The most asked questions when it comes to collecting coins revolve around the coins’ worth. Understandably so as you have probably heard stories about certain coins selling for thousands, if not millions of dollars.
In this article, we will talk about the 1954 quarter value and the factors that determine it, such as the condition of the quarter, possible factory mistakes that may increase its worth, history, grading, and more.
Stick around and learn everything you need to know about this beautiful coin, whether you are interested in buying or selling it.
1954 Quarter Value Details
- Category – Washington Quarter
- Mint – Philadelphia, Denver, San Francisco
- Mintage – around 108 000 000
- Obverse designer – John Flanagan
- Reverse designer – John Flanagan
- Composition – 90% silver and 10% copper
- Weight – 6.25 grams (0.22 ounces)
- Diameter – 24.26 millimeters (0.95 inches)
A quarter from 1954 was produced in three US mints – Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco. The total mintage of this coin was quite high, at almost 110 000 000. This means that a 1954 quarter is not really rare, although it may be difficult to find one in perfect condition.
The designer of this wonderful coin was John Flanagan, a sculptor from New Jersey. Based on the design that features George Washington, this quarter belongs to the category of Washington Quarters.
The quarter is made of mostly silver, 90% to be exact. The other 10% of the alloy is copper. The 1954 quarter weighs more than 6 grams and it has over 24 millimeters in diameter.
Also Read: Top 15 Most Valuable Quarters In Circulation
1954 Quarter Value Chart
As mentioned, a Washington quarter produced in 1954 is common because the US mint produced over 100 million of these coins in that year alone. Since the price of the coin is mostly determined by its rarity, this quarter is not really worth a lot.
If you are looking to sell one or more of these you shouldn’t expect to get more than several dollars, unless the coin is in mint condition.
A 1954 quarter without a mint mark in poor condition is worth around $4. The price increases with the quality of the coin, so if yours is in uncirculated condition, you can expect to get up to around $50.
If your quarter is shiny and perfectly preserved, you may be lucky as these can sell for a hundred dollars and more.
The same prices are true for the quarter made in 1954 with the D mint mark, indicating that it was made in Denver.
The 1954 quarters made in San Francisco, marked with an S, sell for slightly more than the previous two variants. In poor condition, you can get around $6, and in uncirculated up to $60. The ones in perfect condition can sell for a couple of hundred dollars.
The good thing about the 1954 quarter is that it is made of mostly silver, which means that the minimum price you can sell it is the price of this precious metal at a given moment multiplied by 5.62 grams, which is the weight of silver in this coin.
As of March 2023, the price of silver is $0.68/gram, making the minimum value of this coin $3.8.
Keep in mind that these prices are the closest estimate. The real and final price needs to be determined by a professional, based on other factors other than the condition of the coin.
| Condition | 1954 Quarter No Mint Mark Value | 1954 Quarter D Mint Mark Value | 1954 Quarter S Mint Mark Value |
| Poor | $4 – $5 | $4 – $5 | $4 – $6 |
| Fair | $5 – $6 | $5 – $6 | $5 – $7 |
| About Good | $6 – $7 | $6 – $7 | $7 – $9 |
| Good | $7 – $9 | $7 – $9 | $9 – $11 |
| Very Good | $9 – $10 | $9 – $10 | $11 – $13 |
| Fine | $10 – $12 | $10 – $12 | $13 – $15 |
| Very Fine | $12 – $20 | $12 – $20 | $15 – $25 |
| About Uncirculated | $20 – $30 | $20 – $30 | $25 – $40 |
| Mint State (60-64) | $30 – $50 | $30 – $50 | $40 – $60 |
| Mint State (65+) | $50 – $100 + | $50 – $100 + | $60 – $200 + |
1954 Quarter Value & Varieties Guide
Washington quarters were produced in three places across the US in 1954 – Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco. Based on the location of the production, this coin has three varieties. Let’s learn more about each of them.
1954 Quarter No Mint Mark
- Type – Washington Quarter
- Edge – Reeded
- Mint mark – No mint mark
- Place of minting – Philadelphia
- Year of minting – 1954
- Face value – 25 cents
- Price – $4 – $100 +
- Quantity produced – around 54 000 000
- Designer – John Flanagan
- Composition – 90% silver; 10% copper
- Weight – 6.25 grams (0.22 ounces)
- Diameter – 24.26 millimeters (0.95 inches)
The quarters made in 1954 in Philadelphia do not contain a mint mark. The Philadelphia mint did not mark its coins because at first, it was the only mint in the US, so there was no need to specify the location of the coin production.
Later on, when other mints were opened, they used mint marks to indicate the exact place in which the coins were minted. Philadelphia started doing this later on, but not yet in 1954.
The Philadelphia mint made around 54 million of Washington quarters in 1954, the most out of the three mints. This makes the quarter with no mint mark the most common, lowering its value.
1954 Quarter D Mint Mark
The Denver mint produced around 42 million Washington quarters in 1954. The mint mark this mint uses is D, so if your coin has this letter engraved in it, you know where it was made!
While the number of quarters produced in the Denver mint was lower than those produced in Philadelphia, that number is still quite large, which makes these coins quite common.
- Type – Washington Quarter
- Edge – Reeded
- Mint mark – D mint mark
- Place of minting – Denver
- Year of minting – 1954
- Face value – 25 cents
- Price – $4 – $100 +
- Quantity produced – around 42 000 000
- Designer – John Flanagan
- Composition – 90% silver; 10% copper
- Weight – 6.25 grams (0.22 ounces)
- Diameter – 24.26 millimeters (0.95 inches)
1954 Quarter S Mint Mark
The last and the rarest variety of a quarter from 1954 is the one with the S mint mark on the coins. The S mark indicates that the coin was produced in the San Francisco mint.
San Francisco made significantly fewer quarters than the other two mints, around 12 million, which makes this variety the least common, and therefore, the most valuable.
- Type – Washington Quarter
- Edge – Reeded
- Mint mark – S mint mark
- Place of minting – San Francisco
- Year of minting – 1954
- Face value – 25 cents
- Price – $4 – $200 +
- Quantity produced – around 12 000 000
- Designer – John Flanagan
- Composition – 90% silver; 10% copper
- Weight – 6.25 grams (0.22 ounces)
- Diameter – 24.26 millimeters (0.95 inches)
Apart from quarters from 1954 with no, D, or S mint marks, the US mint produced around 200 000 proof coins – the coins made with no intention of putting them into circulation.
These are the most valuable among collectors and investors because they are of much higher quality than regular coins.
If you suspect that you have a proof quarter from 1954, take it to a professional for an evaluation as it could be worth thousands of dollars if in mint condition.
Also Read: Top 16 Most Valuable Modern Quarters Worth Money
1954 Quarter Value History
George Washington Quarter was first produced in 1932 and it is still used nowadays, making it one of the longest-running coins in the US market.
The creator of this monumental coin is John Flanagan, whose design won in the open competition held by the US mint.
The coin was made to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Founding Father’s birth year, 1732. It is fitting that the coin is still in production nowadays, considering George Washington’s importance to the United States.
The obverse of the coin features a left-side profile of George Washington, the first president of the USA.
On the left side of the quarter, you can see the words IN GOD WE TRUST, which is the motto of the US. There is nothing engraved on the left side of the coin.
Above Washington’s head, the word LIBERTY is engraved, marking the country’s aim and value for freedom. This replaces a common design of Lady Liberty on the US coins from earlier.
The reverse of the coin features an eagle with widely spread wings, representing authority and strength. The eagle is standing on arrows, probably honoring the country’s military, and the arrows are surrounded by olive branches, representing peace.
Right on top of the eagle’s head, you can see the words E PLURIBUS UNUM, meaning “out of many, one”, representing the country states’ solidarity and unity. Above this motto are the words UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
The denomination, QUARTER DOLLAR, is engraved below the eagle.
The Washington Quarter was made of mostly silver until 1965 when the price of silver increased dramatically. This forced the US mint to stop making silver coins and switch to cheaper metals instead, such as copper, zinc, and nickel.
Luckily for you if you have one or more 1954 Washington quarters, they were still made of silver back then, so they are worth at least the price of this metal in the weight of your coins.
Overall, this coin design is among the favorites in the US because it honors the life and achievements of one of the most important people in this country’s history.
Also Read: 10+ Rarest State Quarter Errors Lists (Worth Much Money!!!)
1954 Quarter Value Grading
If you need to grade a 1954 quarter, it’s best that you take it to a professional numismatist who will do that without making potential mistakes that can cost you a lot of money.
Grading of this coin is done on a 70-point scale and the possible grades are poor, fair, about good, good, very good, fine, very fine, extremely fine, about uncirculated, and mint state.
The most expensive coins are those that get a grade of 60 and more, especially if they are proof coins.
Lists of 1954 Quarter Value Errors
While coins in the mint state without any damages or signs of wear can be worth a lot of money, the same can be said about the coins that have certain mistakes that are made during the process of making them in a factory.
Remember, the value of a coin is mostly determined by its rarity, and factory errors make the coins quite rare. This makes them really attractive to collectors and numismatists.
Let’s see what some of the possible mistakes you may find in your 1954 quarter are.
1954 Quarter Weak Strikes
A George Washington quarter made in 1954 may have weak strikes on its surfaces. This usually means that the dies that strike the planchet to engrave the design didn’t use enough force to do so, resulting in an incompletely engraved design.
You may see that some parts of the picture or letters are not fully defined or that the details are not fully visible.
However, keep in mind that these coins have been in circulation for decades, so this mistake can happen naturally too. In this case, it actually decreases the value of your coin.
It’s difficult to differentiate a factory mistake from natural damage, so always check with a professional to be sure.
1954 Quarter Repunched Mint Marks
If you notice that your coin has more than one mint mark, it is probably due to a factory error called repunched mint mark.
In the case of the 1954 quarter, this can only happen for coins made in Denver and San Francisco because, as mentioned earlier, Philadelphia didn’t stamp mint marks at this time.
This mint mistake may significantly increase the value of your quarter, so have it evaluated by a specialist in order to make sure that you have a good estimate of how much money you can ask for if you decide to sell your coin.
1954 Quarter Value FAQ
How much is a 1954 D silver quarter worth today?
A 1954 D silver quarter is worth a minimum of $4 today. The price of this coin can reach hundreds of dollars if it is in mint condition, and in some extremely rare cases, even thousands.
Is there a rare 1954 quarter?
There were tens of millions of quarters minted in 1954, so this coin is not rare. However, a rarer version of a quarter from this year would be the one with an S mint mark, as San Francisco minted fewer coins than the other two factories did.
1954 D Reverse D mint under thet olive branch above ER in quarter .
What is my proof error value