1934 Washington Quarter Value Guide

The 1934 quarter is a special part of the Washington Quarter series. One reason is that different types of dies are used in its production. Thus, the 1934 quarter is quite an interesting collection for most people.

You need to read this if you wish to learn more about the 1934 quarter, such as its historic milestones, composition, and value.

What Is the 1934 Washington Quarter Made Of?

The 1934 Washington Quarter is made of 90% silver and 10% copper. It has the following specifications as well:

• Value of 25 cents
• Mass of 6.30 grams
• Diameter of 24.3 millimeters
• Reeded edge
• Years of minting: 1932, 1934 to present
• Designer: John Flanagan

From 1932 to 1964, the Washington Quarter was made of silver and copper. However, due to the increasing cost of using silver and the tendency of people to hoard the silver quarter, the US Mint decided to remove silver from regular US coins. Thus, in 1965, the Washington Quarter transitioned to copper and nickel composition.

John Flanagan designed the 1934 Washington Quarter. The obverse features the left profile of George Washington along with the inscriptions LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, and 1934.

Image source: USA Coin Book

On the reverse, you’ll find the heraldic eagle with its wings spread out. The eagle holds a bundle of arrows, and under these arrows are olive branches. Inscriptions include UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and QUARTER DOLLAR.

The year 1932, the same year the Washington Quarter was first issued, was interesting. 1932 was the 200th birthday of Washington. To honor the country’s first president, Congress thought of having him in a coin.

At first, Congress chose the Walking Liberty half dollar and had him on this coin. Later, the final decision was to replace the Standing Liberty Quarter with the Washington Quarter permanently.

1934 Washington Quarter Varieties

The Washington Quarter was first issued in 1932. In 1933, its production was stopped and resumed in 1934. So, its production had a few hiccups when it finally resumed. Thus, the 1934 Washington Quarter had different varieties from the same mint center.

Moreover, in 1934, the Philadelphia and Denver Mint centers were the only ones that produced the quarter. Unlike today, other mint centers exist, including San Francisco and West Point.

Nevertheless, here’s a quick look at the mintage figure of the 1934 Washington Quarter, along with the varieties:

The Philadelphia Mint produced three different types of 1934 quarters. This happened because they used three different obverse dies.

The great difference is seen in the motto, “IN GOD WE TRUST.” Thus, these three types were called the light motto, medium motto, and heavy motto. The difference between the three is the level of clarity in their strike.

Moreover, the Denver Mint also made some quarters with a heavy motto variation.

Here’s how the three types compare with each other:

Image source: PCGS

With that, let’s look at the 1934 quarter varieties in greater detail.

1934 P Washington Quarter (Light Motto)

Photo Source: PCGS

The light motto version of the 1934 P quarter has the motto IN GOD WE TRUST all mushy, unclear, and indistinct.

1934 P Washington Quarter (Medium Motto)

Photo Source: PCGS

The medium motto version of the 1934 P quarter has a stronger print of the motto IN GOD WE TRUST, but its letters are thinner.

1934 P Washington Quarter (Heavy Motto)

Photo Source: PCGS

The heavy motto version of the 1934 P quarter has the motto IN GOD WE TRUST has the strongest and most distinct look among the three. The letter W has a higher top center as well.

1934 D Washington Quarter

Photo Source: PCGS

The Denver Mint helped the Philadelphia Mint meet the demand for the 1934 quarter. Although, the Philadelphia Mint still produced more coins than the Denver Mint, which only had 3,527,200 quarters made.

1934 D Washington Quarter (Heavy Motto)

Photo Source: PCGS

Like the Philadelphia Mint, the Denver Mint produced a Heavy Motto variant of the 1934 quarter. However, Denver didn’t produce light and medium motto variants.

List Of 1934 Washington Quarter Errors

There were more than 35 million Washington quarters made in 1934. Usually, when there’s a low mintage, there’s also a lower chance for errors. Nevertheless, the 1934 quarters still had a few.

The quarter’s most common error in 1934 was the doubled die obverse error. This error happens when the die hits the planchet twice. This is not usually a problem because the second strike hits the same position. However, when that doesn’t happen, there would be a doubling in the coin’s appearance.

Image source: PCGS

For the 1934 quarter, the doubled error is most prominent in the words “IN GOD WE TRUST’ and “LIBERTY” and 1934.

If the doubled die error happens on the obverse, it is called Doubled Die Obverse or DDO. It is called Doubled Die Reverse (DDR) if it is on the coin’s reverse side.

While the doubled die quarter is considered an error, it is valuable in the eyes of numismatists. That’s why the more prominent the DDO or DDR error is, the higher its value in the open market.

How Much Is The 1934 Washington Quarter Worth Today?

The 1934 Washington Quarter has a face value of 25 cents. Its melt value is $4.0799, which can go up or down depending on the market value of silver.

Because the 1934 Washington Quarter is an old coin, which is almost 90 years old, it carries a high premium. That’s why the average price of the 1934 25-cent, even in circulated condition, may range from $8 to $160. Also, because these coins are made of silver, they can easily increase their value.

The price may go up if the coin is still in good condition.

To better understand the value of the 1934 Washington Quarter, here’s a table of auction records for you to see:

How Does The Grading System Work?

The 1934 Washington Quarter is graded using the Sheldon Scale. This scale grades coins from 1 to 70. If your 1934 quarter has good preservation, luster, attractiveness, and strike, it can easily receive a high grade.

Professional numismatists joined together in the 1970s and established CoinGrading standards. These numismatists now assign grades at key places on the seventy-point scale, using the most regularly utilized numeric points in conjunction with the original adjective grade. The following are the most common coin grades:

• (P-1) Poor – Indistinguishable and probably damaged; if used, must have a date and mintmark; otherwise, rather battered.
• (FR-2) Fair – Nearly smooth, but without the damage that a coin graded Poor often possesses. The coin must have enough detail to be identified.
• (G-4) Fair – Inscriptions have merged into the rims in some areas, and important elements have been mostly erased.
• (VG-8) Very Good- A little weathered, but all primary design elements are visible, albeit faintly. There is little, if any, central detail left.
• (F-12) Good – The item is very worn, yet the wear is even, and the overall design details stand out clearly. Rims are almost completely isolated from the field.
• (VF-20) Very Fine – Moderately weathered, with some finer features still visible. The motto or all letters of LIBERTY are readable. Both sides of the coin have entire rims separated from the field.
• (EF-40) Extremely Fine – Gently used; all gadgets are visible, and the most important ones are bold. The finer details are bold and clear; however, light wear may be seen.
• (AU-50) Uncirculated – Slight evidence of wear on the coin’s design’s high points; it may have contact marks; eye appeal should be adequate.
• (AU-58) Uncirculated Choice – Slight traces of wear, no severe contact marks, almost full mint shine, and great eye appeal.
• (MS-60) Mint State Basal – Strictly uncirculated; no indication of wear on the coin’s highest points, but an unsightly coin with reduced luster, visible contact marks, hairlines, and other flaws.
• (MS-63) Mint State Acceptable – Uncirculated, but with contact scratches and nicks, little reduced shine, but otherwise appealing appearance. The strike is weak to average.
• (MS-65) Mint State Choice – Uncirculated with great mint shine, little contact blemishes, and exceptional eye appeal. The strike is unusually severe.
• (MS-68) Mint State Premium Quality – Uncirculated with superb luster, no obvious contact marks to the naked eye, and exceptional eye appeal. The strike is quick and appealing.
• (MS-69) Almost Perfect Mint State – Uncirculated with perfect brilliance, a sharp and appealing strike, and extremely good eye appeal. A near-perfect coin with minor imperfections in the planchet, strike, and contact markings (seen only under 8x magnification).
• (MS-70) Mint State Perfect – Under 8x magnification, no tiny imperfections are discernible; the strike is crisp, and the coin is perfectly centered on a beautiful planchet. Rarely seen on a coin, this coin is bright and whole, with original luster and exceptional eye appeal.

The perfect score for the 1934 quarter is MS 70. However, as of this time, there’s no 1934 quarter with this grade yet. If a quarter gets an MS 70 grade, it is perfectly flawless. If there’s any scratch, it can also be seen under a five-times magnification of a microscope.

Where To Buy Or Sell 1934 Washington Quarter?

The 1934 Washington Quarter is available in coin shops, antique stores, and pawnshops. There are also auction houses that offer them. You can also get in touch with PCGS or NGC. They should be able to direct you to where you can specifically buy the 1934 Washington Quarter. PCGS even has authorized retailers across the country that you can visit.

You can also go online. Some websites where you might find 1934 Washington Quarters would be Amazon, Etsy, and eBay. What’s great about these platforms is that you can also use their services to sell your 1934 quarter if you have one.

FAQs

How much is a 1934 quarter worth today?

The 1934 quarter has a face value of 25 cents. However, its melt value is higher at around $4. Circulated 1934 quarters may range from $8 to $160. Rare 1934 quarters can be sold for thousands of dollars. For example, a 1934 D Washington quarter was sold for $21,850 in May 2007.

Is there a rare 1934 quarter?

Rare 1934 quarters are the ones in Mint State. Since the 1934 quarters are old, finding them in pristine condition is difficult.

Is a 1934 quarter pure silver?

No, the 1934 quarter is not pure silver, but rather, these coins are made of 90% silver and 10% copper.