The value of a 1944 quarter depends on a variety of factors. The condition of the coin and whether or not it has a mint mark can change the value of a 1944 quarter. Furthermore, as these coins are made from silver, even their melting price is higher than the face value.
Depending on the condition and rarity of the coin and what you want to do with your 1944 silver quarter, you can get between $3.37 and $18,400.
The $3.37 is roughly the price you would get for a 1944 quarter if you have decided to melt it, as this is the price of the silver the coin is made of. However, these coins are far more valuable to collectors.
The collector value depends on the quality of the coins. The coin can be classified on a quality scale for its value to be determined. The most valuable coins are uncirculated, as the chance of them having scratches or other markings that can depreciate the value is lower.
Coins that can bring greater interest from collectors are the ones that have minting issues or other unique characteristics—for example, a mix-up in the writing on the coin.
Coins that have minting defects can be considered a rarity in this collection, unlike others from the same period. This article contains information about one such instance, from how the minting error happened to the value of the coin at an auction.
The coin in question proved to be an interesting piece for collectors, and the price of the coin was significantly higher.
In this article, you can also find information about the grading system used to evaluate coins- both circulated and coins in mint state condition.
Furthermore, the coin’s value is described for all the different conditions, as well as some background information about the coin’s design.
Brief History and Rarity of the 1944 Quarter
The 1944 Silver Washington Quarters were minted in a few locations. You can find out where the coin was minted based on the small letter at the bottom of the coin. If the coin has a small “s”, this means that the coin was minted in San Francisco, and “d” coins are minted in Denver. The 1944 quarters that do not have a mint mark are from Philadelphia.
The reason for the change of the quarter’s design from the Standing Liberty to the Washington bust is the minting problems of the previous design. The change has turned out to be positive for the minting process as the Washington design has fewer minting issues.
The design of the 1944 quarter makes the coin more durable as there are fewer small details. This means there are fewer minting errors; however, some coins have minting issues. Those coins can be more highly valued, especially at auctions, due to collector interest.
The person responsible for the 1944 quarter’s design is sculptor John Flanagan. However, the first choice for the sculptor of the Washington bust displayed on the coins was Laura Gardin Fraser. Ultimately after debates, the design was given to Flanagan.
There are some speculations regarding the change, with some people criticising Andrew W. Mellon’s choice to make that change. They argue that the change only happened because Mellon didn’t want a woman to design such an important piece.
This may have been the reason for the change. However, this information can not be confirmed. Regardless of the reasons, Flanagan’s design was the one that was used for the 1944 silver quarters.
The number of coins minted in the three locations- Philadelphia, San Fransisco and Denver- is roughly around 132 million. The majority of them were minted in Philadelphia, making these coins more widely dispersed.
The quarter collection was made in war times; they were mass-produced in order to inject money into the economy. Many of the other coins minted in this period were also produced in larger quantities.
Although the 1944 quarter collection has fewer minting problems than other collections, there are some problems. The reasons may be related to the large number of coins minted. Some of the coins with errors were put in circulation.
The 1944 quarter also has a special mint set made at the request of Eva Adams, who was the director of mint for that year. Although these coins were not publicly released, some of them are in public possession.
Also Read: Ultimate List Of The Most Valuable Washington Quarters (Worth Upto $192,000)
Value and Condition
Figuring out the value of a 1944 silver quarter depends on several factors. Most important is the condition of the coin. The quality of the coin is determined by the amount of damage to the coin from usage through the years.
Uncirculated coins are more valuable, as there are far fewer scratches and marks. However, even minor damage from improper storage can change the coin’s grade. The coins with the highest grade are ones that are in mint state and have no signs of use or damage.
1944 silver quarters can have a vastly different value between circulated and uncirculated. Another difference, as mentioned, comes from the mint. As the quantity of coins minted varies in the three locations, so does their price.
Coins that have been in circulation and are in good and very good condition can be sold for around $5. Coins in extra fine condition are usually valued.
In the higher grading tiers, the different mints have varying values. Although the price difference is sometimes insignificant, there are occasions in which coins with the same quality grade can differ in value due to the location of the mint.
The difference between the good and fine condition of the coin depends on how well the design of the coin is preserved. Although these coins are circulated, the ones in good condition are flattened due to heavy usage.
Flattening of Washington’s bust and damage to the words inscribed on the coins are the most common problems. These issues make coins from the 1944 silver quarter collection lose some value and place them in the “good” condition category.
Lack of details also makes coins lose their quality. Therefore coins in extra fine condition show only minor signs of use and have been in circulation for a short amount of time.
| Quality | 1944 | 1944 S | 1944 D |
| Good | $5.7 | $5.7 | $5.7 |
| Very good | $5.7 | $5.7 | $5.7 |
| Fine | $5.7 | $5.7 | $5.7 |
| Very fine | $5.7 | $5.7 | $5.7 |
| Extra fine | $5.7 | $5.7 | $5.7 |
| AU | $8.1 to $9.7 | $8.1 to $13 | $8.1 to $13 |
| MS 60 | $9.4 to $11.3 | $13.5 to $16.2 | $13.5 to $16.2 |
| MS 61 | $9.4 to $11.3 | $14.8 to $17.8 | $14.8 to $17.8 |
| MS 62 | $9.4 to $11.3 | $17.5 to $21 | $17.5 to $21 |
| MS 63 | $11.1 to $13.4 | $20.2 to $24.3 | $20.2 to $24.3 |
| MS 64 | $14.8 to $17.8 | $23 to $27.5 | $22.9 to $27.5 |
| MS 65 | $29.7 to $47.2 | $32.4 to $47.2 | $41.8 to $61 |
| MS 66 | $54 to $74 | $68 to $88 | $68 to $88 |
(Information from Greysheet)
MS67 and MS68
1944 silver quarters in condition MS67 are much more valuable than lower-quality coins from this collection. Contrary to coins in lower condition, in this case, the value of the San Fransisco mint is slightly lower than the other two mints.
The San Fransisco mint in MS67 condition is priced between $240 and $286. The value of coins in the same condition from the Philadelphia mint ranges from $286 to $338.
The Denver mint MS67 has a broader price range with high offers reaching $370.
Coins graded MS68 are the most valuable as the price varies between $8,120 and $16,800. The Philadelphia mint is more likely to get the higher offers.
The grading system goes up to MS70; however, coins in this condition are extremely rare, and the information related to them is limited. There is currently no information available about the price point related to coins in this condition.
Editor’s Note: The value of the 1944 quarters presented is from various sources and may not correspond to the prices you are offered. This article gives general information about the value of the 1944 quarters.
1944 Silver Quarters Errors
A coin from the Philadelphia mint sparked interest at an auction, and its price soared to $16,200. This coin was sold at this price due to the fact it was minted on a planchet made of zinc-coated steel.
The minting of the coin on this surface caused scattered oxidation on the coin obverse, making it unique. This caused its price to reach so high as the coin is one of a kind due to the mistake made during the minting.
The 1944 quarter is a common coin due to the size of the collection, roughly around 132 million coins. As mentioned, this design has been more successful, as there are fewer minting errors compared to earlier coins.
The quarter’s design has been fixed and tweaked six times in the period 1932-1964. The most prevalent errors have been double die on either the obverse or reverse side.
Another interesting error occurred when 1944 quarters were struck on 5C nickel planchets. Some of those coins were overlooked during the minting process and were put in circulation.
Coins stuck on the nickel planchets have higher value, even the ones that have been in circulation get be valued at around $3,000.
Double die errors can also be found in the 1944 quarter collection. These errors are visible on the inscription “in god we Trust”, as well as the year and, in some cases, the Denver mint mark.
The word liberty can also be doubled in some cases, and in the Denver mint, there are cases in which the “d” is re-punched.
As mentioned, some of these errors might be due to the large quantities produced. However, those errors are common with other collections as well, and the coin’s value might not differ significantly.
FAQs
Is the 1944 Quarter Worth Anything?
Generally speaking, the answer is always yes. Although the value of the 1944 quarters can vary drastically depending on the quality and usage of the coins, they still hold value.
This is partly due to the fact that they are 90% silver. Therefore even the silver in the coins is worth more than their face value.
Are There Quarters with No Mint Mark?
Yes, the quarters minted in Philadelphia are usually the once that do not have a mint mark. This is also the case for the 1944 quarter. The other two minting locations are shown on the coins with a little “d” or “s”, depending on the location – Denver or San Francisco.
Is There a Rare 1944 Quarter?
There are some coins that can be considered rare in the 1944 quarter collection. Coins that have minting errors are far fewer in this collection compared to previous ones. Rare 1944 quarters are the once minted on planchets that are not suitable for the coin. These coins have higher value due to the unusual way in which they were minted.
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Summary
Owning a 1944 silver quarter can be much more rewarding than expected. Depending on what you want to do with your coin, you can get at least $3.37 for the silver it is made from.
If you have decided you want to sell your coin, hopefully, this article helps you navigate its potential value. You should consider yourself lucky if you have a rare 1944 quarter in your possession. Whether you want to sell or keep it, this coin is a worthy part of anyone’s collection.
This article can give you some idea of the grading system used to evaluate the price of coins from the 1944 quarter collection, as well as some of the extraordinary cases related to this collection.
