Obverse. Photo © NumisCorner.com
  • 25 Cents 1932-1964, KM# 164, United States of America (USA)
  • 25 Cents 1932-1964, KM# 164, United States of America (USA)
  • 25 Cents 1932-1964, KM# 164, United States of America (USA), Motto comparison
  • 25 Cents 1932-1964, KM# 164, United States of America (USA), Doubled Die Obverse
  • 25 Cents 1932-1964, KM# 164, United States of America (USA), D/S mint variety
Description

A quarter, short for quarter dollar, is a U.S. coin worth 25 cents, one-fourth of a dollar. It has been produced since 1796. The choice of 1⁄4 as a denomination — as opposed to the 1⁄5 more common elsewhere — originated with the practice of dividing Spanish milled dollars into eight wedge-shaped segments. At one time "two bits" (that is, two "pieces of eight") was a common nickname for a quarter.

The Washington Quarter Dollar of 1932 was originally intended to be a commemorative coin to celebrate the 200th anniversary of George Washington's birth. The coin proved so popular that the design was continued as a regular-issue for circulation beginning in 1934.

Obverse

A head of Washington facing left, with "Liberty" above the head, the date below, and "In God We Trust" in the left field.

George Washington was the first President of the United States (1789–97), the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States.

Designer John Flanagan from a 1786 bust by Houdon / William Cousins. The Mint repeatedly adjusted the design. In the first three years of striking (1932, 1934 and 1935), three different varieties of the obverse are known. They are generally called after the appearance of "in god we trust", to the left of Washington's head: the Light Motto, Medium Motto, and Heavy Motto. The Heavy Motto apparently proved most satisfactory to the Mint, as beginning in 1936, only pieces bearing the Heavy Motto were struck. Major varieties include several Doubled Die Obverses.

The obverse was modified six times. One revision, in 1944, left Flanagan's initials, on the cutoff of the bust, distorted; this was adjusted the following year. Beginning in 1937, and continuing until the end of silver circulation production with pieces dated 1964, a very slightly different reverse was used for proof coins, as opposed to circulation pieces. This is most evident in examining the letters "es" in "States" which almost touch on circulation strikes, and display a separation on proofs.

LIBERTY
IN GOD WE
TRUST
JF
1962

Reverse

An eagle with wings outspread perches on a bundle of arrows framed below by two olive branches.

There are some Over-Mintmark varieties (D/S, S/D and S/S). On these varieties, the mint mark looks like a D over S (or viсe versa), with the top and left of the S appearing underneath the upper left side of the final D.

E Pluribus Unum — Latin for "Out of many, one" — is a phrase on the Seal of the United States. Never codified by law, E Pluribus Unum was considered a de facto motto of the United States until 1956 when the United States Congress passed an act (H. J. Resolution 396), adopting "In God We Trust" as the official motto.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
E PLURIBUS
UNUM
D
QUARTER DOLLAR

Edge

119 reeds

25 Cents

Washington Silver Quarter
KM# 164 Schön# 168
Characteristics
Material Silver
Fineness 0.900
Weight 6.3 g
Diameter 24.3 mm
Thickness 1.75 mm
Shape round
Alignment Coin
Mints
Denver Mint (D)
Philadelphia Mint (no mintmark)
San Francisco Mint (S)
San Francisco Mint (no mintmark)

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