The American Quarter is easily one of the most popular coins worldwide. Known for its close ties to George Washington, the 1982 quarter was struck during the 250th anniversary of his birth. As such, it became a highly collectible piece of American history that continues to grow in value.
This article will explore everything you need to know about the 1982 quarter’s true value. We’ll explain the variations and known coin errors and recommend how much your quarter could be!
1982 Quarter Details
- Category: Washington quarter-dollar coin
- Mints: Philadelphia, Denver, San Francisco
- Total Mintage: Over984,831,267
- Obverse designer: John Flanagan
- Reverse designer: John Flanagan
- Edge: Reeded
- Diameter: 3 mm
- Thickness: 75 mm
- Composition: Copper (91.67%), Nickel (8.33%)
- Weight: 67 grams
- Face Value: $0.25
1982 marked the 250th anniversary of George Washington’s birth. As such, it was a massive year for the American people to honor their first President. And while a special half-dollar was also created to mark the year, the ordinary quarter was also a highly collectible coin.
That’s because the 1982 quarter already had George Washington central to its design. John Flanagan designed both the obverse and reverse. The front profiled Washington with the words ‘Liberty’ and ‘In God We Trust’ surrounding him. The reverse depicted an eagle with its wings open.
The 1982 quarter comprises copper and nickel, a similar composition to other quarters of this period, as it made the coins cheaper during rising inflation.
As was standard with higher-value coins, the 1982 quarter has reeded edges, making it almost impossible to recreate. Additionally, this prevented people from filing the coin and using trace amounts of metal to produce counterfeit coins.
The 1982 quarter was made in three locations across America. San Francisco only made about 3 million quarters in 1982, all of which were proof coins that never went into circulation.
The other two locations, Philadelphia and Denver, comprised most, if not all, of the quarters. From the 1980s onwards, the Philadelphia mint began marking quarter coins with a mint mark ‘P’ to state their origins.
Since 1982, the Washington quarter has undergone several redesigns, including featuring unique designs for each of the 50 states of America. And although 1982 isn’t that long ago by collector’s standards, there’s a growing interest in these classic coins with each passing day.
Also Read: Top 15 Most Valuable Quarters In Circulation
Value chart
1982 Quarter Value Chart |
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| Mint Mark | Good | Fine | Extremely Fine | Uncirculated |
| 1982 P Washington Quarter value | $0.30 | $0.30 | $0.30 | $40 |
| 1982 D Washington Quarter value | $0.30 | $0.30 | $0.30 | $28 |
| 1982 S Washington Quarter value | $0.30 | $0.30 | $0.30 | $4.63 |
Below is a quick guide to the four most common value categories:
- Good –also known as mediocre, the coin is worn but has a readable design and date. It is not in demand by collectors.
- Fine – the coin has sharp details but has some considerable wear and tear damage.
- Extremely fine – the coin has impressive detail and texture, including raised areas of hair, brickwork, and other high points of the designs. You may need a magnifying glass to see them clearly.
- Uncirculated – the coin has no apparent signs of use, and its highest, pronounced parts will not be tarnished or blunt. The coin will also retain over half its original luster (sheen).
1982 Quarter Value and Varieties Guides
There are three main categories of the 1982 Washington quarter. They are as follows:
1982 P Washington Quarter value
- Type: Washington series
- Edge: Reeded
- Mint mark: P
- Place of minting: Philadelphia
- Year of minting: 1982
- Face value: $0.25
- $ Price: $0.30 – $40+
- Quantity produced: 500,931,000
- Designer: John Flanagan
- Composition: Copper (91.67%), Nickel (8.33%)
- Mass: 67 grams
- Diameter:3 mm
The Philadelphia mint produced the most 1982 quarters in America, at 500 million. These quarters are pretty common and can still be found in circulation today.
You can identify these coins because of their signature ‘P’ mint mark, a feature only introduced to Philadelphia coins in 1980. This makes these quarters some of the earliest coins with such a mint mark, thus highly coveted by collectors.
That said, because of their high circulation, you need to be realistic about the value of your 1982 P quarters. They can be worth slightly above face value, at 30 cents, if in good or fine condition. High-condition coins, or those with a unique error, can be worth upwards of $40+ or more, depending on the coin’s attributes.
If your 1982 P quarter is in exceptional condition, you may have a small treasure on your hands. In the past, pristine conditioned coins have sold for unprecedented amounts, like this mint condition 1982 P quarter that sold for $10,200 in 2019.
1982 D Washington Quarter value
- Type: Washington series
- Edge: Reeded
- Mint mark: D
- Place of minting: Denver
- Year of minting: 1982
- Face value: $0.25
- $ Price: $0.25 – $6.81
- Quantity produced: 480,042,788
- Designer: John Flanagan
- Composition: Copper (91.67%), Nickel (8.33%)
- Mass: 67 grams
- Diameter:3 mm
The Denver mint produced over 480 million quarters in 1982, making it a common coin still circulating today. You can identify these coins by their signature ‘D’ mint mark on the coin’s obverse.
Generally speaking, the 1982 D quarter will be worth about 30 cents in good condition. Its value can go higher than $28 if in uncirculated condition.
But like any collectible, there are exceptions to market values, like this coin which sold for $2,640 in 2018. This value was due to the coin’s “sharp detail” and preserved surfaces.
1982 S Washington Quarter value
- Type: Washington series
- Edge: Reeded
- Mint mark: S
- Place of minting: San Francisco
- Year of minting: 1982
- Face value: $0.01
- $ Price: $0.25 – $5.84
- Quantity produced: 3,857,479
- Designer: John Flanagan
- Composition: Copper (91.67%), Nickel (8.33%)
- Mass: 67 grams
- Diameter:3 mm
The final type of the 1982 quarter was minted in San Francisco, where only 3.8 million coins were struck. These coins are easy to identify for two reasons; the first is the signature S mint mark on the obverse side, which traces the coin back to San Francisco.
Another easy way to identify these coins is their pristine, mirror-like appearance. The San Francisco mint produced only quarter-proof coins, i.e., early coin samples with high levels of luster and detail. They never entered circulation.
Despite proof coins often selling for high prices at auction, the 1982 S quarter is actually of considerably lower value than one might initially assume.
Price comparison sites state it will only fetch about $4-10, possibly because these proof coins are deemed too recent for a proof coin to be considered valuable. For example, despite a 1982 S quarter being immaculate, it only sold for $126 in 2005.
Also Read: Top 16 Most Valuable Modern Quarters Worth Money
1982 Quarter History
Washington quarters are one of the most historical and collectible coins in America and worldwide. Created in 1932 to celebrate the bicentennial birth of America’s first president, the coin was initially a temporary replacement for the Walking Liberty half-dollar.
However, Congress scrapped this idea to replace the Waking Liberty quarter permanently. Like many coins, the design went through an open competition. The only criterion was that the obverse included Jean-Antoine Houdon’s bust of George Washington. The reverse was open to any interpretation.
American sculptor John Flanagan was deemed the winner, whose design showed George Washington in profile, with the words ‘Liberty’ and ‘In God, We Trust’ surrounding him. Flanagan’s reverse side showed an American eagle with its wing spread out.
The Washington quarter became incredibly popular on release and comprised 90% silver. It had reeded edges which made it difficult for people to counterfeit.
In 1965 however, the US Coinage Act reduced the amount of silver used in coins to help curb rising production costs. The 1982 quarter has 91.67% copper and 8.33% nickel, making them smaller and lighter but incredibly durable.
Minting of the 1982 quarter took place in three locations across the US. Philadelphia and Denver produced the most quarters, at about 900 million. Many quarters are still in circulation today at such a high production number.
1982 was one of the earliest years when the Philadelphia mint began placing a mint mark on coins, adding to their value. San Francisco only minted 3 million 1982 quarters, making them incredibly uncommon.
Finally, it’s important to note that 1982 marked the 250th anniversary of the birth of George Washington. That year, the US Mint also created a commemorative George Washington silver half-dollar made of 90% silver. Quite often, these two coin types are confused at auctions.
Also Read: 10+ Rarest State Quarter Errors Lists (Worth Much Money!!!)
1982 quarter grading
The value of your 1982 quarter will depend on several attributes, including quality, luster, color, strike, and condition.
Below is a quick, useful guide on grading the potential value of your 1982 quarter:
List of 1982 Quarter Errors
Because of mass production, numerous coins with errors are circulating today. These can quickly increase the value of your coin and make them one-of-a-kind.
Below are some of the most common errors found:
1. 1982 Quarter on different coin types
This error is standard across all coin production. It’s when someone strikes the design on the wrong size coin. Most of these errors will fetch a hundred dollars at auction—for example, this 1982 P quarter on a 5-cent coin sold for $282 in 2015.
That said, there have been some exceptions. This 1982 P quarter, incorrectly struck on a penny coin, exceeded auction valuation and sold for an impressive $1,035 in 2012.
2. 1982 Quarter with strike-through error
This error is when something becomes between the coin and the die during minting. As such, it can create a mark or change the appearance and texture of the coin. The value of this error depends on its severity and the coin’s overall condition.
This 1982 quarter had a unique strike error that only affected one side, resulting in a granular texture across the complete portrait. As such, it was valued as high as $747.50 in 2011.
3. 1982 Quarter with Off-Center Errors
As quarters are produced in their millions, off-center errors are common. If there is a misalignment during striking, the portrait of Washington could be off-center, at an angle, or partially missing from the coin.
Generally speaking, this error’s value depends on the misalignment’s extent. 10% off-center might only add a few dollars to the sum, while 90% off-center and above can easily fetch $30-200 at auction.
4. 1982 Quarter with clad errors
Because the 1982 quarter was a mixture of copper and nickel, another error to consider is cladding. Sometimes, the coin may not have the correct composition and look and feel differently than other coins.
This 1982 quarter has partially clad layers and is only $38, though it could be worth considerably more if it were in better condition.
1982 Quarter Value FAQ
What makes a 1982 Washington quarter rare?
The most valuable 1982 quarters are those sold in high-mint condition. This can make the coin truly priceless, with some selling for more than $10,000 at auction.
On average, coins produced in Philadelphia are worth more than other coins. This is because 1982 coins were made when Philadelphia was only beginning to mark their coins with a ‘P’ letter.
How much is an average 1982 quarter worth?
Because they were produced in their hundreds of millions, there are still a large amount of 1982 quarters found in circulation today. As such, the average coin is usually only worth about 30 cents.
That said, new conditioned coins have been known to sell for hundreds, or even thousands, at auction.
Does a 1982 quarter contain any silver?
After the 1965 Coinage Act, coins had reduced silver to help lower production costs and reduce counterfeiting. The 1982 quarter has no silver and is primarily made of copper and nickel.
That said, the Washington half-dollar, minted in 1982 to celebrate George Washington’s 250 anniversary, was made of 90% silver.