged by any chemicals or touch since they were made.
Getting Ready for the Bicentennial (1975–1976)
Immediately after 1974, one of the biggest events in the series occurred when the 1976 quarters were released, released in 1975 and 1976 with a special flip side dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the United States Bicentennial Quarter.
Officially, there are no quarters with the date “1975”, because all quarters issued in 1975 and 1976 have the date “1776-1976” with the exception of trial sets and small coins in denominations of 1, 5 and 10 cents, which means that 1974 is the last “classic” year before this issue began. a big series.
The End of the Flanagan Era (1999)
The time period to which the 1974 coin belongs ended in 1999, when the “50 state quarters” program began, and this program completely changed the design of the reverse side, making the quarter one of the most popular collectible coins in the world, and this story explains why the quarters of 1965-1998, like the 1998 coin., were released in 1999.
How the 1974 Quarter is Valued
For a collector, the 1974 coin is only interesting in two cases: it is in perfect condition or it has a factory mistake.
Collector Value Based on Condition
XF/AU, which have only very minor traces of use, usually cost no more than 1-2 USD, because a lot of them were made.
The MS-65 is in excellent collector’s condition, with all the clear details and the bright shine of the stamp, and these coins can cost anywhere from 10 to 30 dollars, especially if they have good, clear details.
The condition of the MS-67 and above coins is at the top of the Sheldon scale, without any defects, and due to mass production, it is very difficult to find a 1974 quarter in such perfect condition.
One of the most popular examples of old-style tokens, but as mentioned earlier, such a coin can only be valuable in perfect condition, that is, without unnecessary scuffs and so on.