1945 Washington Quarter

With World War II winding down and troops returning home, the United States economy was in a period of adjustment. Hundreds of millions of quarters (and billions of other coins in total) were struck at the United States Mint during the war, meaning circulation channels had an abundant supply of coins necessary to sustain commerce. While coin production overall was stepped up in comparison to mintages from a decade earlier, astute numismatists will quickly realize that coin output from 1945 is relatively lower than compared to the previous few years.

Lower mintages were also the case for Washington quarters, as can be seen below in the mintage and value table:

• 1945, 74,372,000 minted; $7

• 1945-D, 12,341,600; $10

• 1945-S, 17,004,001; $9

*Values are for coins in a grade of Extremely Fine.

While the Denver and San Francisco mint quarters from 1945 are markedly scarcer than their Philadelphia counterpart, they are still affordable even in the Mint State grades. Even the most expensive of the three issues, Denver, can be bought in a grade of Mint State-63 for less than $25.

No matter what uncirculated Washington quarter issues you buy, look for crisp, well-struck specimens with plenty of luster. These are beautiful coins that you’ll be proud to own for years to come.