The sound of a jingle from loose change in my pockets does not really matter these days. As it happens with most folks, I consider quarters simply as money for the most-classical functions-parking meters, and laundry machines. That changed last month when I happened upon an old, dog-eared coin-collecting guide at my grandfather’s home. Flicking through its pages, some of those very ordinary-looking state quarters jingling away in my cup holder could be worth many times over what they claim-25 cents.
Most people don’t realize they might be handling small fortunes daily,” says James Hernandez, a numismatist at Capital Coin Gallery in Chicago, with whom I consulted. The State Quarters Program has produced some very interesting mistakes and rarities, all of which are extraordinarily collectible.”
The 50 State Quarters Program of the United States Mint ran from 1999 through 2008 and minted billions of quarters to commemorate each state. While most are worth face value, certain rare types and some minting errors made certain coins worth hundreds to even thousands of dollars. After wades interviews with collectors, dealers as well as current auction records, I’ve helped generate the final-wordiness list about the state quarters value you must look out for in spare change.
Extraordinary Errors: The Most Valuable State Quarter Varieties
What makes a quarter so different to become a collector’s dream? Usually, it is due to mistakes in the minting process. Error coins, as they are known, become some of the rarest of rarities when thousands are produced with mistakes before the errors are caught. The most valuable of state quarters usually feature doubled dies, off-center strikes, wrong planchets, or other design oddities that set them apart from the millions of standard versions.
“Manufacturing errors that make it into circulation create the perfect storm for collectibility,” Hernandez told me while examining a tray of state quarters in his shop. “They’re scarce by nature, fascinating to study, and accessible enough that average people might actually find one.”
1999-P Delaware “Spitting Horse” Quarter
One of the most well-known state quarter varieties came almost at the very beginning of this series. The quarter for Delaware from 1999 depicts a horseback rider, but on some coins minted in Philadelphia, there is a raised die gouge near the horse’s mouth, causing collectors to refer to it as the “Spitting Horse” variety.
“These have always been selling for about $75 to $100 in uncirculated condition,” states collector Susan Yates, who has collected state quarters since the program began. “If you find one graded by PCGS or NGC as MS-67 or higher, then you’ll see the price go up a great deal, over $200.”\
It is very attractive because it is easy to see; there is no need for any special equipment to observe the distinctive raised line stretching from the horse’s mouth. It’s that kind of error the average collector can spot with the naked eye.
The Extra Leaf State Quarter (D) 2004
No error quarters have excited—or caused so much controversy and heated debate—as have the 2004 Wisconsin quarters with what appear to be extra corn leaves. Two distinct varieties exist: the “High Leaf” with an extra leaf pointing upward and the “Low Leaf” with an additional leaf curving downward.
These quarters minted in Denver can sell anywhere from $150 to $500 based on condition; however, experts continue to debate whether they were intentional die modifications or die gouges formed unintentionally.
“I personally examined several dozen of them under high magnification,” says Michael Broderick, former employee of the Mint, now an appraiser of rare coins. “The positioning is too convenient to be random damage. Someone likely altered the die, though whether as a prank or an artistic addition remains unclear.”
Whatever the cause, these quarters will always be popular modern coinage and are known to bring at least $300 at auction for uncirculated specimens.
The 2005-P Minnesota “Extra Tree” Quarter
After the Wisconsin leaf dispute, collectors scrutinized the state quarters even more closely, leading to the identification of the Minnesota “Extra Tree” variety. The standard Minnesota quarters depict a scene of a lake with a shoreline and some trees. The error version seems to show another tree on the foreground.
“This one is subtler than the Wisconsin variety and therefore less expensive,” Hernandez says. “But uncirculated ones are still worth $50-$100 among specialists trying to complete error sets.”
Just like the Wisconsin quarter, the argument has continued about whether this was an intended alteration or an honest-to-goodness minting error. Either way, these varieties have been accepted by the market, and their prices have burned straight up for the last ten years.
Quality Condition Rarities: State Quarters Perfect
Some of the finest valuable state quarters are not marked by sensational blunders; there are simply ordinary dies that have survived in exceptional condition. Minted in billions by the U.S. Mint, just a few of the entire batch would emerge in perfect “gem” condition without bag marks, scratches, and wear.
“The population reports from grading services actually tell the story,” emphasizes Broderick. “If there are only few issued in MS-68 or MS-69, that would mean collectors will be willing to dish out premium prices-sometimes thousands of dollars-for these condition rarities.”
The Missouri Quarter, 2003-P
The 2003 Missouri quarter has no significant varieties or errors, yet uncirculated examples are now surprisingly valuable: MS-67 grades have sold for over $100, and a handful of MS-68 examples have surpassed $1,000 in auction prices.
“The Missouri quarter had one of the roughest mintages in the program,” Yates notes. “You could see every bag mark and every place touched on the planchets. It’s really hard to find one that doesn’t have those characteristics.”
This reinforces a point to the average collector: sometimes a common coin but in extraordinary condition is worth more than an error type in mediocre condition.
The 1999-P New Jersey Quarter
Yet another condition rarity that ought to be further researched is the 1999 New Jersey quarter from the Philadelphia mint. It has high mintage figures, but clean examples have proven next to impossible to find. The standard MS-67 specimens sell regularly for between $100 to $150, but the few MS-68 examples reach into the more than $1,500 range.
“New Jersey quarters seem to have had issues with their strikes,” Hernandez pointed out. “The details of the design, especially Washington’s hair on the obverse side, usually look rather mushy or poorly defined. Finding one with razor-sharp clarity and few marks is extremely rare.”
Off-Metal and Wrong Planchet Errors: The Rarest of the Rare; These errors are the most valuable state quarters, with some potentially worth thousands, being struck on wrong metal planchets. These dramatic errors usually occur when a planchet intended for another denomination squeezes its way into the quarter production line.
State Quarters on Nickel Planchets-
In the case when a state quarter is mistakenly struck upon planchets intended for nickels, very collectible errors are created. These quarters appear much lighter in color (silver vs. copper-nickel clad) and weigh about 5 grams versus the standard 5.67 grams.
“These wrong planchet errors usually go for about $750 to $2,000,” Broderick says. “I personally had a 2000 Maryland quarter struck on a nickel planchet that sold for $1,500 at auction last year.”
Although struck with larger quarter dies, the smaller nickel planchet coins usually miss elements of design around the edges in which case they become relatively easy to distinguish.
The State Quarters on Cent Planchets
These sorts of errors are rarer than nickel planchet errors. This penny planchet state quarter is distinct, having only the center of the design visible due to the relative size difference between the penny and quarter planchets.
“A Wyoming state quarter struck on a cent planchet sold for over $10,000 at a Heritage auction,” says Yates. “These are among the most dramatic errors in American numismatics and are recognized instantly, even by non-collectors.
Very few of these errors exist in a state design, making it one of the real rarities that you just do not find on the market.
How to Identify the Coins From Your Collection That Are Worth Some Good Quarters
After learning about these valuable varieties, now I sorted through my collection with a renewed interest. No five-figure rarities were in it, but it taught me tips regarding examining coins that might interest other casual collectors.
Essential Tools and Techniques
To properly search for valuable state quarters, you’ll need:
- A good magnifying glass (7x to 10x magnification)
- A digital scale accurate to 0.01 grams
- Adequate lighting (natural light works best)
- Reference images of known varieties
“The most common mistake new collectors make is misidentifying damage or post-mint alterations as errors,” cautions Hernandez. “Die cracks, cuds, and doubled dies have specific characteristics that differentiate them from damage.”
When examining potential error coins, follow these steps:
- Check the weight first (wrong planchet errors will be immediately apparent)
- Examine the coin under magnification, focusing on known error areas for specific states
- Compare directly with standard examples of the same quarter
- Look for raised areas rather than scratches or indentations, which typically indicate damage rather than minting errors
Authentication Factors
When you think you have found a state quarter worth its weight in gold, we recommend getting it personally authenticated before heading off to try and sell it.
“I’ve seen a lot of disappointed collectors who thought they had thousand-dollar coins that turned out to be damaged specimens or, worse, altered coins,” Broderick says. “Professional grading services like PCGS, NGC, or ANACS provide the authentication the market demands for high-value coins.”
Authentication generally runs $20-30 per coin, not really worth it unless you have a darn good reason to think the coin is going to be worth something. For Wisconsin Extra Leaf quarters or other very well-known varieties, this peace of mind and maximum resale value is worth the cost.
Beyond The State Quarters:
Other Modern Coins Worth Searching For My inquiries into valuable state quarters led me to other modern coins also deserving of a search. The treasure hunt does not end at state quarters; these other modern U.S. coins fetch fat premiums too:
- 2009 Lincoln cent, Formative Years, with a doubled die reverse ($50-100);
- 2004-D Peace Medal Nickel with extra metal under the buffalo ($50-75);
- 1982 Roosevelt Dime with no mint mark ($50-150);
- 2000-W Library of Congress Bimetallic $10 with reverse mule ($15,000+).
“There’s just something thrilling about hunting for coins that makes it so addictive,” Yates said, flashing a smile. “Unlike ancient coins or classic rarities whose fate is sealed in museums and vaults of wealthy collectors, these modern treasures could literally show up in your pocket change tomorrow.”
The Hunt: Everlasting Attraction
However, after weeks on the road in search of prized state quarters and after pouring over a legion of coins, I have cracked open a whole new appreciation for these tiny metal discs that most seem to take for granted. There is much that an individual would see beyond mere cents: These coins connect us to American history and the interesting world of minting technology.
“State quarters revitalized coin collecting for an entire generation,” remembers Hernandez. “Even as we increase both the number and variety of electronic payments, the romance of finding a rare coin in circulation still holds great power. It’s one of the few treasure hunts that is accessible to virtually everybody.”
So, the next time you get one’s change after buying goods, scrutinize those quarters. You will agree that finding a five-figure rarity is improbable, but it could happen, which is what makes it all sweet treasure hunting as a choice of the population. Those coins jingling in your pocket could probably be worth way more than a penny.
Until then, I will continue to sift through my change in hopes of turning up that elusive Wisconsin “Extra Leaf” or off-metal error that might fund my next vacation or, at least, make a good story worth far more than 25 cents.
FAQS:
Which state quarters are considered the highest in value?
The highly coveted ones include the 2004-D Wisconsin Extra Leaf; 1999-P Delaware Spitting Horse; and 2005-P Minnesota Double Die.
How do I search for rare state quarters?
This can range from minting errors, different die varieties, and limited design. Coin grading with professional assistance is recommended too.