1951 Washington Quarter
Circulation strike struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 43,448,102 made
- Mintage
- 43,448,102
- 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 1951 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 1951 Washington Quarter rare?
- No. 43 million were made, a typical run for the series. Condition and varieties decide its value, not the date.
- Is the 1951 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 1951 Washington Quarter?
- On the reverse, below the wreath. No mint mark means Philadelphia.
- Which Philadelphia dates near 1951 are scarcer?
- The 1949 at 9,312,000, the 1955 at 18,180,181, the 1953 at 18,536,120, plus 4 more. So the 1951 is one of the easier dates of its stretch.
- How many 1951 Washington Quarter coins were made?
- 43,448,102.
What to check on your 1951
- 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 1951 Washington Quarter Proof (57,500 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 1951
Output at Philadelphia climbed to 43,448,102 in 1951, from 25 million the year before. The next year it made 39 million (1952).
1951-S came to 9 million and 1951-D came to 35 million, so neither mint's 1951 coin is much scarcer than the other.
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 1950s it's 17th smallest of 25, between the 1954-D (42 million) and the 1956 (44 million).
Postwar silver to the end (1946 to 1964)
Production slowed after the war. San Francisco made no quarters in 1949 and struck its last S-marked circulating quarters in 1954. The 1955-D, at 3,182,400, is the lowest mintage of these years. The 1958 Philadelphia run of 6,360,000 is also low. The 1950-D/S and 1950-S/D varieties show one mint mark punched over another and are the best known varieties of the period.
Mintages rose through the late 1950s and early 1960s, then exploded in 1964 when more than 1.26 billion were struck at Philadelphia and Denver. Quarters dated 1964 continued to be made into 1966 to frustrate hoarders. Proofs resumed in 1950 and topped one million in most years from 1957. Every quarter of these years is 90 percent silver and weighs 6.25 grams. Worn examples still turn up in old jars and are usually sold for their silver.
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 | 1951 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 43,448,102 |
| 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 1951 Washington Quarter issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 Washington Quarter | 43,448,102 | Circulation strike | 0.1808 oz |
| 1951 Washington Quarter Proof | 57,500 | Proof | 0.1808 oz |
| 1951-D Washington Quarter | 35,354,800 | Circulation strike | 0.1808 oz |
| 1951-S Washington Quarter | 9,048,000 | 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.