As a key date of the Washington Quarters, the 1943 Quarter attracts a lot of attention from coin collectors like yourself. This date has a ton of double die errors and Repunched Mint Marks, among other minting anomalies. But what is the value of your typical 1943 Quarter?
In circulated condition, Regular-Struck 1943 Quarters are worth between $4.75 and $25. Uncirculated 1943 Quarters, on the other hand, are worth between $10 and $10,000. The value of these coins will be dependent on their condition and variety.
Coin Valuation Chart
| Coin Condition | Estimated Value | ||
| 1943-P Quarter | 1943-D Quarter | 1943-S Quarter | |
| Heavily Circulated
(G4 – XF40) |
$4.75 | $8.50 – $15.00 | $8.50 – $12.50 |
| About Uncirculated (AU50 – AU58+) | $5.25 – $7.25 | $17.50 – $25.00 | $15 – $22.50 |
| Uncirculated
(MS60 – MS64+) |
$10 – $27.50 | $27.50 – $50.00 | $25 – $60 |
| Brilliant Uncirculated (MS65 or higher) | $45 – $6,500 | $55 – $9,500 | $70 – $10,000 |
1943 Quarter: Physical Features
Despite being a wartime coin, the 1943 Quarter’s metal composition remained uncompromised. While the penny switched from bronze to steel planchets, the 1943 Quarter retained its silver (90%) and copper (10%) composition.
Basically, the 1943 Quarter retained the features of its predecessors. Like the quarters before it, it had a diameter of 24.30 millimeters and a mass of 6.30 grams. The coin’s edge is also decorated with vertical reeds.
Obverse Design and Features
The obverse of the 1943 Quarter uses a design that was adopted in the original 1932 Quarter. This design was drawn and engraved by John Flanagan, an American sculptor who lived between 1865 and 1952.
The obverse of the 1943 Quarter includes the following design features:
- The left-facing bust of President Washington
- The legend “LIBERTY”
- The inscription “IN GOD WE TRUST.”
- The date “1943”
- John Flanagan’s initials “JF”
Reverse Design and Features
The reverse of the 1943 Quarter also borrows from the reverse of the original 1932 Quarter. And like its obverse, the reverse of the 1938 Quarter was created by John Flanagan.
To populate his reverse, John Flanagan added the following characters:
- A bald eagle perching on a bundle of arrows
- Two crisscrossing olive sprigs
- The country of issue “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA”
- The motto “E PLURIBUS UNUM”
- The mint mark “D,” “S,” or neither
1943 Quarter: Historical Background
While the physical characteristics of the 1943 Quarter were not affected by the war in Europe, the quality of the strikes suffered. You see, back then, the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940 required all males of the ages of 21-45 to register for the military draft. Most men (including mint workers) were shipped to Europe to fight in the Second World War
With most of its skilled labor gone, the U.S. Mint was at a disadvantage, and many dies made it to the press with faulty hubs. This lack of attention in the quality control department was the main reason why so many coins were struck with double die errors. The Philadelphia Mint’s quality suffered the most due to its high mintage.
1943 Quarter: Mint Marks and Varieties
Coin collectors were not prioritized in 1943 as the U.S. Mint chose not to strike proof coins.
Below is a breakdown of each mint’s contribution and the varieties they struck:
| U.S. Mint | Mintage | Mint Mark | Variety |
| Philadelphia | 99,700,000 | None | 1943-P Quarter |
| Denver | 16,095,600 | D | 1943-D Quarter |
| San Francisco | 21,700,000 | S | 1943-S Quarter |
1943-P Quarter Value
The 1943-P Quarter is no rare coins. It is the most abundant variety of the 194 Quarters, and its value has suffered for it. You can easily find them in all grades through MS66. In the MS67 condition, the population starts to thin out, and they are very rare in MS68.
So, what is the value of the 1943-P Quarter?
If you’re in possession of a heavily circulated example, it will be worth $4.75 regardless of whether it’s in Good or Extra Fine condition. About circulated examples are slightly worth more, with AU50 examples worth $5.25 and AU58+ examples worth $7.25.
If you’re looking for 1943-P Quarters in mint condition, I’m happy to report that you can find these coins at affordable rates, as long as you are willing to compromise on the coin’s condition. At MS60, the uncirculated 1943-P Quarter is worth about $10. In the MS66 conditions, the coin is worth $85 in the base MS66 grade and $110 in MS66+.
In MS67, the value of the 1943-P Quarter shoots up to $295 in its base condition and $1,000 in the MS67+ state. However, realizing these prices is difficult.
While one 1943-P Quarter managed to for $3,085 in the MS67+, there were similarly-graded examples that failed to sell beyond the $500 mark. For example, this 1943-P Quarter only sold for $408 despite its MS67+ grade.
Examples in the MS68 State are extremely rare and are worth $6,500. This 1943-P Quarter managed to sell for $23,000 despite being auctioned more than a decade ago.
Both faces of this coin are toned with purple, red, and green hues. Another MS68 example sold a year later for $11,162.50.
| Coin Condition | Estimated Value |
| Good (G4) | $4.75 |
| Very Good (VG8) | $4.75 |
| Fine (F12) | $4.75 |
| Very Fine (VF20) | $4.75 |
| Extremely Fine (XF40) | $4.75 |
| About Uncirculated (AU50) | $5.25 |
| About Uncirculated (AU58) | $6.75 |
| Uncirculated (MS60) | $10 |
| Brilliant Uncirculated (MS65) | $45 |
| Brilliant Uncirculated (MS67) | $295 |
| Brilliant Uncirculated (MS68) | $6,500 |
1943-D Quarter Value
Out of the 16 million quarters that the Denver Mint struck in 1943, we estimate that only 1.6 million survived. Around 25,000 of these quarters will have grades of MS60 or better, and only 10,000 will be in MS65 condition or better. The rest of the coins will be in circulated condition.
On the subject of circulated coins, the 1943-D Quarter is valued between $8.95 and $25 in circulated and about conditions. Their values are way better than those of 1943-P Quarters due to their low population.
In uncirculated condition, these gems are plentiful through the MS67 grade. In MS60 condition, a 1943-D Quarter is worth $27.50. A similar coin in MS67 condition is worth about $50.
Things start to get crazy in the MS67 state as the population of these 1943-D Quarters start to thin. We estimate the value of gems in the MS67+ condition to be in the neighborhood of $2,000.
In these conditions, these coins have no problem selling beyond that $2,000 valuation. In 2013, an MS67+-graded quarter sold for $4,553.13. A similarly-grade gem sold a year later for $3,818.75.
The most valuable 1943-D Quarter will be examples in the elusive MS68 state. And while we estimate the value of such coins to be $9,500, they have no problem selling beyond the $10,000 milestone.
The most expensive 1943-D Quarter was of MS68 quality, and it sold for $17,625. Its obverse is beautifully toned, and color may have played a role in the high sales price.
These coins have also sold for way less than their estimated values. In its pristine MS68 condition, one 1943-D Quarter managed to sell for a disappointing $1,800 in 2020. Another quarter sold two years later for a better, but still disappointing $2,880. Both these coins have one thing in common: they are not beautifully toned.
If you want to learn about the effect of color on coin value, skim through our Coin Color Guide.
| Coin Condition | Estimated Value |
| Good (G4) | $8.50 |
| Very Good (VG8) | $9 |
| Fine (F12) | $10 |
| Very Fine (VF20) | $12.50 |
| Extremely Fine (XF40) | $15 |
| About Uncirculated (AU50) | $17.50 |
| About Uncirculated (AU58) | $22.50 |
| Uncirculated (MS60) | $27.50 |
| Brilliant Uncirculated (MS65) | $55 |
| Brilliant Uncirculated (MS67) | $500 |
| Brilliant Uncirculated (MS68) | $9,500 |
1943-S Quarter Value
In general, 1943-S Quarters were poorly struck. Many examples left the San Francisco Mint with double die errors and inconsistent mint mark fonts. We’ll talk about these irregularities in the error coin section. For now, let’s talk about the coin’s population.
The San Francisco Mint struck close to 22 million coins in 1943. We believe that only 10% of these coins survived, with around 28,000 examples exhibiting a grade of MS60 or better.
In circulated condition, a 1943-S Quarter is worth between $8.50 and $22.50. A majority of these coins will be ungraded, and you can buy them for cheaper.
The population of the uncirculated 1943-S Quarters is fairly distributed among the grades until MS66. They are worth $25 in the MS60 state and $165 in the MS66+ condition.
1943-S Quarter are fewer in the MS67 condition and rare in the MS68 state. Gems of the base grade MS67 are worth $600, while those in the MS67+ state are worth $2,000. In 2015, an MS67+ quarter sold for $6,462.50.
Examples in MS68 are worth $10,000. However, there are examples that have sold for well above $20,000. One was sold in 2008 for $23,000, while another was auctioned in 2019 for $20,400.
| Coin Condition | Estimated Value |
| Good (G4) | $8.50 |
| Very Good (VG8) | $9 |
| Fine (F12) | $9.50 |
| Very Fine (VF20) | $10 |
| Extremely Fine (XF40) | $12.50 |
| About Uncirculated (AU50) | $15 |
| About Uncirculated (AU58) | $22.50 |
| Uncirculated (MS60) | $25 |
| Brilliant Uncirculated (MS65) | $70 |
| Brilliant Uncirculated (MS67) | $600 |
| Brilliant Uncirculated (MS68) | $10,000 |
1943 Quarter: Valuable Error Coins
The 1943 Quarter was plagued with so many issues that some error coins graduated to varieties of the coin. Let’s break down the value of these error coins.
Double Die Obverse (DDO) Errors
All mints struck a sizeable number of coins with DDO errors. Some of the characters that were affected included the legend “LIBERTY,” the motto “IN GOD WE TRUST,” and the date “1943.”
1943-P Quarter with DDO
The 1943-P Quarter had so many variations of this error that the codes FS-101, FS-102, and FS-103 differentiate the different DDO errors. For example, coins with the FS-103 designation will be showing doubling around “IN GOD WE TRUST,” “LIB,” and “1943.”
In circulated condition, 1943-P DDO Quarters are worth between $5 and $8,500, depending on the nature of the DDO. FS-103 DDOs tend to be more valuable than FS-101 and FS-102 DDOs. In mint condition, the value of these coins ranges from $350 to $18,500.
| Coin Condition | Estimated Value | ||
| DDO FS-101 | DDO FS-102 | DDO FS-103 | |
| Good (G4) | $5 | $5 | $210 |
| Very Good (VG8) | $10 | $7 | $225 |
| Fine (F12) | $20 | $10 | $850 |
| Very Fine (VF20) | $30 | $15 | $1,600 |
| Extremely Fine (XF40) | $75 | $35 | $2,750 |
| About Uncirculated (AU50) | $120 | $50 | $4,000 |
| About Uncirculated (AU58) | $200 | $60 | $7,500 |
| Uncirculated (MS60) | $350 | $70 | $10,000 |
| Brilliant Uncirculated (MS65) | $3,000 | $425 | $16,500 |
| Brilliant Uncirculated (MS66) | – | $475 | $18,500 |
| Brilliant Uncirculated (MS67) | – | $2,500 | – |
1943-D and 1943-S DDO Quarter
The 1943-D and 1943-S Quarters only had one kind of DDO error, and it is designated FS-101. Coins with this error will be showing visible doubling around the legend “LIBERTY,” the inscription “IN GOD WE TRUST,” or the date “1943.”
The value of a circulated 1943-D and 1943-S Quarter typically ranges from $20 to $450. In mint condition, these coins are worth between $210 and $2,750. In general, 1943-S Quarters with DDOs tend to be pricier than similarly-graded 1943-D Quarters.
| Coin Condition | Estimated Value | |
| 1943-D Quarter
DDO FS-101 |
1943-S Quarter
DDO FS-102 |
|
| Good (G4) | $20 | $50 |
| Very Good (VG8) | $30 | $75 |
| Fine (F12) | $40 | $90 |
| Very Fine (VF20) | $50 | $110 |
| Extremely Fine (XF40) | $75 | $240 |
| About Uncirculated (AU50) | $110 | $325 |
| About Uncirculated (AU58) | $190 | $400 |
| Uncirculated (MS60) | $210 | $525 |
| Brilliant Uncirculated (MS65) | $500 | $1,150 |
| Brilliant Uncirculated (MS66) | $1,100 | $2,750 |
Repunched Mint Marks
Some 1943-S Quarters had their mint marks repunched, leading to the rise of the 1943-S/S variety. And in this variety, there are two designations: FS-503 and FS-504.
The RPM error may not add as much value to the 1943-S Quarter as the DDO does, but these coins are still more valuable than the regular strikes.
The circulated 1943-S/S Quarters will have values that range from $10 to $75. In mint condition, these coins are worth between $90 and $1,000, depending on their condition and the severity of their errors.
| Coin Condition | Estimated Value | |
| RPM FS-503 | RPM FS-504 | |
| Good (G4) | $10 | $12 |
| Very Good (VG8) | $14 | $16 |
| Fine (F12) | $18 | $22 |
| Very Fine (VF20) | $22 | $30 |
| Extremely Fine (XF40) | $38 | $50 |
| About Uncirculated (AU50) | $55 | $55 |
| About Uncirculated (AU58) | $75 | $70 |
| Uncirculated (MS60) | $90 | $90 |
| Brilliant Uncirculated (MS65) | $390 | $235 |
| Brilliant Uncirculated (MS66) | $1,000 | $300 |
1943 Quarter: Is it Worth Collecting?
Yes, yes, yes! 1943 is a key date in the Washington Quarter and an envy for many collectors. In this coin family, you want to look for DDO and 1943-S/S Quarters. Unfortunately, the secret is already out, and some of these coins will be selling for insanely high prices. But who knows? Maybe you’re meant to find the next diamond in the rough.
So, keep digging through 1943 Quarters and carefully study their obverse faces. There could be a pot of gold at the end of that rainbow.
Jenson is a professional numismatist, a dedicated coin collector, a graduate of the College of Business at Oregon State, a life member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA), and an overall coin nerd. He is the founder of Coin Value List.