Many have asked me about the $35,000 quarter — a rare 1970 quarter error that has appeared on the news and inspired people to check their change for it and other valuable rare quarters.
People primarily want to know:
- Why is the 1970 quarter rare?
- Are all 1970 quarters valuable?
- Can the $35,000 quarter be found in pocket change?
Here’s the scoop on the rare 1970 quarter error — and how to find other rare quarters in your pocket change!
Which 1970 Quarter Is Worth The Most Money?
The rare 1970 quarter error worth $35,000 is a unique quarter that was somehow struck on a 1941 Canadian quarter by mistake!
It’s officially unknown how this 1970-S proof quarter was made from a silver Canadian quarter that was struck 29 years earlier.
Perhaps a Mint employee placed the 1941 quarter into the hopper as a prank. But we don’t really know how it got there, and nobody has spoken up to explain the origins of this rare 1970 quarter error.
This rare quarter was originally discovered sitting inside a forgotten bank safety deposit box in California, later authenticated by Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC), and eventually put up for auction. (It sold at auction for a whopping $35,000!)
While this odd 1970 quarter error has been certified as authentic by NGC, there is only one quarter like it — so you won’t be finding it in your pocket change.
This U.S.-Canadian error coin is struck on an 80% silver Canadian planchet, so the edge doesn’t have the trademark orange or brown stripe indicating the copper core seen with copper-nickel clad coins. Under a 10x magnifier, the design details are wild! Because the U.S. Mint dies struck an already existing Canadian coin, the original design ghosted through. On the reverse (tails) side, you can actually see the faint outlines of the original Canadian “1941” date stamp — floating just above the word “DOLLAR.” On the front side, the Latin inscriptions from the Canadian coin’s field periphery are visibly peeking out alongside the word “LIBERTY.” It’s one of the most fascinating error coins in modern U.S. Mint history. But if you find a standard, worn 1970 quarter in your pocket change, it’s just a common base-metal coin worth 25 cents!
Other Rare Quarters To Look For
Maybe you won’t be finding that particular error quarter, but there are plenty of other rare quarters that you could find in your spare change, in bank rolls of coins, and other places!
Rare Quarters: What They’re Worth Today
| Year & Type | Mintage | Approximate Value |
|---|---|---|
| 1896-S Barber Quarter | 188,039 | $650+ |
| 1897-S Barber Quarter | 542,229 | $150+ |
| 1901-S Barber Quarter | 72,664 | $4,250+ |
| 1913-S Barber Quarter | 40,000 | $1,300+ |
| 1914-S Barber Quarter | 264,000 | $125+ |
| 1916 Standing Liberty Quarter | 52,000 | $5,000+ |
| 1918-S 8 Over 7 Standing Liberty Quarter | Unknown Small Mintage | $2,250+ |
| 1923-S Standing Liberty Quarter | 1,360,000 | $450+ |
| 1932-D Washington Quarter | 436,800 | $105+ |
| 1932-S Washington Quarter | 408,000 | $100+ |
| 1937 Washington Quarter Doubled Die Obverse | Unknown Small Mintage | $175+ |
| 1942-D Washington Quarter Doubled Die Obverse | Unknown Small Mintage | $375+ |
| 1943 Washington Quarter Doubled Die Obverse | Unknown Small Mintage | $1,500+ |
| 1943-S Washington Quarter Doubled Die Obverse | Unknown Small Mintage | $150+ |
| 1950-D D Over S Washington Quarter | Unknown Small Mintage | $100+ |
| 1950-S S Over D Washington Quarter | Unknown Small Mintage | $150+ |
| 2004-D Wisconsin State Quarter Extra High Leaf | Unknown Small Mintage | $110+ (Uncirculated) |
| 2004-D Wisconsin State Quarter Extra Low Leaf | Unknown Small Mintage | $100+ (Uncirculated) |
*Unless otherwise stated, values listed above are for coins grading Good-4 or better.
How Rare Are Silver Quarters?
In general, most silver quarters struck during the 20th century are not rare.
The reason they seem hard to find is because most were removed from circulation a long time ago when silver became valuable.
However, coin collectors have large numbers of silver quarters today, and bullion hoarders have stockpiled millions of these coins. So there are still plenty of silver quarters to go around, there just aren’t many floating in circulation!
By the way, the United States last struck silver quarters for circulation in 1964. So, if you find a quarter made from 1964 or earlier, be sure you keep it — because it contains a 90% silver composition and is worth several times more than face value!
Must read: How Much Are Silver Quarters Worth?
How Rare Are Colored Quarters & Gold Quarters?
If you’ve found a colored or gold quarter, you may think that you’ve just hit the jackpot.
Unfortunately, neither gold nor colored Washington quarters and State quarters were ever made by the United States Mint.
If you find coins like these, you’ll be perhaps a little frustrated to learn that while they’re real quarters, they were altered after they left the U.S. Mint.
Novelty coins like these may be neat — but most aren’t worth much more than their face value (or metal value).
And, in the case of gold-plated quarters, they contain only a few cents’ worth of gold. So even gold quarters aren’t worth very much, if anything, over the face value.
Sorry to break the news to you…
How Rare Are 1976 Bicentennial Quarters?
You’ve probably seen old quarters with a 1776-1976 date on the obverse (heads side) and a Colonial drummer boy on the reverse (tails side).
Curious what those are worth?
These 1976 Bicentennial quarters are actually very common — more than 1.6 billion were made!
Because so many 1976 Bicentennial quarters were made, they’re not really worth very much unless they’re in pristine condition.
Unless your 1976 quarter has an “S” mintmark on it or it’s uncirculated (unworn), then your 1976 quarter is worth face value.
How To Find Rare Quarters
Checking your pocket change is a great way to find rare quarters and other valuable old coins.
One of my favorite methods to look for rare coins is to go to the bank and buy rolls of coins. It costs just $10 to buy a roll of 40 quarters at face value.
While I’ve never found any $35,000 rare quarters in bank rolls, I have found silver quarters, error quarters, and other valuable quarters this way. Maybe you will, too!
More Info About Rare & Valuable Quarters
In addition to the links I’ve included above, here are some of our other articles that will help you learn more about the quarters you have:
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