This Bicentennial Quarter Could Be Worth $20K - Plus 9 More Worth a Small Fortune

To celebrate the bicentennial birthday of the United States in 1976, the U.S. Mint released millions of commemorative quarters. Though the quarters are quite common, some rarities are extremely valuable to collectors and could be worth enough to help pay for your rent for the year. A few years back, one of these coins sold at auction for nearly $20,000.

Here's all you need to know about the bicentennial quarter that broke the auction record, and nine others that could be worth a small fortune.

Editor's note: All auction records come from the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS), unless otherwise stated.

1976-S bicentennial quarter

Auction record: $19,200

The biggest payday for a bicentennial quarter to date is for one minted in San Francisco that had an extremely high grade, which is rare for these coins, even though millions were minted that year. The coins are clad, or made of 40% silver and 60% copper, and feature a drummer on the reverse.

The quarters are typically worth less than $100 if graded less than MS67. The coin that sold for nearly $20,000 was graded MS69.

1976-D bicentennial double die obverse quarter

Auction record: $8,400

Even in lower grades, bicentennial quarters minted in Denver with a minting error known as a "double die obverse" tend to be worth thousands. The doubling is difficult to see with the naked eye, but a bit of variation could be observed in the word "Liberty" on the coin's front.

The $8,400 auction record for one of these quarters was hit in 2023 with an MS66 graded coin.

1976 bicentennial quarter struck on dime planchet

Auction record: $2,520

There are only a few known examples of the bicentennial quarter that was mistakenly struck on a dime planchet. Coming across one of these rarities could easily translate to a payday of a few thousand dollars.

You are able to easily tell at a first glance what these quarters look like, as the lettering and Washington's head do not fit and appear to be too large, resulting in missing letters.

1932-D Washington quarter

Auction record: $143,750

The quarter we all know today, featuring George Washington's portrait, first debuted in 1932, but that's not the main reason the Denver quarter is worth a small fortune. Thanks to the Great Depression, there was little need for new quarters that year and mintage was low. To this day, very few 1932-D quarters exist in good condition.

The auction record quarter was graded MS66, but coins graded as low as MS58 have sold for more than $1,000.

1943 Washington quarter double die obverse

Auction record: $22,250

PCGS reports that the 1943 double die obverse Washington quarter is the rarest of all the major double dies for this coin. The doubling is able to be seen clearly on the words "In God We Trust" and a bit less clearly on the word "Liberty" on the coin's obverse.

Even in low grades, the coins sell for hundreds of dollars. The auction record was for a coin graded MS67.

1962-D Washington quarter

Auction record: $18,400

Just a few years before the U.S. Mint transitioned to making quarters with copper and nickel in 1965, millions of 1962-D Washington quarters went into circulation. However, collectors began to hoard the coins around the time that the Mint stopped using silver to make them.

To this day, 1962-D quarters in good condition remain rare, and the auction record sale was for one graded MS67. The valuable coins appear well-struck with few scratches or imperfections.

1942 Washington quarter proof

Auction record: $16,800

Though PCGS reports that proofs of the 1942 Washington quarter are not incredibly difficult to come by, they are rare in grades above PR66. The quarters, which are 90% silver and 10% copper, are worth several thousand dollars when graded PR68, and the $16,800 auction record coin was graded PR69.

A PR68 graded coin appears shiny and very well-struck with almost no imperfections.

1982-P Washington quarter

Auction record: $10,200

The U.S. Mint did not produce Mint Sets in 1982 or 1983, which makes it incredibly difficult to find quarters from these years in high grades. The mintage was high, more than 500 million, for the year, so coins graded around MS65 tend to only be worth around $10 to $15.

However, a well-struck 1982 quarter with few marks or imperfections could be worth hundreds. The auction record was for a coin graded MS68.

2004-D Wisconsin state quarter, extra leaf

Auction record: $2,530

Despite its popularity, most quarters produced for the 50 State Quarters Program aren't worth much more than 25 cents. Wisconsin state quarters with an error known as "extra leaf" are an exception. There are two versions of the extra leaf quarters, known as "high" or "low" based on where an extra corn husk appears on the coin's reverse.

The "extra leaf high" coins are more scarce and hold the auction record for an MS66-graded coin.

1989-D Washington quarter

Auction record: $764

The 1989-D Washington quarter is another example that is incredibly hard to find in good condition. PCGS reports that quarters from the '80s tend to be poorly struck.

Millions of these quarters were minted, so finding a 1989-D quarter alone won't translate to a big payday, but it's rare to find them with a grade higher than MS66. Only about a dozen well-struck and well-preserved MS67 quarters are known to exist, including the one that holds the auction record.

Bottom line

Coin collecting is wildly popular among hobbyists, and selling to collectors is a relatively simple way to make some extra money on the side. While coins tend to be valuable because of their rarity, several quarters on this list are common enough that you may very well have one or two in an old change jar.

The real value, of course, lies in the grade, and it's worth it to get any coin you suspect may be valuable professionally graded by a service like PCGS.

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