1953 Washington Quarter Proof
Proof struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 128,800 made
- Mintage
- 128,800
- 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 1953 Washington Quarter Proof worth?
Its silver content sets the floor. Collectors add a small premium on top for this issue. Condition decides how much.
What would make yours worth more:
- Grade and, for proofs, strong cameo contrast
- A die variety or minting error
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1953 Washington Quarter Proof rare?
- Not especially. The Mint made 128,800 for collectors. Most were kept in their original packaging.
- Is the 1953 Washington Quarter Proof silver?
- Yes. It's 90% silver, 10% copper and holds 0.1808 troy ounces of pure silver.
- Where is the mint mark on a 1953 Washington Quarter?
- On the reverse, below the wreath. No mint mark means Philadelphia.
- How many 1953 Washington Quarter proofs were made?
- 128,800.
What to check on your 1953
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- Judge the grade under good light. Wear starts on the hair above Washington's ear and on the eagle's breast feathers.
Proofs from 1953 come with and without frosted devices. Coins with strong contrast are labeled Cameo or Deep Cameo and are worth more.
The story of the 1953
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
Specifications
| Series | Washington Quarter (1932–1998) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1953 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Proof |
| Mintage | 128,800 |
| 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 1953 Washington Quarter issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 Washington Quarter | 18,536,120 | Circulation strike | 0.1808 oz |
| 1953 Washington Quarter Proof | 128,800 | Proof | 0.1808 oz |
| 1953-D Washington Quarter | 56,112,400 | Circulation strike | 0.1808 oz |
| 1953-S Washington Quarter | 14,016,000 | 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.