1955-D Washington Quarter
Circulation strike struck at the Denver Mint · 3,182,400 made
- Mintage
- 3,182,400
- 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 1955-D Washington Quarter worth?
It's scarcer than a typical date, so even circulated examples sell above face and above their metal value. The best uncirculated coins are where the money is.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- A die variety or minting error
- Certification by PCGS or NGC, which buyers expect for scarce dates
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1955-D Washington Quarter rare?
- Somewhat. 3,182,400 were made, fewer than most dates, so collectors treat it as a semi-key.
- Is the 1955-D 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 1955 Washington Quarter?
- On the reverse, below the wreath. On this coin the mark is D, for Denver.
- Which Denver dates near 1955 are scarcer?
- None. Within five years either side, no Denver issue had a smaller mintage than the 1955-D.
- How many 1955-D Washington Quarter coins were made?
- 3,182,400.
What to check on your 1955-D
- Make sure the mint mark really is a D. A worn or filled mark can be misread. It's what separates your coin from the 1955 (18 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 1955 Washington Quarter Proof (378,200 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.
Never clean it. Collectors pay strong premiums for original surfaces and natural toning on a date like this. A cleaned coin can lose half its value or more.
The story of the 1955-D
Production at Denver fell off a cliff in 1955. Only 3,182,400 were made, against 42 million the year before. That drop is why the 1955-D is the one people look for. In 1956 the figure was 32 million.
The other mint made far more that year: 1955 alone came to 18 million, roughly 5.7 for every 1955-D. If you're checking a pile of 1955 coins, the D is the one to look for. In the whole series, its mintage sits closest to the 1934-D (3,527,200) and the 1938-S (2,832,000).
Only the 1932-D and the 1940-D have a lower mintage among Denver's 60 Washington Quarters. No Washington Quarter of the 1950s had a smaller run.
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.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1955
Doubled hub impressions on one Philadelphia cent die produced the 1955 Doubled Die cent, one of the most famous US errors. It was also the last year San Francisco struck circulating cents until 1968.
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 | 1955 |
| Mint | Denver Mint |
| Mint mark | "D" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 3,182,400 |
| 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 1955 Washington Quarter issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 Washington Quarter | 18,180,181 | Circulation strike | 0.1808 oz |
| 1955 Washington Quarter Proof | 378,200 | Proof | 0.1808 oz |
| 1955-D Washington Quarter | 3,182,400 | 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.