1971 Quarter Value Guide (Incld. Rare Varieties)

Does A 1971 Quarter Have Silver?

photo source: USA Coin Book

No, the 1971 quarter didn’t have a silver composition. It was made of 91.67% copper and 8.33% nickel. The diameter is 24.3 mm and the weight is 5.67 grams.

However, if you find a quarter that was struck on or before 1964, you have a silver quarter. From 1932 to 1964, the quarter dollar was most likely made of silver.

The 1971 quarter bears the image of George Washington on the obverse side. At that time, he was facing towards the left, which is different from what you see in the current quarter, which has Washington facing the right.

On top of Washington’s bust is the word, “LIBERTY.” Just under Washington’s chin is the inscription, “IN GOD WE TRUST.” Below the bust of Washington is where you see the year, “1971.”

On the reverse side, you’ll find the American eagle with its wings spread out and its feet perched on a branch with olive leaves. On top of the head of the eagle is the US motto, “E Pluribus Unum,” which means out of many, one.

On the uppermost are the words, “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.” On the lowest part, you’ll find the inscription, “QUARTER DOLLAR.”

The 1971 Washington quarter was designed by John Flanagan. The quarter dollar, or quarter for short, is worth 25 cents. The coin’s obverse has long featured George Washington’s bust. However, the reverse side has undergone various design changes after 1998.

1971 Quarter Varieties

There are different 1971 quarter varieties and what made them different is their mint marks. As you may already know, there are three main minting headquarters in the United States. These are in Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco, which gave rise to the 1971 quarter varieties.

Here are the following:

1971 D Washington Quarter

photo source: Coin HelpU

1971 S Washington Quarter

photo source: Washington Quarters

1971 Washington Quarter with no mint mark

photo source: PGCS

The 1971 quarter dollar with no mint mark is minted in Philadelphia. As you can see, the mint mark “D” indicates that the coin was struck in Denver while the “S” tells you it’s from San Francisco.

When the 1971 quarter was made, there were rare errors. For one, new planchets were used. So, the minting process was in its top shape.

However, there are still rare quarters with errors that are available in the market. For example, this quarter was struck on a smaller copper-nickel blank making it slightly lighter than the normal one. It is only 4.81 grams compared to the standard weight of 5.67 grams. This coin is considered an orphan off-metal:

photo source: Coin World

How Can You Tell If A 1971 Quarter Is Rare?

There were more than 371,138,000 1971 quarter coins produced. Here’s a breakdown:

• The 1971 Washington Quarters – 258,634,000
• 1971 S Washington Quarter – 3,220,000
• 1971 Washington Quarter with no mint mark – 109,284,000

As you can see, the 1971 quarter isn’t that rare at all. You can easily find them on the Internet or at coin collectors’ places. It’s widely circulated and you can even find them in pocket change.

However, there are those that are extremely rare 1971 quarter coins. These coins are usually the coins struck incorrectly.

The errors made in minting make a coin unique and different from the rest. The error makes the coin rare and difficult to find.

How Much Is A 1971 Quarter Worth Today?

The 1971 quarter isn’t that valuable. Because it isn’t rare, plus it doesn’t have any special sentimental value in it, you won’t be able to sell it at a higher price.

If you try to look into the price list, you’ll find the 1971 quarter to be around $0.25 to $7. The $7 is already a certified mint state condition. Anything that’s more expensive than that is extremely rare.

If you try to melt the 1971 quarter, you might just get $0.25 as its melt value.

How Does The Grading System Work?

The Sheldon Scale is used by numismatists to provide a numerical value to coins. The Sheldon Scale goes from poor (P-1) to perfect mint state (P-1) (MS-70). Coins were originally evaluated using words to reflect their condition (Good, Fair, Excellent, Etc.). Unfortunately, coin collectors and dealers had different ideas about what each of these terms represent.

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:

1. 1. • (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 of the 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 that are 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; 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, very 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, there are no tiny imperfections 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.

Where To Buy Or Sell 1971 Quarters?

There are different places where you can buy the 1971 quarters. Since this coin is widely circulated, you can quickly find them if you are planning to buy one. You can go to pocket exchanges, coin shops, and antique stores.

Aside from that, you can find a host of 1971 quarters available on the Internet. You need to simply do a Google search (or whichever search engine you prefer), type in “buy or sell 1971 quarters,” and you should get a good result.

Alternatively, you can just go straight to popular marketplaces such as Amazon, Etsy, and eBay. These websites allow you to sell your coins. Simply create an account and start selling. At the same time, you can also buy coins from them.

There are also some websites that specialize in selling and buying coins. You can give them a try.

FAQs

Where is the mint mark on a 1971 quarter?

The mint mark on a 1971 quarter is located just next to the end of Washington’s ponytail, on the obverse side. The Mint mark can be D, S, or P. Those with no mint mark were made in Philadelphia.

How much is a 1971 Canadian quarter worth?

The 1971 Canadian quarter is worth $0.25 Canadian dollars. Its worth is almost the same as its face value. However, if you find rare 1971 Canadian quarters, then you may be able to sell them at a higher price, which can reach up to 7 CAD.

Why did Eddie Van Halen use a 1971 quarter?

Eddie Van Halen is known to have used the 1971 quarter and placed it on his special guitar named Frankenstrat.

photo source: Quora

Eddie had a problem with his electric guitar. Every time he tried to do his special moves, the bridge would recess into the body. This made the guitar a little more stable.

He took a quarter and drilled a hole into it. He then placed the quarter on the bridge to solve the problem. He chose the quarter because it is just the right size for the purpose.