1942 Washington Quarter Value: How Much is a 1942 Quarter Worth?

1942 Quarter Design and Overview

The 1942 Quarter is a part of the long-running Washington Quarter series (1932–1998). Not even the Second World War could stop the coinage production, and this and many other series (like the 1943 Mercury Dime) continued.

The design for the 1942 release remains mostly unchanged from the original release: classical and strong.

a 1942 Quarter with G. Washington and an eagle.

Obverse (front): Portrait of George Washington facing left. The inscription “LIBERTY” lies across the top, and “IN GOD WE TRUST” lies to the left of Washington's neck. The date “1942” is centered at the bottom.

Reverse (back): A heraldic eagle with spread wings. The eagle is clutching arrows in its talons. You will find inscriptions like “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” at the top, “E PLURIBUS UNUM” above the eagle. The “QUARTER DOLLAR” denomination is at the bottom.

The main characteristics of the 1942 silver quarter
Country	United States
Years of Minting	1932–1998
Type:	Standard circulation
Shape:	Round
Composition and metal content	90% Silver, 10% Copper
Diameter	24.30 mm
Weight	6.30 grams
The Mints	United States Mint of Philadelphia, United States Mint of Denver, United States Mint of San Francisco

1942 Quarter Varieties

Commonly, you find three mint marks on coins.

1942 without a mint mark: Made at the Philadelphia Mint.
1942 with a D mint mark: Made at the Denver Mint.
1942 with an S mint mark: Made at the San Francisco Mint.

Where is the mint mark on a 1942 quarter? It’s on the reverse, at the bottom, under the eagle.

1942 Quarter No Mint Mark Value

Look for: A blank space under the eagle on the reverse.

Mintage: 102,096,000.

Estimated Value: $5–6+ in lower grades.

The 1942 quarter value no mint mark is respectively high compared to most quarters (for example, it’s higher than the 2003 State quarter).

1942 D Quarter Value

Look for: A “D” mint mark under the eagle on the reverse.

Mintage: 17,487,200.

Estimated Value: $6–7 in lower grades.

Denver-made pieces are less common and usually more valuable in higher grades. They have one more advantage: a higher presence of variable errors.

1942 S Quarter Value

Look for: An “S” mint mark under the eagle on the reverse.

Mintage: 19,384,000.

Estimated Value: $6–7 in lower grades.

The San Francisco Mint facility was mainly concerned with proof coins. They inherently had a scarce mintage and a higher quality. Even though S-pieces had a slightly bigger mintage than the “D” mark, today, “S” pieces are considered rarer (fewer “survived” to this day).

What Affects the Value of the Quarter

Is a 1942 quarter worth anything? Indeed, it’s worth a lot and it’s very desirable for many collectors. But what exactly can increase the price?

Here are some factors that affect the 1942 quarter value today:

Metal content. As a rule of thumb, most copper-based pieces (like the 1977 Lincoln Penny) are not worth much. The 1942 quarter silver content makes this coin very valuable even at its face value.
Mint mark rarity. Logically, the scarcer the mintage of a particular mark, the pricier it is. “D” marks are worth more than Philadelphia bits due to a lower mintage.
Mint errors & varieties. Some 1942 quarters have errors or come from highly collectible varieties. For example, a Double Dies error, which could be for over $8.000.
Historical and numismatic Interest. The 1942 coins are from the World War II era, which adds historical value. Many collectors think that they can feel and remember these tragic events through metal.
Condition (Grade). If the details are preserved well, the coin seems more appealing. A prettier coin very often gets chosen over others.

Quarter Grading

Grading is essential to determining the value of a coin. Like most pieces, quarters are graded on a Sheldon scale, from 1 to 70.

The coin with “1” point is barely recognizable, and the piece with “70” points preserves details immaculately and shines just as clearly as on the day of making. Considering these quarters are from 1943, great work was done to keep this piece pristine.

Grade	Description
Poor (P-1)	Barely identifiable outlines, and the date may be gone
Fair (FR-2)	Heavily worn look, but the date is still readable
Good (G-4)	Heavy wear overall, the rim is flat
Very Good (VG-8)	Major details are visible, and the letters are still readable
Fine (F-12)	Moderate overall wear, the details are better preserved
Very Fine (VF-20)	Moderate wear, eagle feathers show up
Extremely Fine (EF/XF-40)	Light wear on high points
About Uncirculated (AU-50 to AU-58)	Slight traces of wear, strong luster
Mint State (MS-60 to MS-70)	No wear to be seen, full mint luster

1942 Quarter Error List

Coins with errors have always been admired by collectors, even in low grades. Considering the time of mintage (old and challenged), the 1942 release had many errors to choose from, and we will feature some of the most popular and desired ones.

Cud

Look for: A blob-like area that appears on the edge of a coin. The blob is smooth and raised.

Estimated value: $$15 – $40+, depending on the error severity.

Error cause: A section of the die (usually along the rim) breaks off due to stress, age, or repeated use.

A common error that can still raise that value tenfold, even for low-grade pieces.

Strikethrough

Look for: Parts of the design that seem missing, flattened, or oddly shaped. There should be wrong textures impressed on the surface.

Estimated value: $15 – $50+, depending on the severity.

Error cause: Foreign material (like grease, cloth, wire, metal shavings, or even a die cap) gets between the die and the coin blank (planchet) during striking.

This type of error has a fluctuating rarity. For some pieces, it’s rare (especially for modern ones), but for old bits from 1943, it’s quite common.

1942 Double Die Obverse (DDO)

a 1942 quarter with a doubling on the “LIBERTY” and “IN GOD WE TRUST”.

Look for: Doubled features on inscriptions “LIBERTY,” “IN GOD WE TRUST,” or the date “1942”.

Estimated value: $75 – $300+.

Error cause: The die was struck more than once, slightly offset.

One of the most desired errors. If you have a State quarter, just the presence of DDO can get your coin into the top 10 State Quarters list. The example from the photo was sold for over 8,000$ and has a doubling on the “LIBERTY” and “IN GOD WE TRUST” inscriptions.

1942 Silver Quarter Value

We’ve found out what makes this piece rare and desired. Now, how much is a 1942 silver quarter worth?

Condition	Philadelphia	Denver (D)	San Francisco (S)
Good (G-4)	$5–6	$6–7	$6–7
Fine (F-12)	$6–7	$7–8	$7–8
Extremely Fine (EF)	$8–12	$10–14	$10–14
About Uncirculated	$14–18	$18–25	$18–25
Mint State (MS-60)	$18–35	$22–50	$30–50
MS-65 (Gem BU)+	$40–150+	$45–250+	$100–250+

The value of the 1942 quarter is high and goes much higher than its face value. San Francisco-made pieces are especially pricy.

Coins ID Scanner

It’s impossible to know all the coinage. We have so many things to worry about, and there’s just not enough brain space or time to learn all the coins. But worry not, as Coin ID Scanner will recognize the coins for you.

Here are some of the app’s features:

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AI Chatbot: Built-in assistant to answer coin-related questions, including history, grading tips, and identification help.
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Coin ID Scanner is a great addition to any collector’s tool set. You can download the app on iOS and Android.

1942 Quarter Value: Silver, Errors, and Collecting Insights

Contents:

1942 Quarter Design and Overview