Is the 1951-S Washington Quarter rare?

Not in absolute terms: 9 million were made. It is one of the smaller runs in the series, though, so uncirculated examples are worth a little more than most dates.

Is the 1951-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 1951 Washington Quarter?

On the reverse, below the wreath. On this coin the mark is S, for San Francisco.

Which San Francisco dates near 1951 are scarcer?

The 1946-S at 4,204,000, the 1947-S at 5,532,000. So the 1951-S is on the scarcer side for those years.

Washington Quarter · Quarters

1951-S Washington Quarter

Circulation strike struck at the San Francisco Mint · 9,048,000 made

Silver

Mintage: 9,048,000
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.

Pure silver0.1808troy oz

Value band: Metal value

Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.

What is a 1951-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 1951-S Washington Quarter rare?: Not in absolute terms: 9 million were made. It is one of the smaller runs in the series, though, so uncirculated examples are worth a little more than most dates.
Is the 1951-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 1951 Washington Quarter?: On the reverse, below the wreath. On this coin the mark is S, for San Francisco.
Which San Francisco dates near 1951 are scarcer?: The 1946-S at 4,204,000, the 1947-S at 5,532,000. So the 1951-S is on the scarcer side for those years.
How many 1951-S Washington Quarter coins were made?: 9,048,000.

What to check on your 1951-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 1951-D (35 million made).
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 1951 Washington Quarter Proof (57,500 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 1951-S

San Francisco made 9,048,000 in 1951, down from 10 million in 1950. The next year it made 14 million (1952-S).

1951-D came to 35 million and 1951 came to 43 million, so neither mint's 1951 coin is much scarcer than the other.

San Francisco struck the Washington Quarter in 20 issues between 1932 and 1954. By mintage this one lands in the scarcer half, while the key for that mint is the 1932-S (408,000). Within the 1950s it's 3rd smallest of 25, between the 1958 (6.4 million) and the 1950-S (10 million).

Postwar silver to the end (1946 to 1964)

Production slowed after the war. San Francisco made no quarters in 1949 and struck its last S-marked circulating quarters in 1954. The 1955-D, at 3,182,400, is the lowest mintage of these years. The 1958 Philadelphia run of 6,360,000 is also low. The 1950-D/S and 1950-S/D varieties show one mint mark punched over another and are the best known varieties of the period.

Mintages rose through the late 1950s and early 1960s, then exploded in 1964 when more than 1.26 billion were struck at Philadelphia and Denver. Quarters dated 1964 continued to be made into 1966 to frustrate hoarders. Proofs resumed in 1950 and topped one million in most years from 1957. Every quarter of these years is 90 percent silver and weighs 6.25 grams. Worn examples still turn up in old jars and are usually sold for their silver.

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

Washington Quarter mintages, 1951-S highlightedLog scale · hover or tap a bar · 1932–1998

Specifications

Series	Washington Quarter (1932–1998)
Year	1951
Mint	San Francisco Mint
Mint mark	"S"
Strike type	Circulation strike
Mintage	9,048,000
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 1951 Washington Quarter issues

Coin	Mintage	Type	Silver
1951 Washington Quarter	43,448,102	Circulation strike	0.1808 oz
1951 Washington Quarter Proof	57,500	Proof	0.1808 oz
1951-D Washington Quarter	35,354,800	Circulation strike	0.1808 oz
1951-S Washington Quarter	9,048,000	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.