1964 Quarter Value: How Much is it Worth Today?

The 1964 Quarter is a Washington Quarter. George Washington was a Founding Father who became the 1^st US President, and these quarters were introduced in 1932 to celebrate the 200^th anniversary of his birth. 1964 was also the final year for Silver Quarters before the switch to cupronickel-clad coins. Let’s go over the facts and verify the 1964 Quarter Value.

1964 Quarter Value Chart
Mint Mark	Extremely Fine (EF/XF 40)	About Uncirculated (AU 50)	Low Mint State (MS 60)	Mid Mint State (MS 65)	Proof (PR/PF 65)
1964 (P) No Mint Mark Quarter Value	$6.10	$7.01	$8.23	$15	$12
1964-D Quarter Value	$6.10	$7.01	$8.23	$15	No D-Proofs

 

1964 Quarter Coin Specifications

Early American coins were made of gold or silver aka specie metals. Later, base metal coins of copper, zinc, tin, and/or nickel were introduced. The metals were melted in oil-fueled furnaces then cooled in water baths and rolled into thin sheets of the right thickness. The raw metal bars and sheets were locked in a vault and counted every day to prevent theft.

The sheets were prepared according to the metal composition that was needed for a given coin. These alloys and coin sizes were regulated by law. When it was time to mint coins, a mint worker took a sheet in the designated metal composition and fed it into the blanking machine where it was punched into discs of the right size for the chosen denomination.

Both the planchets and the coins were weighed to ensure they were the right size and mass. Planchets were weighed by hand while completed coins were weighed by a machine that automatically spat out any coins that were too heavy or too light. Coins were tested in various ways, including pinging them on a metal plate. Flawed coins were destroyed and recoined.

Even today, the best way to spot an older counterfeit or error coin is to weigh it. But before we describe the 1964 Quarter, let’s review a few key terms. The heads side of the coin is called the obverse and its tails side is called the reverse. The words on a coin are mottos or legends while the images are called devices. The background of the coin is called the field.

• Category: Washington Quarter
• Mint Branches: Philadelphia and Denver
• Total Mintage: 1,264,526,113
• Obverse Designer: John Flanagan
• Reverse Designer: John Flanagan
• Composition: 90% Silver + 10% Copper
• Diameter: 257mm (0.955 inches)
• Thickness: 956mm (0.069 inches)
• Weight: 25g
• Edge: Reeded – 119 Reeds

Because of the coin shortage – which we’ll discuss in detail later – Washington Quarters dated 1964 were also struck in 1965 and 1966. So you can’t always be sure if your 1964 Quarter was actually minted in 1964. We’ll also discuss the limited quantity of Special Strike San Francisco Quarters minted as a trial run for the no-mint-mark coins of 1965 to 1967.

The Obverse of the 1964 Quarter

The obverse (heads side) of the 1964 Quarter features a profile of George Washington facing right. The legend Liberty is above his head, and the motto In God We Trust is on the right, near his Adam’s apple. The mint date is at the bottom of the coin. The designer’s initials, JF for John Flanagan, are engraved on the lower left side of Washington’s neckline cut-off.

The Reverse of the 1964 Quarter

The reverse (tails side) of the 1964 Quarter bears a bald eagle with its wings spread out and a bundle of arrows in its talons. A pair of olive branches are under the eagle. The mint mark is directly below the spot where the two branches meet. The top of the coin says United States of America with E Pluribus Unum under it. The bottom of the coin says Quarter Dollar.

1964 Quarter Value and Varieties Guide

Coins can either be proof strikes or regular strikes, also called business strikes or trade coins. The latter are intended for everyday use and are referred to as circulation coins. Other strike varieties include Special Mint Sets (SMS), Uncirculated Sets, Enhanced Uncirculated Sets, and Specimens or Special Proofs (SP). We’ll discuss each of these coin categories in detail.

But first, let’s look at mint marks and varieties since they can both increase the value of a coin. A variety is a batch of coins – sometimes hundreds or even thousands – that are made with the same die so they have identical features. The mint mark shows which branch of the US mint made that particular coin. Let’s review the 1964 Quarter by locations and varieties.

1964 (P) No Mint Mark Quarter Value

In 1964, the Philadelphia Mint coined 564,341,347 Washington Quarters including proofs, but we’ll look at the proof coins separately. Philadelphia coins don’t usually have mint marks on them because it was the first branch of the US Mint. Mint marks were added to identify the other branches, and the Philadelphia Mint didn’t start using any mint marks until 1979.

• Type: Washington Quarter
• Edge: Reeded – 119 Reeds
• Mint Mark: None
• Place of Minting: Philadelphia
• Year of Minting: 1964
• Face Value: 25 Cents
• Highest Price: $7,188 in January 2004
• Quantity Produced: 564,341,347
• Designer: John Flanagan
• % Composition: 90% Silver, 10% Copper
• Mass:25g
• Diameter:3mm

1964 (P) No Mint Mark Quarter Type A / Type 1 Reverse Value

Type A or Type 1 is the normal reverse for the 1964 Quarter, and you can find samples from both the Philadelphia and Denver Mints. For 1964 Philadelphia Quarters, an MS 67 sold for $7,188 in January 2004. But in December 2022, half a step higher, an MS 67+ had dropped to almost half that price at $3,840. A dozen have been graded, and the estimate is $3,750.

1964 (P) No Mint Mark Quarter Type B Reverse Value

So far, the Type B reverse has only been spotted on Philadelphia coins, and they don’t have mint marks. The Type B coins were minted using old proof dies, so the back is noticeably different. If you check the E and S in states, there’s a bigger gap than most regular quarters.

In February 2017, an MS 66 sold for $494 but in August 2022, that was down to $134. The current 2023 price estimate is $450. But PCGS has also graded one MS 66+ and one MS 67. They haven’t sold so there’s no price history or estimate. Find one and you might get lucky!

1964-D Quarter Value

In 1964, the Denver Mint made 704,135,528 Washington Quarters. They all had the D Mint Mark, and no proof coins were minted in Denver. Let’s look at this coin#s specs and values.

• Type: Washington Quarter
• Edge: Reeded – 119 Reeds
• Mint Mark: D
• Place of Minting: Denver
• Year of Minting: 1964
• Face Value: 25 Cents
• Highest Price: $38,400 in March 2021
• Quantity Produced: 704,135,528
• Designer: John Flanagan
• % Composition: 90% Silver, 10% Copper
• Mass:25g
• Diameter:3mm

1964-D Quarter Type A / Type 1 Reverse Value

As we noted earlier, the normal reverse exists both in Philadelphia and Denver. In March 2021, an MS 68 sold for $38,400. PCGS has only graded two, which explains the high price.

1964-D Quarter Type C Reverse Value (aka 1964-D Reverse of 1965)

The 1964-D Type C Reverse used a 1965 die, and a few test coins were dated 1964. The leaves were sharpened because the cupronickel planchets that would be used in 1965 were harder than silver, so they’d need the extra details. They also have a bigger gap between E and S in States.

So far, Type C only exists on Denver coins. In June 2014, an MS 66 sold for $2,350, but in September 2022, an NGC-graded MS 65 was only $480. Three months later in December 2022, an MS 66 was $850. PCGS estimates the current MS 68 Value as $1,500 in 2023.

1964 (P) Proof Quarter Value

Proof coins are used to ensure dies are accurately rendered, so they’re coined with extremely sharp details and a copy remains at the mint. Other copies are sometimes sent to museums, and the rest are sold to collectors at a premium price. This provides additional revenue for the mint. Proofs come in 3 variants – matte proofs, mirror-like proofs, and reverse proofs.

In 1964, the Philadelphia Mint made 3,950,762 mirror-like proofs. To achieve that reflective finish, the mint tumbles planchets in a vat of 6mm stainless steel balls called satellites before striking. This is called burnishing. Proof dies were also polished with horsehair brushes. The frosted sections were pickled in acid until 1970 when the mint developed a better alternative.

Why? Well, acid-wash dies didn’t retain the frost for long. Every time they struck a planchet, they’d lose some of their frosting. This is why the first 50 to 100 acid-pickled coins had the strongest contrasts between the field and the device. PCGS graded these coins as Deep Cameo (DCAM) and NGC graded them as Ultra Cameo. The next 100 are graded Cameo.

• Type: Washington Quarter
• Edge: Reeded – 119 Reeds
• Mint Mark: None
• Place of Minting: Philadelphia
• Year of Minting: 1964
• Face Value: 25 Cents
• Highest Price: $2,350 in May 2021
• Quantity Produced: 3,950,762
• Designer: John Flanagan
• % Composition: 90% Silver, 10% Copper
• Mass:25g
• Diameter:3mm

Proof coin grades only go from 60 to 70. PCGS grades them as PR while NGC grades them as PF. And since 1964 Washington Quarter proofs were mirror-like with acid frosting, their dies quickly faded. In March 2006, a PR 68 was $1,150 and in February 2008, a PR 70 CAM was $2,185. In May 2021, a PR 69 DCAM was $2,350 but was down to $558 in September 2022.

1964 (S) Quarter Special Strike Value

In the 1960s, silver prices shot up so the public started hoarding silver coins as bullion. Most people melted these coins down and sold the silver at market prices. Others stashed the coins and waited for prices to go even higher. This led to a national coin shortage. Mint Director Eva Adams wrongly believed it was collectors that were hoarding coins, not ordinary citizens.

So she directed that all coins minted from 1965 to 1967 would have no mint marks to prevent this habit. The mint would also stop producing the proof coins they usually sold to collectors. Instead, they made Special Mint Sets (SMS). In 1964, the mint was preparing for this new system, so they coined 20 to 50 SMS coins with a satin finish at the San Francisco Mint.

• Type: Washington Quarter
• Edge: Reeded – 119 Reeds
• Mint Mark: None
• Place of Minting: San Francisco
• Year of Minting: 1964
• Face Value: 25 Cents
• Highest Price: $9,000 in April 2019
• Quantity Produced: 20 to 50
• Designer: John Flanagan
• % Composition: 90% Silver, 10% Copper
• Mass:25g
• Diameter:3mm

Since this branch of the mint was closed from 1955 to 1964, the coins were made without their usual S Mint Mark. Their special satin finish made them easier to identify as well. Curiously, these 20 to 50 SMS coins were part of Eva Adams’ private estate and were sold by her friend Lester Merkins after Adams died. He was a known coin dealer and auctioneer.

They’re usually graded SP for Specimen or Special Proof because they’re a hybrid with the combined features of proof and mint state coins. They’re only graded from SP 60 to SP 70. A 1964 Quarter graded SP 66 sold for $9,000 and $7,800 in April 2020. PCGS has graded 9 of them. But the highest grade they’ve seen is SP 68. Only one is known, estimated at $25,000.

Grading 1964 Quarters

We touched on coin grading above, but you may still be confused, so let’s discuss it in detail. The top coin appraisers are PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service), NGC (Numismatic Guaranty Company), and ANACS (American Numismatic Association Certification Service). They all use variants of the coin grading scale, so let’s see how this applies to 1964 Quarters.

• PO 1 – Poor – You can barely see the date and image, but the rims are flat.
• FR 2 – Fair – You can partly see Washington and the rims are slightly raised.
• AG 3 – About/Almost Good – Outlines of the words and shapes blend into the rim.
• G 4 – Good, with at least 10% of the features visible – Washington and the eagle are complete but blurry. The rim is full, and you can easily read the words and the date.
• G 6 – Good, with a sharp rim – The rim stands out clearly. You can see Washington’s ponytail, but not his hairline. You can see part of the eagle’s feathers on the reverse.
• VG 8 – Very Good, with at least 25% of the features visible – The strands of his hair are defined but there’s still no hairline. The words are clear but the devices are flat.
• F 12 – Fine, with at least 50% of the features visible – The date, letters, and mint mark are distinct. Washington’s hairline and the eagle’s eye are beginning to appear.
• VF 20 – Very Fine, with at least 75% of the features visible – All parts of the reverse are clear. On the obverse, you can see Washington’s cheekbone and ponytail clearly.
• EF/XF 40 – Extra/Extremely Fine with at least 90% of the features visible – The back is sharp except for the eagle’s chest. On the front, the wording is much sharper.
• AU 50 – About/Almost Uncirculated with over 95% of the features visible – All details are clear and the coin is slightly shiny. You can count the separate arrows.
• MS 60 – Mint State with all the features visible – The bone structure of the eagle’s legs and chest are well-defined. The curls around Washington’s ears are quite clear.
• MS 70 – Perfect grade – The coin is pristine. All details are visible to the naked eye.
• Matte PR/PF 60 to PR/PF 70 – Sandblasted for matte finish – Has the clarity of an MS 70 coin but the finish is grainy and the coin might have sulfur toning.
• PR/PF 60 to PR/PF 70 – Struck on burnished planchets with proof dies – Has the clarity of an MS 70 but the contrast between the field and the device is variable.

In addition to these grades, when you submit coins in bulk, NGC sometimes uses descriptive grades instead of numbers. You can request this for common coins. Let’s review them below.

• Details – Coins that were cleaned, chemically improved, or damaged e.g. XF Details.
• Brilliant Uncirculated (BU) – MS 60 to MS 70 coins that were cleaned, damaged, or chemically altered to improve their color or add artificial toning.
• Choice Uncirculated – MS 63 to MS 70 coins that were cleaned, damaged, or chemically altered to improve their color or add artificial toning.
• Gem Uncirculated (GEM UNC or GEM BU) – MS 65 to MS 70 coins that were cleaned, damaged, or chemically altered to improve color or add artificial toning.

A few other countries use similar grades, but their letters are sometimes different. The UK uses UNC (Uncirculated) instead of AU (About Uncirculated). And in the Netherlands aka Holland, MS grades are referred to as FDC (Fleur de Coin). Several nations also separate lower mint states (60 to 64) from higher ones (65 to 70), grading them as distinct categories.

For lower mint states, the UK uses BU (Brilliant Uncirculated) while France calls them SPL (Splendide). In Italy, they use both SPL (Spendido or Splendida) and FDC (Fior di Conio) for lower mint states. For higher mint states, the UK, Italy, Spain, France, and Holland all use FDC. But the grades below MS use different letters in non-English-speaking countries.

You might see coins graded as PL for Proof-Like or DPL for Deep-Proof-Like. These are shiny mirror-like coins that were struck on non-proof planchets with non-proof dies, which means the dies and planchets were not polished or burnished before striking. These coins are often sold in Uncirculated Sets. Mint staff hand-pick these coins before they leave the mint.

The coins are part of the regular strike, but they have sharper details and a finer satin-finish so they’re packaged as Uncirculated Sets with one coin from every branch of the mint e.g. PDS sets from Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco. These sets are sold at a premium price before they get damaged in circulation. Another grade you might come across is SMS.

This means Special Mint Sets, and they’re usually coined in years without proofs. They’re as shiny as proofs and have sharp details, but while their dies are polished, the planchets aren’t burnished before striking. Also, unlike all other coins that need multiple strikes, SMS are only struck once, but with higher pressure setting to make sure the details come out clearly.

Rare 1964 Quarter Errors List

Mint errors can raise the investment value of any coin, and at least 20 are listed by Cherry Pickers. The most common ones are doubling or tripling errors when the second or third strike lands on a slightly different spot from the first strike. They happen if the planchet or the die move in mid-strike. Let’s look at some valuable mint mistakes on the 1964 Quarter.

1964-D Quarter DDR Errors

DDR means doubled-die reverse. It’s when the second impression of the reverse die was a little bit off the mark, and it’s most visible on the words and numbers. So far, four varieties of 1964 Quarter DDRs are known – FS-801, FS-802, and FS-803, FS-804 with slightly different doubling. In July 2021, an MS 65 FS-801 sold for $1,920. PCGS has only graded one of these.

Its estimated 2023 value is $2,000. FS-802 is slightly cheaper, at $846 for an MS 65 in October 2020. FS-803 is even lower. An MS 66 was only $45 in April 2019, but the current value estimate for an MS 65 is $650. But in April 2012, an MS 65 sold for $978. The value estimate for a 2023 FS-804 DDR graded MS 66 is $2,000. PCGS has graded one FS-804.

1964 Quarter DDO Error – FS-101

DDO means doubled-die obverse. It’s similar to a DDR, but the error occurs on the obverse die instead, so the error appears on the motto In God We Trust. In June 2018 a 1964-D MS 65 sold for $500. PCGS has graded a dozen of these. It estimates their current value at $450.

This error is worth slightly less on 1964 (P) Quarters though. Without the mint mark, an FS-101 graded MS 65 was less than half that price. It sold for $228 in April 2018, and with only 4 graded, the estimated value in 2023 is $250. Use a coin microscope to spot these errors.

1964-D Quarter D/D RPM Errors

RPM means re-punched mint mark. It’s a doubling or tripling error where subsequent mint mark strikes land in a different position. They’re written D/D (D over D). You’ll see traces of the earlier impression underneath. Two RPM varieties are known, FS-501 and FS-502. Until 1989, a hand-punch positioned the mint mark onto the working die at the final stage.

But the error is rare after 1990 because they automated mint mark placement. You can use a jeweler’s loupe or coin microscope to spot the flaw. An FS-501 graded MS 66 was $10,000 in April 2022. PCGS has only graded one MS 66, but many exist in lower grades. As for FS-502, an AU 58 D/D sold for $288 in June 2019. The current price estimate is $850 for MS 65.

1964 Quarter FAQs

How Much is a 1964 Quarter Now?

At least six flawless varieties of 1964 Quarters have been discovered so far, not counting mint mistakes. In 2023, prices range from $1,500 to $38,500 for an MS 68 without valid errors.