Quarters, also known as Washington quarters, are very popular with collectors, and the 1945 coin is no exception.
However, it is not known for having any particularity of printing or for being one of the most valuable, but its historical significance is what gives it importance. The 1945 quarter was minted after World War II had ended, and that’s what makes it special.
It is a highly desired coin by collectors despite not having great value. But you can always ask for a good price if it is very well preserved.
In this article, we will learn the basics of how to identify a 1945 quarter and know if it has any value.
1945 Quarter Details
- Category: Washington Quarters (1932-1998)
- Mint: Philadelphia, Denver, San Francisco
- Mintage: 103.717.601
- Obverse Designer: John Flanagan
- Reverse Designer: John Flanagan
- Composition: Silver
- Fineness: 0.9
- Weight: 6.25g
- ASW: 0.1808oz
- Melt Value: $3.98 (2/13/2023)
- Diameter: 24.3mm
- Edge: Reeded
The 1945 Washington Silver Quarter is composed of 90% silver with the remainder being copper. Both of these metals are still valuable today.
That is why owning silver quarters will always be a good thing, whether you have been a collector for some time or have found a bunch of old coins in your basement and want to get started in this fascinating world.
The coin was designed by John Flanagan and remains in circulation to this day. The only difference is that current coins no longer have the same metal composition, they are also coated with a layer of nickel for better conservation.
The Washington Quarters were minted from 1932 to 1998, being one of the coins that have remained in circulation the longest without design change.
They have a diameter of 0.95473 inches, with a serrated edge and a thickness of 0.68899 (1.75 mm).
The 1945 Washington quarters were minted in the last year of World War II, for this reason, there are many copies and their value is not as great as that of other copies minted in years of less circulation or in which there were notorious misprints. Minting in a large number within the series.
However, they are still desired for a historical issue and it is important to know all the details about this emblematic coin.
Observe side
The obverse of the coin is decorated with the face of George Washington, the first president of the United States. John Flanagan not only designed the coin, but he also sculpted the face of the first president of the United States.
The coin has the phrase “IN GOD WE TRUST” on the bottom left of the coin and the word LIBERTY surrounding the coin at the top. The minting date is on the bottom of the coin and the initials JF referencing the designer of the coin are on the neck of the bust.
Reverse side
The reverse is a more complex and ornate design. It has the figure of an American bald eagle in the center of the coin. The bird is with its wings spread and holding in its talons a bundle of arrows between its talons.
The figure is adorned below with two Olive branches that symbolize peace, while the American Eagle and arrows are symbols of power and strength.
It also has the word QUARTER DOLLAR written at the bottom and at the top are the phrases “E PLURIBUS UNUM ” and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. The phrase “E pluribus unum” is in the tin and means: one of many.
The dry mark is located at the bottom, just below and in the center of the olive branches. The 1945 Washington Quarter was minted in Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Denver. Only Denver and San Francisco have a dry mark with the letter “D” and “S” respectively. All coins made in Philadelphia bear no mint mark.
Also Read: Top 15 Most Valuable Quarters In Circulation
1945 Quarter Value Chart
1945 Washington silver quarter value |
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| Condition | 1945 Washington silver quarter (No Mint mark) | 1945 D Washington silver quarter (Denver) | 1945 S Washington silver quarter (San Francisco) |
| Good | $5 | $4.92 | $4.92 |
| Very good | $5 | $4.92 | $4.92 |
| Fine | $5 | $4.92 | $4.92 |
| Very fine | $5 | $4.92 | $4.92 |
| Extra fine | $5 | $4.92 | $4.92 |
| AU | $6.50 to $8.50 | $6.50 to $8.50 | $6.50 to $8 |
| MS 60 | $7.25 to $8.70 | $7.25 to $9 | $7 to $8.70 |
| MS 61 | $7.50 to $9 | $7.50 to $9 | $7.50 to $9 |
| MS 62 | $8 to $9.30 | $8 to $9 | $9 to $10 |
| MS 63 | $8.25 to $9.90 | $20 to $24 | $10 to $14 |
| MS 64 | $11 to $13 | $23 to $27 | $15 to $20 |
| MS 65 | $27 to $35 | $26 to $35 | $25 to $35 |
| MS 66 | $55 to $66 | $45 to $65 | $50 to $65 |
| MS 67 | $350 to $420 | $400 to $480 | $260 to $300 |
| MS 68 | $7,000 to $8,500 | $14,000 to $16,000 | – |
1945 Quarter Value and Varieties Guide
When World War II ended, the American economy needed to go into overdrive to recover from the great expense that the conflict had inflicted on them. One of the measures was to print a good amount of coins for the market.
103,717,601 quarter-dollar coins were minted in 1945. But this task was divided into three mint houses. The Mint in Philadelphia, which is usually in charge of printing the largest number of official coins, and also the minting houses in Denver and San Francisco.
So the 1945 coin has three types and is distinguished by the letter “S” for San Francisco, and the letter “D” for Denver. Coins printed in Philadelphia do not have any distinctive mint marks, as on most coins printed in Philadelphia.
Even though most of the dollar coins minted in 1945 do not have great numismatic value, they are still valuable since they are composed of 90% silver and this can be melted down or sold in the precious metals market.
So whatever the reason, it’s always nice to collect these quarters. However, there are some differences between them and those differences will make your coin worth much more than you think. Here we will see in detail each of the coins minted in different houses and why they are valuable.
1945 Philadelphia Washington silver quarter (No Mint mark)
- Category: Washington Quarters (1932-1998)
- Mint: Philadelphia
- Mintage: 74,372,000
- Obverse Designer: John Flanagan
- Reverse Designer: John Flanagan
- Composition: Silver
- Fineness: 0.9
- Weight: 6.25g
- ASW: 0.1808oz
- Melt Value: $3.98 (2/13/2023)
- Diameter: 24.3mm
- Edge: Reeded
Coins printed in Philadelphia do not have any mint marks. More than 74 million were printed and therefore its current market value is quite modest.
The coins have a value of approximately 5 to 8 dollars. Better preserved specimens can raise their price up to 50 or 60 dollars, but there are gem-quality specimens that can be worth much more.
An MS67 classification coin for example is between 300 and 400 dollars. While the record for the most expensive coin without a mint mark sold in 2015 for $16,450.
1945 Denver Washington silver quarter (D)
- Category: Washington Quarters (1932-1998)
- Mint: Denver
- Mintage: 12,341,600
- Obverse Designer: John Flanagan
- Reverse Designer: John Flanagan
- Composition: Silver
- Fineness: 0.9
- Weight: 6.25g
- ASW: 0.1808oz
- Melt Value: $3.98 (2/13/2023)
- Diameter: 24.3mm
- Edge: Reeded
Denver produced some 12 million coins in 1945, a significantly lower number than Philadelphia, yet coins cost about the same price in the lower grades. So one of these coins in good condition costs between 5 and 8 dollars each.
The difference is in the coins with higher rankings. A well-preserved coin will rise in value to almost $500. And if we talk about those that are in grade MS 68 or more, they can cost up to 16 thousand dollars.
The record price paid for this coin was $20,400 at auction.
1945 San Francisco Washington silver quarter (S)
- Category: Washington Quarters (1932-1998)
- Mint: San Francisco
- Mintage: 17,004,001
- Obverse Designer: John Flanagan
- Reverse Designer: John Flanagan
- Composition: Silver
- Fineness: 0.9
- Weight: 6.25g
- ASW: 0.1808oz
- Melt Value: $3.98 (2/13/2023)
- Diameter: 24.3mm
- Edge: Reeded
The mintage of coins in San Francisco was almost the same as in Denver, around 17 million coins were made, however, the price is nothing like the other two classes of coins.
Coins in fair condition cost $5, while MS 67 quality coins only go for $300. This is because many of these coins survived of very good quality.
The most expensive coin of this class sold for $7,200 in 2020.
Also Read: Top 16 Most Valuable Modern Quarters Worth Money
1945 Quarter History
The quarter dollar has been a coin that has been minted for a long time in the United States. It was produced intermittently from the year 1796 and in 1831 it began to be minted regularly.
Most countries do not have quarters. The most common is to have coins rounded to 10 or 20 cents, but in the United States, there was a widespread practice of dividing the Spanish dollar into 8 segments. This gave rise to the pieces of eight. They called each of those pieces bits. 2 bits was a common nickname for a quarter of a dollar.
But it was not until 1838 that the coin was standardized in size and composition. Quarter dollar coins from that time are 90% silver and 10% copper.
The quarter-dollar coin had many designs but it was in 1932 that it changed to the image of George Washington on the obverse of the coin. Since then the design was the same until 1998.
From 1964 the coin is no longer made of silver, but of copper coated with cupronickel.
The coin with the Washington design on the obverse was intended to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of the first president of the United States and then it was planned to change the design of the coin to a new one.
But the coin was so successful and so well accepted and criticized by people that they decided to leave the design as it was.
The Washington quarter has become one of the longest-lived and most successful coins in North American coinage history.
The coin printed in 1945 does not have any particular characteristics that distinguish it from those of previous or later years, but it has great historical significance since it was the last year of World War II and for this reason, many collectors have it in a special place within of his choice.
Also Read: 10+ Rarest State Quarter Errors Lists (Worth Much Money!!!)
1945 Quarter Grading
So that you can correctly identify the value of the 1945 Washington quarters, we leave you a video with the prices and the particularities that you must observe to identify a valuable or collector’s coin.
1945 Quarter Errors
Coin errors can cause your coin to increase in price considerably. Many collectors are on the lookout for coins with errors in the minting process, such as a re-drilled numeral or slightly off-center image.
The bad news is that the 1945 silver quarters are notorious for not having any significant errors that would increase their value. However, you may find minor unclassified errors.
We recommend that when you look for these errors you do it with the necessary tools and advised by an expert, since many people can confuse some damage that the coin has suffered after its minting, with a factory error.
The most common errors you will find are in the variations of the band on the reverse of the coin or in the mint marks, which can appear with double perforation. You can check this video for more specific information.
1945 Quarter FAQ
Is there anything special about the 1945 quarter?
The 1945 quarter doesn’t have a high price in the collectors market, but they are still valuable because of their beauty and historical meaning.
Does a 1945 quarter have silver in it?
Yes, all coins until 1964 have 90% of silver and 10% of copper. It is one of the characteristics that continue to make it valuable and collectible since even if it does not have a great price in the coin market, you can still sell it for its weight in silver.