1942 Washington Quarter Proof
Proof struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 21,123 made
- Mintage
- 21,123
- Metal
- 90% silver, 10% copper
- Weight
- 6.25 g
- Diameter
- 24.26 mm
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 1942 Washington Quarter Proof worth?
It's scarcer than a typical date, so even circulated examples sell above face and above their metal value. The best uncirculated coins are where the money is.
What would make yours worth more:
- Grade and, for proofs, strong cameo contrast
- A die variety or minting error
- Certification by PCGS or NGC, which buyers expect for scarce dates
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1942 Washington Quarter Proof rare?
- Fairly. The Mint made 21,123 for collectors. Most were kept in their original packaging.
- Is the 1942 Washington Quarter Proof silver?
- Yes. It's 90% silver, 10% copper and holds 0.1808 troy ounces of pure silver.
- Where is the mint mark on a 1942 Washington Quarter?
- On the reverse, below the wreath. No mint mark means Philadelphia.
- How many 1942 Washington Quarter proofs were made?
- 21,123.
What to check on your 1942
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- Judge the grade under good light. Wear starts on the hair above Washington's ear and on the eagle's breast feathers.
Proofs from 1942 were struck one at a time in small numbers and many were later spent or mishandled. Look for hairlines from cleaning, which lower the grade.
The story of the 1942
Wartime quarters in record numbers (1941 to 1945)
World War II brought full employment and heavy coin demand. Philadelphia's output jumped from 35.7 million in 1940 to 79 million in 1941 and passed 100 million in 1942 and 1944, while Denver and San Francisco struck between about 12 and 21.7 million each year. Unlike the nickel, the quarter kept its 90 percent silver composition throughout the war.
Doubled die obverses are known for the 1942-D and 1943-S. A 1943 Philadelphia doubled die also exists. Proof quarters ended after 1942 and did not return until 1950. Most wartime quarters circulated hard and now turn up in silver lots with moderate wear. Uncirculated rolls were saved in quantity, so even the branch mint dates of these years are available in mint state.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1942
Nickel was needed for the war, so from October 1942 the five-cent coin was struck in an alloy of copper, silver and manganese. These war nickels carry a large mint mark above Monticello, the first use of a "P" mint mark.
How to recognize it
John Flanagan's portrait shows George Washington facing left with LIBERTY above, IN GOD WE TRUST to the left and the date below. The reverse shows an eagle standing on a bundle of arrows above two olive branches, with QUARTER DOLLAR along the bottom. The mint mark was below the wreath on the reverse until 1964 and on the obverse behind Washington's hair from 1968.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Washington Quarter (1932–1998) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1942 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Proof |
| Mintage | 21,123 |
| Face value | 25¢ |
| Composition | 90% silver, 10% copper |
| Weight | 6.25 grams |
| Diameter | 24.26 mm |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Silver content | 0.1808 troy oz (5.625 g) |
| Designer | John Flanagan |
Other 1942 Washington Quarter issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1942 Washington Quarter | 102,096,000 | Circulation strike | 0.1808 oz |
| 1942 Washington Quarter Proof | 21,123 | Proof | 0.1808 oz |
| 1942-D Washington Quarter | 17,487,200 | Circulation strike | 0.1808 oz |
| 1942-S Washington Quarter | 19,384,000 | Circulation strike | 0.1808 oz |
Mintage: Washington quarter mintage figures (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.