1972-D Washington Quarter
Circulation strike struck at the Denver Mint · 311,067,732 made
- Mintage
- 311,067,732
- Metal
- Copper core clad in 75% copper / 25% nickel
- Weight
- 5.67 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 1972-D Washington Quarter worth?
In circulated condition it's worth face value. Only uncirculated coins with full original luster, or a recognized variety, carry a premium.
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 1972-D Washington Quarter rare?
- No. 311 million were made, a typical run for the series. Condition and varieties decide its value, not the date.
- Is the 1972-D Washington Quarter silver?
- No. It's copper core clad in 75% copper / 25% nickel. Quarters dated 1964 and earlier are 90% silver.
- Where is the mint mark on a 1972 Washington Quarter?
- On the obverse, to the right of the ribbon behind Washington's hair. "P" appears from 1980. On this coin the mark is D, for Denver.
- Which Denver dates near 1972 are scarcer?
- The 1968-D at 101,534,000, the 1969-D at 114,372,000, the 1973-D at 232,977,400, plus 2 more. So the 1972-D is one of the easier dates of its stretch.
- How many 1972-D Washington Quarter coins were made?
- 311,067,732.
What to check on your 1972-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 1972 (215 million made).
- Proof or circulation strike? A proof has mirror-like fields and frosted design details and was sold to collectors, not released in change. The 1972-S Washington Quarter Proof (3,260,996 made) is the one to compare with.
- A face that's fully copper colored could be a missing clad layer error. Patchy discoloration is usually damage.
- Judge the grade under good light. Wear starts on the hair above Washington's ear and on the eagle's breast feathers.
With 311 million made, the 1972-D still turns up in everyday change. Keep yours only if it looks uncirculated or shows a variety; otherwise it's worth face value.
The story of the 1972-D
Output at Denver climbed to 311,067,732 in 1972, from 259 million the year before. The next year it made 233 million (1973-D).
1972 came to 215 million, so neither mint's 1972 coin is much scarcer than the other.
Denver struck the Washington Quarter in 60 issues between 1932 and 1998. By mintage this one lands in the more common half, while the key for that mint is the 1932-D (436,800). Within the 1970s it's 8th smallest of 16, between the 1978-D (287 million) and the 1973 (347 million).
Clad quarters and the mint mark move (1965 to 1974)
The 1965 quarter dropped silver for a pure copper core clad in copper-nickel, weighing 5.67 grams. No mint marks were used from 1965 through 1967 and Special Mint Sets replaced proof sets. Philadelphia, Denver and San Francisco all struck circulation quarters in those years, so the mint of an individual coin cannot be identified.
From 1968 the mint mark moved to the obverse, to the right of Washington's ribbon. San Francisco took over proof production that year. Transitional errors such as 1965 quarters struck on 90 percent silver planchets are rare and are confirmed by weight. Denver struck more than 417 million quarters in 1970. The 1974 issue was the last with the eagle reverse before the bicentennial design. No quarter carries a 1975 date.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1972
Doubled dies at Philadelphia produced the 1972 Doubled Die cent, the most widely known modern doubled die after 1955.
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 | 1972 |
| Mint | Denver Mint |
| Mint mark | "D" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 311,067,732 |
| Face value | 25¢ |
| Composition | Copper core clad in 75% copper / 25% nickel |
| Weight | 5.67 grams |
| Diameter | 24.26 mm |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Designer | John Flanagan |
Other 1972 Washington Quarter issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 Washington Quarter | 215,048,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1972-D Washington Quarter | 311,067,732 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1972-S Washington Quarter Proof | 3,260,996 | Proof | – |
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.