In 2019, a super shiny 1952 Quarter got auctioned off by Legend Rare Coins for a jaw-dropping $21K! I mean, yeah, it was graded a pretty high MS67+ and retained most of its original luster, but still – $21K? That makes you think: “How much is my old 1952 Washington quarter worth?”
And that’s just what we’re here to discuss, folks!
But before we cut into the meat of this subject, here’s what the Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) thinks about the value of common grades of the 1952 Quarter.
1952 Quarter Valuation Chart
| 1952 Quarter Condition | Estimated Value | ||
| 1952-P Quarter | 1952-D Quarter | 1952-S Quarter | |
| Good (G4) | $4.70 | $4.70 | $4.65 |
| Fine (F12) | $4.70 | $4.70 | $4.65 |
| Extremely Fine (XF40) | $4.70 | $4.70 | $4.65 |
| About Uncirculated (AU50) | $5.25 | $5.25 | $5.25 |
| Uncirculated (MS60) | $10 | $10 | $10 |
| Brilliant Uncirculated (MS65) | $30 | $30 | $30 |
| Brilliant Uncirculated (MS68) | $3,000 | $11,500 | $4,500 |
1952 Quarter: Historical Background
Let’s talk history. The 1952 Quarter is a member of the Washington Quarters, which is a series of coins that have been running since 1932. Why the name Washington Quarters? Because they bear the image of our nation’s first president, George Washington. Actually, the term “1952 Washington Quarter” is often used interchangeably with “1952 Quarter.” Tomato-tomato, right?
Since its inception, the Washington Quarter has faced its fair share of challenges. Some of these problems have molded the 1952 Quarter as we know it today. One challenge stemmed from the 1934 lowering of the reverse’s rim. This action exposed the back of the coin to severe wear, with the bald eagle’s breast getting the worst of it.
The obverse wasn’t spared either. In the early days, the dies suffered from crude polishing, which sanded down the ridges that impressed George Washington’s facial features and hair. And if you were to compare the 1952 Quarter with its 1932 equivalent, you’d notice that the former looks a lot smoother and fainter compared to the latter.
And that’s why the 1952 Quarter looks blurry. But what about its physical features?
1952 Quarter: Physical Features
The 1952 Quarter is a silver coin, both literally and figuratively. As a quarter that came before the Coinage Act of 1965, the 1952 Quarter was made out of an alloy of silver and copper. As the dominant metal, silver imparted its icy-white color to the 1952 Quarter, with proof examples taking a more mirror-like appearance.
Below is a highlight of the 1952 Quarter’s key physical features:
1952 Quarter: Physical Characteristics
| Physical Feature | Notes |
| Color | Silver |
| Metallic Composition | 90% Silver
10% Copper |
| Weight | 6.30 grams |
| Diameter | 24.30 millimeters |
| Edge | Reeded |
Obverse Design and Features
The obverse of the Washington Quarters was designed by John Flanagan, chosen by the Treasury Department. He came out on top at a design competition organized by the Department, and his vision was adopted on the faces of Washington Quarters.
The obverse of the 1952 Quarter includes the following elements:
- The left-facing profile of George Washington
- The legend “LIBERTY“
- The inscription “IN GOD WE TRUST.”
- The date “1952“
- John Flanagan’s initials, “JF“
Reverse Design and Features
The reverse of the 1952 Quarter also used John Flanagan’s winning design. Since the inception of the Washington Quarters, the U.S. Mint has tweaked that reverse, leading to the emergence of three varieties: Type A, Type B, and Type C reverses.
The 1952 Quarter uses the Type A Reverse, which includes the following characters:
- The country of issue “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA“
- The legend “E PLURIBUS UNUM”
- A bald eagle with its wings spread out
- A bundle of arrows
- Two intersecting olive branches
- The mint mark(D, S, or none)
- The denomination “QUARTER DOLLAR“
1952 Quarter: Varieties and Valuation
The 1952 Quarter has three different mint marks, giving us three unique varieties.
1952-P Quarter Value
- U.S. Mint: Philadelphia
- Mintage: 38,780,093
- Mint Mark: None
Usually, the Philadelphia Mint leads the pack in mintage, but not in 1952. Despite striking nearly 39 million quarters, the Philadelphia Mint only managed to have the second-highest mintage.
Budget constraints were a major issue for the Philadelphia Mint in 1952. The mint overused their dies, yielding coins with weak engravings. George Washington’s hair lost its sharpness, and the bald eagle’s feathers lost their distinction.
Despite being poorly struck, the 1952 Quarter is still worth some money. Circulated examples in Good to Extremely Fine condition are worth $4.70, while About Circulated quarters are worth between $5.25 and $6.75.
Mint State coins are valued at least $10 for MS60 examples, and NGC values an MS68 at $3,000.
Below is a highlight of what NGC thinks about the value of 1952-P Quarters of different grades:
| Coin Condition | Estimated Value |
| Good (G4) | $4.70 |
| Very Good (VG8) | $4.70 |
| Fine (F12) | $4.70 |
| Very Fine (VF20) | $4.70 |
| Extremely Fine (XF40) | $4.70 |
| About Uncirculated (AU50) | $5.25 |
| Uncirculated (MS60) | $10 |
| Brilliant Uncirculated (MS65) | $30 |
| Brilliant Uncirculated (MS68) | $3,000 |
It’s helpful to note that the figures in the table above are only estimates of value. Once a coin hits the auction block, all bets are off. A coin can sell for more or less the value quoted above.
Below is a list of the most notable sales in the 1952-P Quarter family:
| Variety | Grade | Sales Price | Auction Firm |
| 1952-P Quarter | MS67 | $4,600 | David Lawrence RC |
| 1952-P Quarter | MS67+ | $3,738 | Heritage Auctions |
| 1952-P Quarter | MS67+ | $3,360 | Stack’s Bowers |
| 1952-P Quarter | MS67+ | $2,467.50 | Heritage Auctions |
1952-P Proof Quarter Value
- U.S. Mint: Philadelphia
- Mintage: 81,980
- Mint Mark: None
Apart from striking regular 1952-P Quarters, the Philadelphia Mint made a few proof coins. These were only sold to collectors and will be in mint condition. The Philly Mint struck three types of proof coins: Proof, Cameo, and Deep Cameo.
So, what is the value of 1952-P Proof Quarters?
Plain old 1952-P Proof Quarters are worth between $17.50 and $1,750. Cameo examples are valued between $42 and $2,000. Deep Cameo 1952-P Quarters are the most valuable, with NGC estimating their value between $2,100 and $11,000.
Perhaps the comparative table below will put these figures into perspective:
| Coin Condition | Estimated Value | ||
| Proof (PF) | Cameo (CAM) | Deep Cameo (DCAM) | |
| Uncirculated (PR60) | $17.50 | – | – |
| Uncirculated (PR61) | $19 | – | – |
| Uncirculated (PR62) | $22 | – | – |
| Uncirculated (PR63) | $28 | $42 | – |
| Uncirculated (PR64) | $50 | $70 | – |
| Uncirculated (PR65) | $90 | $180 | $2,100 |
| Uncirculated (PR66) | $180 | $375 | $2,850 |
| Uncirculated (PR67) | $275 | $800 | $7,000 |
| Uncirculated (PR68) | $650 | $2,000 | $11,000 |
| Uncirculated (PR69) | $1,750 | – | – |
Proof coins are sought after due to their superior eye appeal, and the 1952 Proof Quarter is stunning. Over the years, it has sold its share of valuable coins, including the examples below.
| Variety | Coin Grade | Sales Price | Auction Firm |
| Deep Cameo | PR67DCAM | $9,600 | Heritage Auctions |
| Deep Cameo | PR67DCAM | $8,050 | Heritage Auctions |
| Deep Cameo | PF68 Ultra Cameo | $6,462.50 | Heritage Auctions |
| Deep Cameo | PR67DCAM | $5,040 | Heritage Auctions |
1952-D Quarter Value
- U.S. Mint: Denver
- Mintage: 49,795,200
- Mint Mark: D
The Denver Mint had the highest mintage among all the U.S. Mints in 1952. And while average condition examples of the 1952-D Quarter are common, truly outstanding examples are quite rare.
The Denver Mint had the highest mintage, but that came at the cost of quality. An unknown number of these coins were struck with a Double Die Obverse (DDO) error. Most affected was the date “1952,” with a slight doubling appearing around the edges of the number “52.”
Another variety that arose from the Denver Mint’s lapse in quality was the Large D Reverse. These 1952-D Quarters were struck with a larger “D” mint mark.
So, what is the value of these 1952-D Quarters?
Depending on variety and condition, 1952-D Quarters can fetch up to $11,500. Regular-struck examples may be the least valuable variety, but their value picks up in the higher grades. NGC values 1952-D Quarters between $4.70 and $11,500.
1952-D Quarters with a Double Die Obverse are valued between $24 and $1,200, depending on the coin’s condition. As for the 1952-D Quarters with the “D” mint mark, their values range between $5 and $1,300.
Perhaps the table below will offer some perspective.
| Coin Condition | Estimated Value | ||
| Regular-Struck | Double Die Obverse | Large “D” | |
| Good (G4) | $4.70 | $24 | $5 |
| Very Good (VG8) | $4.70 | $36 | $7 |
| Fine (F12) | $4.70 | $70 | $8 |
| Very Fine (VF20) | $4.70 | $150 | $10 |
| Extremely Fine (XF40) | $4.70 | $645 | $20 |
| About Uncirculated (AU50) | $5.25 | $720 | $26 |
| About Uncirculated (AU55) | $5.75 | $775 | $75 |
| Uncirculated (MS60) | $10 | $1,200 | $1,050 |
| Brilliant Uncirculated (MS65) | $30 | – | $1,300 |
| Brilliant Uncirculated (MS68) | $11,500 | – | – |
The 1952-D Quarter has sold some high-profile coins for big bucks. Below are just a few notable auctions.
| Variety | Coin Grade | Sales Price | Auction Firm |
| Regular-Struck | MS67+ | $21,150 | Legend Rare Coins Auctions |
| Regular-Struck | MS67+ | $14,400 | Stack’s Bowers |
| Regular-Struck | MS67 | $6,900 | Heritage Auctions |
| Regular-Struck | MS67 | $5,175 | Heritage Auctions |
| Large D | MS64 | $1,761.10 | GreatCollections |
| Double Die Obverse | MS63 | $850 | eBay |
1952-S Quarter Value
- U.S. Mint: San Francisco
- Mintage: 13,707,800
- Mint Mark: S
While they only made 13 million Quarters, the San Francisco Mint was not immune to quality issues. As you would guess, most coins were struck with heavily worn dies that gave them that blurry appearance. The “S” mint mark was struck so faintly in some coins that it necessitated a repunch of the mint mark.
This practice led to the emergence of the “S Over S” variety of the 1952 Quarter, or as we call it, “the 1952-S/S Quarter.” You can identify coins with repunched mint marks by doubling around the edges of the “S” mint mark. 1952-S/S Quarters are further grouped into two sub-varieties, FS-501 and FS-502, depending on the position of the new mint mark relative to the original.
1952-S/S Quarter are more sought after due to their rarity. And as you’d expect, they are more valuable. 1952-S/S Quarters are valued between $10 and $2,000. The regular-struck 1952-S Quarters are estimated by NGC to be worth $4.65 and $4,500.
Below is a comparison between the values of these coin varieties:
| Coin Condition | Estimated Value | ||
| 1952-S Quarter
Regular-Struck |
1952-S/S Quarter
RPM, FS-501 |
1952-S/S Quarter
RPM, FS-502 |
|
| Good (G4) | $4.65 | – | $14 |
| Very Good (VG8) | $4.65 | $10 | $18 |
| Fine (F12) | $4.65 | $15 | $12 |
| Very Fine (VF20) | $4.65 | $20 | $27 |
| Extremely Fine (XF40) | $4.65 | $30 | $40 |
| About Uncirculated (AU50) | $5.25 | $35 | $45 |
| Uncirculated (MS60) | $10 | $50 | $50 |
| Brilliant Uncirculated (MS65) | $30 | $110 | $450 |
| Brilliant Uncirculated (MS67) | $225 | $324 | $2,000 |
| Brilliant Uncirculated (MS68) | $4,500 | – | – |
The estimates above really don’t paint the full picture. On the auction block, coins can sell for more or less the estimated value. So we scoured the internet to find high-profile 1952-S Quarters sold in auction. Below are some of the transactions we found.
| Variety | Coin Grade | Sales Price | Auction Firm |
| Regular Strike | MS68 | $15,525 | Bowers & Merena |
| Regular Strike | MS68 | $11,750 | Heritage Auctions |
| Regular Strike | MS68 | $10,925 | Stack’s Bowers |
| Regular Strike | MS68 | $9,000 | Heritage Auctions |
| RPM, FS-502 | MS66 | $2,585 | Heritage Auctions |
| RPM, FS-501 | MS67+ | $1,500 | eBay |
1952 Quarter: Valuable Error Coins
From the 1952-D and 1952-S varieties we’ve discussed, you can tell that the 1952 Quarter is fertile ground for error coins. And you’d be right because we found some interesting examples, including the one below.
1952-D Quarter with a Large D Mint Mark: Sold for $1,020
We start off with a coin that was struck with the Large “D” mint mark, a practice that was common in the Denver Mint. The coin itself is in brilliant condition, with PCGS awarding it a grade of MS65.
1952-D Quarter with a Double Die Obverse Error: Sold for $840
Another common error among the 1952-D Quarters was the Double Die Obverse error, or DDO for short. This particular coin has a visible doubling around its date. Besides the error, the coin is in excellent condition, with PCGS bestowing upon it a grade of MS64.
1952-S/S Quarter with FS-502, Repunched Mint Mark: Sold for $480
The use of worn dies left the San Francisco Mint with poorly-struck 1952-S Quarters. They made up for this shortcoming by punching an additional mint mark over the already-existing “S.”
This coin is a testament to the practice. The error here is of the FS-502 variety, making it a rare coin.
1952-S/S Quarter with FS-501, Repunched Mint Mark: Sold for $399.50
Here’s another 1952-S/S Quarter with a Repunched Mint Mark, albeit with an FS-501 designation. This coin is in excellent condition, even better than our previous entry. PCGS graded it a brilliant MS67, and CAC slapped its Green Bean of approval.
1952-P Quarter with Die Crack Error: Selling for $45
Striking coins is a very demanding job, and sometimes the dies crack or break. When they do, they leave an impression of the cracks on the coins they strike. In this coin, a crack appears to be emerging from George Washington’s cutoff bust.
Although the coin is yet to be graded, it appears to be in great condition.
1952 Quarter: Is it Worth Collecting
The 1952 Quarter is collectible in pretty much any condition, but those in mint state hold the most value. The Numismatic Guaranty Company (or NGC) estimates the value of a regular-struck 1952 Quarter to be worth between $10 and $11,500. In the open market, these coins have sold for as much as $21,150.
But if you’re looking for the holy grail, you might want to direct your efforts towards the 1952-S/S variety. They are rarer and the most sought after.
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.