1938 Washington Quarter
Circulation strike struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 9,472,000 made
- Mintage
- 9,472,000
- Metal
- 90% silver, 10% copper
- Weight
- 6.25 g
- Diameter
- 24.26 mm
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 1938 Washington Quarter worth?
In worn condition it trades for about its silver content, 0.1808 troy ounces. Uncirculated coins with full luster or attractive toning sell for more.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- A die variety or minting error
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1938 Washington Quarter rare?
- Not by date: 9.5 million were struck. A sharp uncirculated coin or a known variety is what makes one special.
- Is the 1938 Washington Quarter silver?
- Yes. It's 90% silver, 10% copper and holds 0.1808 troy ounces of pure silver.
- Where is the mint mark on a 1938 Washington Quarter?
- On the reverse, below the wreath. No mint mark means Philadelphia.
- Which Philadelphia dates near 1938 are scarcer?
- None. Within five years either side, no Philadelphia issue had a smaller mintage than the 1938.
- How many 1938 Washington Quarter coins were made?
- 9,472,000.
What to check on your 1938
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- Don't clean it. Cleaning leaves fine scratches and an unnatural shine that collectors avoid.
- Proof or circulation strike? A proof has mirror-like fields and frosted design details and was sold to collectors, not released in change. The 1938 Washington Quarter Proof (8,045 made) is the one to compare with.
- Judge the grade under good light. Wear starts on the hair above Washington's ear and on the eagle's breast feathers.
Circulated examples are usually traded for their silver content. Pick out the best ones: original luster and attractive toning lift a coin above melt, while cleaned coins lose most of their collector value.
The story of the 1938
Output at Philadelphia slipped to 9,472,000 in 1938, from 20 million the year before. In 1939 the figure was 34 million.
It was the big producer of the year, well ahead of 1938-S (2.8 million).
Across Philadelphia's 64 Washington Quarter issues, the hardest to find is the 1932 with 5,404,000 made. The 1938 is on the scarcer side of the middle. Within the 1930s it's 14th smallest of 19, between the 1937-D (7.2 million) and the 1937 (20 million).
A bicentennial tribute becomes permanent (1932 to 1940)
The Washington quarter was introduced in 1932 for the 200th anniversary of George Washington's birth. John Flanagan's portrait is based on Jean-Antoine Houdon's bust, while the eagle reverse carries the mint mark below the wreath. Philadelphia struck 5.4 million, but Denver and San Francisco made only 436,800 and 408,000. Those two branch mint coins are the keys of the series.
No quarters were struck in 1933 during the Depression. The 1934 Philadelphia coins come with light and heavy motto styles, plus a doubled die obverse with strong doubling in IN GOD WE TRUST. Other scarce dates include the 1936-D, 1937-S and 1938-S. Denver made no quarters in 1938. Proof quarters were offered again from 1936. A 1937 doubled die obverse is another recognized variety of the period.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1938
Felix Schlag's Jefferson nickel replaced the Buffalo nickel after a public design competition.
How to recognize it
John Flanagan's portrait shows George Washington facing left with LIBERTY above, IN GOD WE TRUST to the left and the date below. The reverse shows an eagle standing on a bundle of arrows above two olive branches, with QUARTER DOLLAR along the bottom. The mint mark was below the wreath on the reverse until 1964 and on the obverse behind Washington's hair from 1968.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Washington Quarter (1932–1998) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1938 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 9,472,000 |
| Face value | 25¢ |
| Composition | 90% silver, 10% copper |
| Weight | 6.25 grams |
| Diameter | 24.26 mm |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Silver content | 0.1808 troy oz (5.625 g) |
| Designer | John Flanagan |
Other 1938 Washington Quarter issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 Washington Quarter | 9,472,000 | Circulation strike | 0.1808 oz |
| 1938 Washington Quarter Proof | 8,045 | Proof | 0.1808 oz |
| 1938-S Washington Quarter | 2,832,000 | Circulation strike | 0.1808 oz |
Mintage: Washington quarter mintage figures (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.