1953-S Washington Quarter
Circulation strike struck at the San Francisco Mint · 14,016,000 made
- Mintage
- 14,016,000
- 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 1953-S 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 1953-S Washington Quarter rare?
- No. 14 million were made, a typical run for the series. Condition and varieties decide its value, not the date.
- Is the 1953-S 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 1953 Washington Quarter?
- On the reverse, below the wreath. On this coin the mark is S, for San Francisco.
- Which San Francisco dates near 1953 are scarcer?
- The 1951-S at 9,048,000, the 1950-S at 10,284,004, the 1954-S at 11,834,722, plus 1 more. So the 1953-S is one of the easier dates of its stretch.
- How many 1953-S Washington Quarter coins were made?
- 14,016,000.
What to check on your 1953-S
- Make sure the mint mark really is an S. A worn or filled mark can be misread. It's what separates your coin from the 1953 (19 million made).
- 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 1953 Washington Quarter Proof (128,800 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 1953-S
At 14,016,000, the 1953 run at San Francisco was close to the 1952 figure. The next year it made 12 million (1954-S).
1953 came to 19 million and 1953-D came to 56 million, so neither mint's 1953 coin is much scarcer than the other.
San Francisco struck the Washington Quarter in 20 issues between 1932 and 1954. By mintage this one lands in the more common half, while the key for that mint is the 1932-S (408,000). Within the 1950s it's 7th smallest of 25, between the 1952-S (14 million) and the 1955 (18 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 | 1953 |
| Mint | San Francisco Mint |
| Mint mark | "S" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 14,016,000 |
| 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 1953 Washington Quarter issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 Washington Quarter | 18,536,120 | Circulation strike | 0.1808 oz |
| 1953 Washington Quarter Proof | 128,800 | Proof | 0.1808 oz |
| 1953-D Washington Quarter | 56,112,400 | Circulation strike | 0.1808 oz |
| 1953-S Washington Quarter | 14,016,000 | 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.