Hello, fellow coin enthusiasts and people curious about coins! In this article, we are talking about the 1970 quarter value, its varieties, history, grading, and more!
Whether you are a seasoned coin collector or you just found a quarter from 1970 and want to know more about it, you have come to the right place. Let’s get into it.
1970 Quarter Value Details
- Category – Washington quarters
- Mint – Philadelphia, Denver, San Francisco
- Mintage – around 556 000 000
- Obverse designer – John Flanagan
- Reverse designer – John Flanagan
- Composition – copper and nickel (91.7% Cu)
- Weight – 5.67 grams (0.2 ounces)
- Diameter – 24.26 millimeters (0.9 inches)
- Thickness – 1.75 millimeters (0.06 inches)
Washington quarters are among the longest-circulating coins in United States history. They got the name after the obverse side of the coin which features the ex-president, George Washington.
The US Mint made over half a billion of these quarters in 1970. As you can imagine by this staggering number, 25-cent coins from 1970 are not rare at all.
Unlike the quarters made earlier in the 20th century, the quarters from 1970 are not made of silver, so they don’t hold the value of any precious metal. The majority of a quarter’s composition is copper with around 8% nickel.
The designer of this quarter is John Flanagan, a sculptor from Newark, New Jersey.
The edges of the coin are reeded with 119 reeds.
Also Read: Top 15 Most Valuable Quarters In Circulation
1970 Quarter Value Chart
The value of these coins reflects their abundance, because those in poor, good, and even fine condition are usually worth only up to a dollar.
The price rises with the quarter’s quality, so if you have one that is in uncirculated condition you may be able to get up to $20, but the coin would need to have a high grade.
As with all coins, the ones that are in mint state with grades over 67 are extremely difficult, almost impossible to find. However, those are the really valuable ones, with prices reaching over a thousand dollars.
If you are one of the lucky people who manage to get their hands on these gems, you can sell them for a price that is thousands of times higher than the original face value of the coin. Pretty awesome, right?
| Condition | 1970 No Mint Mark Quarter Value | 1970 D Mint Mark Quarter Value | 1970 S Mint Mark Quarter Value |
| Poor | $0.5 – $0.10 | $0.05 | $0.10 – $0.15 |
| Fair | $0.10 – $0.15 | $0.5 – $0.10 | $0.15 – $0.25 |
| About good | $0.15 – $0.20 | $0.10 – $0.15 | $0.25 – $0.40 |
| Good | $0.20 – $0.50 | $0.15 – $0.20 | $0.40 – $0.70 |
| Fine | $0.50 – $1 | $0.20 – $0.30 | $0.70 – $1 |
| Very fine | $1 – $5 | $0.30 – $0.50 | $1 – $10 |
| Extremely fine | $5 – $10 | $0.50 – $1 | $10 – $15 |
| About Uncirculated | $10 – $15 | $1 – $5 | $15 – $20 |
| Mint state (60-64) | $15 – $20 | $5 – $10 | $20 – $30 |
| Mint state (65-67) | $20 – $30 | $10 – $20 | $30 – $50 |
| Mint state (68-70) | c. $1 000 + | c. $1 000 + | c. $1 000 + |
1970 Quarter Value & Varieties Guide
The 1970 quarter has three varieties as it was minted in three US Mint facilities – Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco.
These mints made a different number of coins during 1970 so some are a bit rarer than others, and therefore, slightly more valuable.
Let’s learn about the varieties of a 1970 quarter.
1970 No Mint Mark Quarter Value
Philadelphia is the main US mint that usually produces the largest number of coins compared to the other facilities. However, in 1970, this wasn’t the case, as Philadelphia produced around 136 million quarters, a bit over three times less than Denver.
These coins do not contain a mint mark. Most of the 1970 quarters that can be found nowadays are not in great condition, and some are priced at less than their initial face value. You may be able to sell them for five cents to a dollar.
- Type – Washington quarter
- Edge – reeded
- Mint Mark – no mint mark
- Place of minting – Philadelphia
- Year of minting – 1970
- Face value – 25 cents
- Price – $0.05 – $1 000 +
- Quantity produced – 136 420 000
- Designer – John Flanagan
- Composition – 91.7% copper and the rest nickel
- Mass – 5.67 grams (0.2 ounces)
- Diameter – 24.26 millimeters (0.9 inches)
1970 D Mint Mark Quarter Value
As mentioned, Denver made a whole lot of quarters in 1970 – almost half a billion to be more exact. The high number of produced coins makes this variety even less valuable than the previous one.
Most collectors won’t even bother buying a coin in poor condition, so you can expect it to be difficult to sell one, to begin with. If you manage to do so, you can get just several cents for it.
Of course, the better the condition of the quarter the higher the price, so if you are fortunate and have one or more in perfect condition, you can get thousands of dollars.
- Type – Washington quarter
- Edge – reeded
- Mint Mark – D mint mark
- Place of minting – Denver
- Year of minting – 1970
- Face value – 25 cents
- Price – $0.05 – $1 000 +
- Quantity produced – 417 341 364
- Designer – John Flanagan
- Composition – 91.7% copper and the rest nickel
- Mass – 5.67 grams (0.2 ounces)
- Diameter – 24.26 millimeters (0.9 inches)
1970 S Mint Mark Quarter Value
The San Francisco mint didn’t produce quarters in 1970 for circulation. This factory made around two and a half million proof coins – those made with special finish mainly for collectors, investors, and enthusiasts.
While there are significantly fewer coins from this mint compared to the other ones, two and a half million is still quite a high number, so the value of 1970-S quarters is also not high.
Similarly with the other varieties, if your coin is not in great condition, you can get up to around a dollar for one. If it is graded 67 and higher, you can sell it for a lot more.
- Type – Washington quarter
- Edge – reeded
- Mint Mark – S mint mark
- Place of minting – San Francisco
- Year of minting – 1970
- Face value – 25 cents
- Price – $0.10 – $1 000 +
- Quantity produced – 2 632 810
- Designer – John Flanagan
- Composition – 91.7% copper and the rest nickel
- Mass – 5.67 grams (0.2 ounces)
- Diameter – 24.26 millimeters (0.9 inches)
Also Read: Top 16 Most Valuable Modern Quarters Worth Money
1970 Quarter History
A quarter is one of the oldest coins in the history of the US. It was first put into circulation in 1796 when it featured Lady Liberty on the front and an eagle on the back.
The first quarters were made of silver, but as the price of this precious metal started rising, the US mint decided to change the material to the alloy of copper and nickel in 1965.
The design of a quarter from 1970 was first featured in 1932. It was the 200th anniversary of George Washington, ex-president of the US, and the mint wanted to honor him. This design ran until 1998 when the reverse side changed.
The obverse of this coin hasn’t changed once since 1932, until now, in fact. As of 2023, the US quarter’s front side will feature the design of Laura Gardin Fraser, a woman who submitted her work back in 1931. Sadly, it was not chosen back then, but the US mint is bringing it back now.
This is a part of the Mint’s coin campaign that is supposed to honor American women throughout history. The obverse of the coin will feature Laura Gardin Fraser’s design of George Washington, while various important women will be featured on the reverse.
1970 Quarter Design
A quarter from 1970 at first appears to be made of silver, although it is not. It weighs 5.67 grams and is around 19 millimeters in diameter. The edges are reeded.
The front of the coin shows George Washington’s profile. On the top of his head, you can see the word LIBERTY, which replaced Lady Liberty featured in previous coins.
On the ex-president’s left side is the sentence IN GOD WE TRUST, one of the US mottos that symbolizes the country’s belief in getting help from God for prosperity and safety.
The year 1970 is engraved right below the portrait. If the coin was minted in Denver or San Francisco, you can find the letters S or D on the right side of Washington’s head.
The back of the coin depicts an eagle with spread wings standing on olive branches, symbolizing strength and peace. The denomination is engraved right beneath the eagle.
On the top of the coin are the words UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and E PLURIBUS UNUM, another one of the country’s mottos.
Also Read: 10+ Rarest State Quarter Errors Lists (Worth Much Money!!!)
1970 Quarter Grading
If you need to have your 1970 quarter graded, it’s best to take it to someone experienced in doing this. If you are a beginner in coin grading, you may be able to estimate the price, but you may also miss some important details or features that make a coin stand out.
Your coin will typically get a grade from 1 to 70. As mentioned, the quarters from 1970 that are graded less than 65 will not be worth a lot. However, if your coin is graded 67 and more, you are in for a treat, with a treat being a large sum of money you can sell your coin for.
List of 1970 Quarter Errors
While it is a fact that regular 1970 quarters that are not in mint condition are not really valuable, this doesn’t apply to certain coins that contain mint errors.
It’s important to notice that it is mostly rarity that affects the price of the coins. The more coins are available, the less pricey they will be. Mints are sometimes accidentally put into circulation coins with mistakes. There are usually not a lot of them, which is what makes them difficult to find.
Your coin may contain an error that can increase its price by hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. It may be difficult to notice it if you are not experienced in this area, which is why it’s important to have your coin professionally graded.
Let’s talk in detail about the potential errors you can find on your 1970 quarter.
1. 1970-D Quarter Struck on Dime Stock
This error is unique to a quarter from 1970. The mint accidentally produced a certain number of coins that had the engraving of the 1970 quarter but were struck on a dime stock.
It’s not known how many coins with this error were exactly produced before the mistake was noticed, but it’s estimated that the mint realized the mistake quickly, at less than 100 000 coins minted.
You can notice this error by measuring your coin. It is supposed to be lighter, smaller, and less thick than an actual quarter minted during the 1970s.
2. 1970-S Quarter Struck on Canadian Coin
I will preface this by saying that it is highly unlikely that you will find this kind of error in your coin collection. However, the fact is that there exists a quarter from 1970 that was accidentally struck on a 1941 Canadian quarter.
It was sold for 35 000 dollars at an auction and made millions of coin enthusiasts wonder if there are any similar coins out there.
It is most likely that this was the only one and no one knows how the mistake happened, but it’s supposed that an employee put a Canadian quarter into the machine. We can only wonder if he put some more back then and where they are now.
The amount of money that you can sell such a coin for is worth checking all of your 1970 quarters, that’s for sure.
3. 1970 Quarter Die Crack
Dies are the machines that struck the coin to engrave the design. When the dies start to wear off or if they get damaged, the coins have cracks on them as a consequence.
This error is not specific to any of the mints, so you can find it on the coins that have S and D mint marks and on those that don’t have a mint mark.
A die crack error usually increases the price of a coin by several tens of dollars, but sometimes more if your coin is, in addition, in mint state.
1970 Quarter FAQ
What does a 1970 quarter look like?
A quarter from 1970 belongs to the category of Washington quarters. It features a portrait of George Washington on the obverse and an eagle standing on olive branches on the reverse.
Is a 1970 quarter worth any money?
A 1970 quarter can be worth a lot if it is either in a perfect mint state condition or if it contains a unique error. Otherwise, it is usually worth only several cents to several dollars.
Which quarter is worth $35 000?
A quarter worth 35 000 dollars is the one minted in 1970 in the Denver mint. What makes it so expensive and valuable is that it was accidentally struck on a 1941 Canadian coin.