1944-S Washington Quarter
Circulation strike struck at the San Francisco Mint · 12,560,000 made
- Mintage
- 12,560,000
- 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 1944-S 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 1944-S Washington Quarter rare?
- No. 13 million were made, a typical run for the series. Condition and varieties decide its value, not the date.
- Is the 1944-S 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 1944 Washington Quarter?
- On the reverse, below the wreath. On this coin the mark is S, for San Francisco.
- Which San Francisco dates near 1944 are scarcer?
- The 1939-S at 2,628,000, the 1946-S at 4,204,000, the 1947-S at 5,532,000, plus 1 more. So the 1944-S is on the scarcer side for those years.
- How many 1944-S Washington Quarter coins were made?
- 12,560,000.
What to check on your 1944-S
- Make sure the mint mark really is an S. A worn or filled mark can be misread. It's what separates your coin from the 1944-D (15 million made).
- Don't clean it. Cleaning leaves fine scratches and an unnatural shine that collectors avoid.
- 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 1944-S
San Francisco made 12,560,000 in 1944, down from 22 million in 1943. The next year it made 17 million (1945-S).
The other mints made far more that year: 1944 alone came to 105 million, roughly 8.4 for every 1944-S. That makes the 1944-S the scarcer 1944 coin, though still a common one.
San Francisco struck the Washington Quarter in 20 issues between 1932 and 1954. By mintage this one lands in the more common half, while the key for that mint is the 1932-S (408,000). Within the 1940s it's 9th smallest of 29, between the 1945-D (12 million) and the 1944-D (15 million).
Wartime quarters in record numbers (1941 to 1945)
World War II brought full employment and heavy coin demand. Philadelphia's output jumped from 35.7 million in 1940 to 79 million in 1941 and passed 100 million in 1942 and 1944, while Denver and San Francisco struck between about 12 and 21.7 million each year. Unlike the nickel, the quarter kept its 90 percent silver composition throughout the war.
Doubled die obverses are known for the 1942-D and 1943-S. A 1943 Philadelphia doubled die also exists. Proof quarters ended after 1942 and did not return until 1950. Most wartime quarters circulated hard and now turn up in silver lots with moderate wear. Uncirculated rolls were saved in quantity, so even the branch mint dates of these years are available in mint state.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1944
Cents went back to a copper alloy, partly made from recycled cartridge cases ("shell-case brass"). A few leftover steel planchets produced the rare 1944 steel cents.
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 | 1944 |
| Mint | San Francisco Mint |
| Mint mark | "S" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 12,560,000 |
| 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 1944 Washington Quarter issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1944 Washington Quarter | 104,956,000 | Circulation strike | 0.1808 oz |
| 1944-D Washington Quarter | 14,600,800 | Circulation strike | 0.1808 oz |
| 1944-S Washington Quarter | 12,560,000 | 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.