1932 Washington Quarter

In 1932, the United States embarked upon creating a commemorative coin honoring the 200^th birthday of George Washington, our nation’s first president. Boasting a design by John Flanagan, the Washington quarter featured the first president’s bust, portrayed as a side profile on the obverse, and a heraldic eagle design on the reverse. The coin, which was only intended as a one-year type following the Standing Liberty design that had been featured on the quarter from 1916 through 1930, was immensely popular among the public.

Like many first-year type coins of the early 20^th century, the Washington quarter presented scarce, mintmarked pieces that keep the coin collector busy – and spending plenty of money trying to chase them down! The 1932-D and 1932-S Washington quarters are considered the regular-issue key dates of the series, and have long been recognized as scarce by coin collectors. As a side note, it should be mentioned that there are several doubled-die Washington quarters that rival or exceed the cost and rarity of the 1932 D and S pieces.

Here’s a breakdown of the mintages and values of 1932 Washington quarters:

• 1932, 5,404,000 minted; $8

• 1932-D, 436,800; $175

• 1932-S, 408,000; $180

*Values are for coins in Very Good-8 grade

As you should do when buying any scarce coins, be sure to verify that any 1932-D or 1932-S quarter that you buy is authentic, as these two issues are commonly counterfeited. Problem-free specimens are highly sought after by coin collectors and investors. No quarters were issued in 1933.