1962 Washington Quarter

1962 Washington quarters present few challenges for the coin collector who is assembling a date-and-mintmark collection of the series. With more than 160 million quarters pumped out in 1962, the United States Mint was busily filling demands for new coins, a need that some in the U.S. government blamed on coin collectors themselves. It’s true that many of the coins being pulled from circulation were placed into coin albums to help complete the collections of various series that were being made at the time. However, the bulk of the burgeoning coin shortage, primarily a dearth of dimes, quarters, and half dollars, could be place on hoarders, who were being tucking away high-denomination coins for one reason only – their silver content.

Here’s a look at the mintages and values of 1962 Washington quarters:

• 1962, 36,156,000 minted; $7

• 1962 proof, 3,218,019; $11

• 1962-D, 127,554,756; $7

There is little to intrigue the collector of Washington quarters from 1962, other than, perhaps, the relatively few cameo proofs and high-end uncirculated pieces that are available from the era. While standard uncirculated and proof quarters from 1962 don’t register as particularly difficult coins to find, super-grade Washington quarters do, and they are quite a prize for any coin collector who can find – and afford – them.