1942 Washington Quarter
Circulation strike struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 102,096,000 made
- Mintage
- 102,096,000
- 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 worth?
In worn condition it trades for about its silver content, 0.1808 troy ounces. Uncirculated coins with full luster or attractive toning sell for more.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- A die variety or minting error
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1942 Washington Quarter rare?
- No. 102 million were made, a typical run for the series. Condition and varieties decide its value, not the date.
- Is the 1942 Washington Quarter 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.
- Which Philadelphia dates near 1942 are scarcer?
- The 1938 at 9,472,000, the 1937 at 19,696,000, the 1947 at 22,556,000, plus 6 more. So the 1942 is one of the easier dates of its stretch.
- How many 1942 Washington Quarter coins were made?
- 102,096,000.
What to check on your 1942
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- Don't clean it. Cleaning leaves fine scratches and an unnatural shine that collectors avoid.
- Proof or circulation strike? A proof has mirror-like fields and frosted design details and was sold to collectors, not released in change. The 1942 Washington Quarter Proof (21,123 made) is the one to compare with.
- Judge the grade under good light. Wear starts on the hair above Washington's ear and on the eagle's breast feathers.
Circulated examples are usually traded for their silver content. Pick out the best ones: original luster and attractive toning lift a coin above melt, while cleaned coins lose most of their collector value.
The story of the 1942
Output at Philadelphia climbed to 102,096,000 in 1942, from 79 million the year before. The next year it made 100 million (1943).
It was the big producer of the year, well ahead of 1942-D (17 million) and 1942-S (19 million).
Philadelphia struck the Washington Quarter in 64 issues between 1932 and 1998. By mintage this one lands in the scarcer half, while the key for that mint is the 1932 (5,404,000). Within the 1940s it's 28th smallest of 29, between the 1943 (100 million) and the 1944 (105 million).
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 | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 102,096,000 |
| 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.