1970-S Washington Quarter Proof
Proof struck at the San Francisco Mint · 2,632,810 made
- Mintage
- 2,632,810
- Metal
- Copper core clad in 75% copper / 25% nickel
- Weight
- 5.67 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 1970-S Washington Quarter Proof worth?
Age alone gives this coin a small premium, even worn. Sharp details and original surfaces push it higher.
What would make yours worth more:
- Grade and, for proofs, strong cameo contrast
- A die variety or minting error
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1970-S Washington Quarter Proof rare?
- Not especially. The Mint made 2,632,810 for collectors. Most were kept in their original packaging.
- Is the 1970-S Washington Quarter Proof silver?
- No. It's copper core clad in 75% copper / 25% nickel. Quarters dated 1964 and earlier are 90% silver.
- Where is the mint mark on a 1970 Washington Quarter?
- On the obverse, to the right of the ribbon behind Washington's hair. "P" appears from 1980. On this coin the mark is S, for San Francisco.
- How many 1970-S Washington Quarter proofs were made?
- 2,632,810.
What to check on your 1970-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 1970 (136 million made).
- Judge the grade under good light. Wear starts on the hair above Washington's ear and on the eagle's breast feathers.
Proofs from 1970 come with and without frosted devices. Coins with strong contrast are labeled Cameo or Deep Cameo and are worth more.
The story of the 1970-S
Clad quarters and the mint mark move (1965 to 1974)
The 1965 quarter dropped silver for a pure copper core clad in copper-nickel, weighing 5.67 grams. No mint marks were used from 1965 through 1967 and Special Mint Sets replaced proof sets. Philadelphia, Denver and San Francisco all struck circulation quarters in those years, so the mint of an individual coin cannot be identified.
From 1968 the mint mark moved to the obverse, to the right of Washington's ribbon. San Francisco took over proof production that year. Transitional errors such as 1965 quarters struck on 90 percent silver planchets are rare and are confirmed by weight. Denver struck more than 417 million quarters in 1970. The 1974 issue was the last with the eagle reverse before the bicentennial design. No quarter carries a 1975 date.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1970
The last 40% silver Kennedy half dollars were struck. The 1970-D half was issued only in mint sets.
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 | 1970 |
| Mint | San Francisco Mint |
| Mint mark | "S" |
| Strike type | Proof |
| Mintage | 2,632,810 |
| Face value | 25¢ |
| Composition | Copper core clad in 75% copper / 25% nickel |
| Weight | 5.67 grams |
| Diameter | 24.26 mm |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Designer | John Flanagan |
Other 1970 Washington Quarter issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 Washington Quarter | 136,420,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1970-D Washington Quarter | 417,341,364 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1970-S Washington Quarter Proof | 2,632,810 | Proof | – |
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.