The 1969 quarter was minted in Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco. And, despite the huge mintage numbers, some of these coins have been known to hold pretty prices at auctions.
If you have a 1969 quarter at hand right now, it’s possible that it might hold some great value! So if you want to be 100% sure, make sure to read the 1969 quarter value guide below.
Let’s begin.
1969 Quarter Details
- Category: Washington Quarters
- Mintage: 176,212,000
- Minted at: Philadelphia
- Mint mark: none
- Designation: MS
- Strike type: Business
- Obverse Designer: John Flanagan
- Reverse Designer: John Flanagan
- Metal Composition: 67% Copper – 8.33% Nickel
- Diameter: 3 mm
- Mass / Weight: 67 grams
- Edge: Reeded (119 reeds)
- Coinage years: 1965-1998
Washington Quarter Design – Obverse
The 1969 quarter, as with other Washington quarters, featured the profile of George Washington on the obverse. This was the winning design of John Flanagan, who designed many popular coins and commemorative medals. His initials are found near the president’s neck.
Flanagan’s design, meanwhile, was adopted from the bust created by Jean-Antoine Houdon.
Washington’s bust on the coin was reduced in size by 1999, although it was reverted to the original (yet smaller) size in 2010.
Washington Quarter Design – Reverse
The reverse features a spread-wing eagle, which was then replaced from 1975-1976 to commemorate the US Bicentennial anniversary.
The eagle reverse was used thereafter until 1999, when the back design was changed to honor the country’s states, territories, and natural/historical sites.
The year 2021 saw Flanagan’s design on the reverse, this time with Washington crossing the Delaware river in 1776. This chronicled the president’s surprise attack against the Hessian forces.
American women are the current stars of the quarter’s reverse side. Icons depicted in the 2022-released coins include:
- Maya Angelou, poet and civil rights activist
- Sally Ride, astronaut and physicist
- Wilma Pearl Mankiller, Native American activist and social worker
- Adelina Otero-Warren, suffragist and politician
- Anna May Wong, movie star
Also Read: Top 15 Most Valuable Quarters In Circulation
1969 Quarter Value Chart
| Mint Mark | Good | Fine | Extremely Fine | Uncirculated | Proof |
| 1969 No Mint Mark Quarter | $0.30 | $0.30 | $0.30 | $11 | n/a |
| 1969 D Quarter | $0.30 | $0.30 | $0.30 | $11 | n/a |
| 1969 S Quarter | $0.30 | $0.30 | $0.30 | n/a | $5.84 |
1969 Quarter Value and Varieties Guides
Washington quarters produced in the year 1969 were minted in Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco. Let’s talk about these varieties below.
1969 No Mint Mark Quarter
- Category: Washington Quarters
- Mintage: 176,212,000
- Minted at: Philadelphia
- Mint mark: none
- Designation: MS
- Strike type: Business
- Obverse Designer: John Flanagan
- Reverse Designer: John Flanagan
- Metal Composition: 67% Copper – 8.33% Nickel
- Diameter: 3 mm
- Mass / Weight: 67 grams
- Edge: Reeded (119 reeds)
- Coinage years: 1965-1998
The 1969 quarter is part of the late date quarter collection, which are coins released from 1965 to 1998.
As with most Washington quarters, the Philadelphia-minted coin features the bust of the first president on the obverse. John Flagan, a sculptor who bested 97 other participants, designed this.
On the top arc of the obverse is the word ‘Liberty,’ while the year ‘1969’ can be found on the lower arc. The statement ‘In God We Trust’ can be found on the left part of the coin.
The 1969 quarter’s reverse, meanwhile, depicts a wing-laden eagle. It is perched on top of arrows, while olive branches sit below.
The reverse bears ‘United States of America’ and ‘Et Pluribus Unum’ on top and the ‘Quarter Dollar’ label on the lower part.
Although a no-mint mark 1969 quarter is only worth as much as $11 (uncirculated), its value can increase depending on the grade or error. An MS 66 coin can be worth as much as $8,000, while MS 67 quarters can cash in for as much as $11,500.
1969 D Quarter
- Category: Washington Quarters
- Mintage: 114,372,000
- Minted at: Denver
- Mint mark:D
- Designation: MS
- Strike type: Business
- Obverse Designer: John Flanagan
- Reverse Designer: John Flanagan
- Metal Composition: 67% Copper – 8.33% Nickel
- Diameter: 3 mm
- Mass / Weight: 67 grams
- Edge: Reeded (119 reeds)
- Coinage years: 1965-1998
The 1969 D quarter was produced by the Denver Mint at a quantity of 114.3 million. Unfortunately, the value of this currency is not as high as the one from Philadelphia. In fact, high-grade 1969 D quarters have been known to sell for a dismal $70.
However, if you have a 1969 D quarter at hand, you must not lose hope. An MS-68 coin of this kind can still fetch about $1,920 from the auction house.
The Denver mint is also notorious for striking on the wrong planchets. In fact, it’s where two rare errors came from: one struck on a one-cent planchet, and another struck on a five-cent planchet. Such errors have raked in as much as $1,483.
1969 S Quarter
- Category: Washington Quarters
- Mintage: 2,934,631
- Minted at: San Francisco
- Mint mark:S
- Designation: MS
- Obverse Designer: John Flanagan
- Reverse Designer: John Flanagan
- Metal Composition: 67% Copper – 8.33% Nickel
- Diameter: 3 mm
- Mass / Weight: 67 grams
- Edge: Reeded (119 reeds)
- Coinage years: 1965-1998
The 1969 S quarter is a proof coin produced at the San Francisco mint. It was the second year the location started producing proof coins again, after selling Special Mint sets from 1965 to 1967.
Although only 2.9 million coins were produced, the 1969 S quarter costs less than the Philadelphia-minted currencies. That’s because most of them are kept in excellent condition.
That said, a 1969 S quarter has been known to sell for anywhere from $870 to $1,410. This is especially true for near-perfect, deep cameo proof clad varieties.
This designation, also known as ultra cameo, means that the coin has unbroken, robust, frosted features on both the front and back sides.
Also Read: Top 16 Most Valuable Modern Quarters Worth Money
1969 Quarter History
The Washington Quarters were born from legislation passed on March 4, 1931. This was the lawmakers’ attempt to commemorate the 200th birth anniversary of George Washington, the first president of the US.
Rightly so, the coin was minted and issued the following year. Washington quarters ended up replacing the standing Liberty quarter, which many believed to represent the decadent era of the 20s.
The reception of the Washington quarter was largely positive, for many were happy to see the founding father on their currency. In fact, some went to great lengths and ‘saved’ them. Unsurprisingly, this charm gave this coin a long-running tenure – for the original series was used from 1932 to 1998. That is not bad for a coin that was supposed to run for only a year.
Washington Quarter Composition
Quarters produced from 1932 to 1964 were made from 90% silver. This caused many to hoard the quarters not only for their value but also for the cost of silver.
As such, the US mint decided to transition to a copper-nickel-clad coinage by 1965. This was in response to the rising costs of using silver to make 25-cent coins. Likewise, continuing silver coin production meant depleting the Mint’s silver stocks.
1969 Quarter Grading
According to the American Numismatic Association, coins such as the 1969 quarter are graded according to mintage number, preservation state, and coin cycle.
These are then numbered according to the Sheldon Scale, which grades coins from 1 to 70. Mint state coins, which were never included in circulation, are given the MS initials. Proof coins, which are minted on a special planchet, are labeled PR.
Also Read: 10+ Rarest State Quarter Errors Lists (Worth Much Money!!!)
Lists of 1969 Quarter Errors
Errors are usually deal breakers, but it’s not the case with coins. In fact, the more pronounced the error, the higher the coin’s value.
Here are six examples of 1969 quarter errors and how much they sold in the market:
1. 1969 Quarter Double Die Obverse Error
A double die obverse error happens when the die moves between strikes. As such, you will see a variety – aka the movement error on the coin itself.
1969 quarters often have the double die obverse error on the date and the word ‘Liberty.’ Of course, the more noticeable the variety, the higher the coin’s value.
Proof coins bearing this error have been known to sell for as much as $300.
2. 1969 Quarter Repunched Mint Mark Error
Before the year 1990, mint marks (numbers, words, and designs) were punched by hand. As such, a shaky-hand staff is prone to commit a repunched mint mark (RPM) error. This makes for a design where impressions touch or overlap.
In some cases, the mint mark may even be found in different locations.
Coins with noticeable RPM errors may cost anywhere from $20 (MS 63) to $144 (MS 66.)
3. 1969 Quarter Struck on a One Cent Planchet Error
Planchet sheets give the coin’s size and metal composition. As such, when a quarter die is struck on a penny planchet, the result would be a smaller and lighter coin.
Whereas it should weigh 5.67 grams, it will only come in at 3.11 grams. The small planchet also means that the word ‘Liberty’ is not found on the coin.
Despite its brown color, a 1969 quarter with this error has been valued at $805.
On the other hand, a coin with a redder shade was sold for $1,483. The value of pennies highly depends on their color, with the redder ones fetching more money for their sellers.
5. 1969 Quarter Struck on a Five Cent Planchet Error
Just like the error below, a 1969 quarter may be struck on a nickel planchet. Again, you can determine if this is the case by measuring its diameter and weight. A coin struck on a nickel planchet will only have a diameter of 21.21 mm, while the weight will only be 4.9 grams.
A 1969 quarter bearing this mistake has been sold on eBay for a pretty $129.50.
6. 1969 Quarter Mated Pair Error
A mated pair error occurs when two blank planchets are fed into the machine simultaneously. As a result, one gets the obverse design, while the other receives the reverse image.
This error, which was sighted on a proof coin, was sold for a whopping $2,760.
7. 1969 Quarter Struck Fragment Error
The planchet sheet is punched into discs during the minting process. These discs are then automatically fed into the machine via a hopper.
As discussed above, two discs may be fed at the same time – resulting in a mated pair error.
In some cases, a truncated fragment may be struck into the die. This results in a struck fragment error, which can rake in about $240 from an auction house.
1969 Quarter FAQs
Is a 1969 quarter rare?
It’s not that rare, for over 176 million coins were produced at the Philadelphia mint alone. However, 1969 quarters with errors are considered rare, and as such, are valued more. In fact, a proof coin with a mated pair error has been sold for as much as $2,760.
How much is a 1969 quarter worth?
A 1969 quarter is worth $11 uncirculated. Proof coins, on the other hand, are valued at about $5.84.
How much is a 1969 S proof quarter worth?
A 1969 S proof quarter is worth $5.84. However, this kind of coin has been sold at prices ranging from $870 to $1,410.
How much is a 1969 D quarter worth?
A 1969 D quarter is worth $11 uncirculated. That said, high-grade coins can sell at amounts ranging from $70 to $1,920.
What is the error on a 1969 quarter?
A variety of mistakes have been spotted on 1969 quarters, such as:
- Double die obverse error
- Repunched mint mark error
- Struck on a one-cent or five-cent planchet error
- Mated pair error
- Struck fragment error