Washington quarter

Washington quarter. It is a denomination of United States coinage first issued in 1932 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of George Washington. The coin, designed by sculptor John Flanagan, replaced the Standing Liberty quarter and features a portrait of the first President of the United States on its obverse. It has remained in continuous production for general circulation, with its reverse design changing periodically for commemorative programs like the 50 State quarters and the America the Beautiful quarters.

History

The coin was authorized by the United States Congress following a recommendation from the Commission of Fine Arts to create a commemorative for the Washington Bicentennial. A design competition was held, which was won by John Flanagan, though the initial model was based on a 1786 bust by French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon. It was originally intended as a one-year commemorative issue, but its popularity led to it becoming the standard circulating quarter in 1934, permanently replacing the Standing Liberty quarter. During World War II, from 1942 to 1945, the composition was briefly altered for coins minted in Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco to conserve nickel for the war effort.

Design

The obverse features a left-facing profile portrait of George Washington, based on the Houdon bust, with the inscriptions "LIBERTY" and "In God We Trust" along the periphery. The reverse, as originally designed by Flanagan, depicts a Bald eagle with wings spread, perched on a bundle of arrows with two olive branches beneath, symbolizing military readiness and peace. This heraldic eagle design was used from 1932 until 1974 and again from 1977 to 1998. The Bicentennial in 1976 featured a special reverse design by Jack L. Ahr depicting a colonial drummer.

Production and mintages

Regular production began at the Philadelphia Mint, Denver Mint, and San Francisco Mint. Key dates with low mintages that are prized by collectors include the 1932-D and 1932-S issues. The United States Mint suspended silver coinage for circulation in 1964, switching to a clad copper-nickel composition in 1965. Major production facilities now include the West Point Mint for certain bullion and commemorative issues. Annual mintages have fluctuated greatly, from over 1.6 billion coins for the 1999 Delaware state quarter to special limited editions from the San Francisco Mint in proof sets.

Collecting

It is a cornerstone of numismatic collections in the United States. Series collectors often seek complete sets by date and mint mark, particularly the challenging early silver issues from 1932 to 1964. The advent of the 50 State quarters program in 1999 sparked a massive public collecting interest. Grading services like the PCGS and NGC are essential for authenticating high-value specimens, such as fully struck examples from the 1930s. Special finishes, like those from the San Francisco and West Point mints, are also popular.

Varieties and errors

Notable varieties include the 1932-D, which is considered a semi-key date, and the 1937 doubled die obverse. A significant error is the 1942/41 overdate, created at the Philadelphia Mint. The 1950-D mintage is also a well-known key date. More modern errors include various die cracks and mis-strikes from the Denver Mint and Philadelphia Mint. The 50 State quarters series produced its own collectible errors, such as the 1999 Delaware "Spitting Horse" variety and the 2004 Wisconsin "Extra Leaf" quarters.

Category:Coins of the United States Category:1932 introductions