12 Quarters You May Have That Are Worth Way More Than 25 Cents

Amid the debate about the future of the penny, you may be wondering how much some of the coins you have around could fetch. After all, it could be a way to make extra money on the side.

Here's a look at some quarters that may be worth may more than their face value. Take note of the errors and distinctions that make them so coveted, and see if they apply to any of your other older coins.

It may be obvious why this quarter is worth so much: It's the first one minted by the U.S. Mint.

Collectors covet this one not only for its historical significance but its scarcity—it had a low mintage, making it even more valuable. In fact, some collectors have said well-preserved versions of this quarter could be worth more than $1 million.

If you're a collector, you know that errors tend to drive up value. That's the case with this quarter.

The year 1823 was struck over 1822, likely due to the reuse of old dies. Only a handful of these quarters exist in higher grades. Pristine versions of this coin may be worth more than $500,000.

So many people are used to looking at quarters, it may take a moment to realize the error on this one. If you look closely, you'll see it lacks the "In God We Trust" motto.

It was minted in San Francisco and had a lower mintage than many other Seated Liberty quarters. Collectors have said this coin may be worth more than $35,000.

Here's a touch of the Old West. In fact, this quarter's connection to the Old West and its rarity help make it worth more.

The Carson City minted coin had a very low mintage. Overall, coins minted in Nevada's Carson City between 1879 and 1893 are considered rare. Since few of these are said to be around in good condition, this coin may be worth more than $475,000.

Speaking of rare Carson City quarters, here's another one. At first glance, it may be hard to distinguish from the 1870 quarter since the main difference is the year.

Like its predecessor, the 1871 coin had a low mintage, making it a rare find—especially in higher grades. It could be worth more than $150,000.

Here's yet another Carson City quarter that's notable for another reason. It lacks the arrows beside the date, signaling a change in weight standards.

It's tough to find one of these coins. So few of them exist today that they may be among the rarest varieties of U.S. coins you could find. This quarter may be worth more than $135,000.

This quarter is valuable in part due to its low mintage. It also marks the first year of the Standing Liberty series.

High-grade versions are especially sought after, as the original design was quickly altered, making the 1916 edition particularly rare. This design features stars next to the eagle. For a high-grade coin, it may be worth above $250,000.

It's said that the overdate error on this quarter is among the most famous in U.S. coins. The 1918 date was struck over 1917.

The visible error was quickly corrected and few of the erroneous coins were made. This rare quarter may be worth up to $70,000.

Here's an interesting piece of coin history: The Great Depression led to fewer coins being preserved in high grades.

The 1932-D Washington quarter is one of the most valuable in the series, partly due to its low mintage. A well-preserved example can be worth as much as $110,000.

As the first installment of the 50 State Quarters series, this coin features a politician on his horse who made a nighttime dash in a storm to break a deadlocked vote, leading to the Declaration of Independence.

A die break produced some coins with errors, including a raised line between some of the letters in the word "CAESAR". You may be able to fetch somewhere around $10 to $20 for one of these quarters.

Here's a Midwest coin that could be worth $50 or more. That's because of some rather strange varieties which led to some of these coins showing different forms of an extra leaf.

Even if you don't come from Arkansas, this may be a quarter to treasure. It was part of the America the Beautiful National Parks and Monuments series.

These are fairly common quarters, so they may not be worth all that much. However, some die crack errors in certain ones could make them worth $100 or more, so keep an eye out. Typically, the bigger the crack, the bigger the payday.

It may be time to take a closer look at some of those quarters you have at home and in the car. If you have a rare coin, it may be a good way to boost your bank account.

If you find a quarter with an error or think you may have a rare one, it may be beneficial to connect with a collector group online to determine its potential value.