1942 Quarter Value Checker: Errors List, “D”, “S” & No Mint Mark Worth

1942 quarter value ranges from $0.25 face value to $18,975. That record was a Grade 68 example sold through BM in April 2008. To find out what yours is worth, upload a photo of your coin below for a quick value range. You can also scroll down to see recent eBay sales and what buyers are actually paying right now.

 

1942 Quarter Value By Variety

The 1942 Washington Quarter comes in several varieties, and the right combination of mint mark and die characteristics can mean serious money.

If you know the grade of your coin, you can find the exact price below in the Value Guides section.

Also Read: Top 100 Most Valuable Modern Quarter Worth Money (1932 – Present)

 

Top 10 Most Valuable 1942 Quarter Worth Money

The coin sitting at the top of the list is a 1942-S graded MS-68. It hammered for $18,975 at Heritage Auctions in January 2004 — and nobody has topped that price for a business-strike 1942 quarter since. That’s twenty-plus years as the king of the hill. Meanwhile, a PCGS MS-68 Philadelphia coin with nice toning brought $8,718.75 at GreatCollections, proving even the “common” Philly issue can shock you in top-pop condition.

Error varieties punch well above their weight here too. The 1942-D Doubled Die Obverse (DDO) — with strong doubling visible on “LIBERTY” — trades for $225 or more even in VF grades and climbs past $8,000+ in Gem Uncirculated.

 

History of the 1942 Quarter

The 1942 Washington Quarter was struck during the first full year of America’s involvement in World War II. Pearl Harbor had just been attacked in December 1941, and the entire U.S. industrial machine was shifting to a wartime footing — including the Mint.

John Flanagan’s Washington design had been running since 1932, originally created for George Washington’s 200th birthday. By 1942, it was a familiar face in American pockets.

Here’s the wild part: total 1942 mintage across all three facilities hit nearly 140 million coins. That’s more than double the 1941 output of around 65 million. PCGS CoinFacts notes that 1942 was the first Washington quarter ever to exceed 100,000,000 coins in a single year at the Philadelphia Mint alone. Ironically, that huge number probably discouraged dealers from stashing rolls — which is why pristine Gem examples are surprisingly tough to find today.

Three mints were running: Philadelphia (no mint mark), Denver (D), and San Francisco (S). One more thing worth knowing — 1942 was the last year proof coins were struck before the war shut down proof production entirely. Proofs wouldn’t return until 1950.

Also Read: Top 30 Most Valuable State Quarter Worth Money (1999 – 2008)

 

Is Your 1942 Quarter Rare? Rarity Guide

The rankings here are a little counterintuitive. Philadelphia — the mint that cranked out 102 million coins — actually scores the highest rarity at 38, ranking 37th among all Washington quarters. That seems backwards until you realize that survival in high grades is what drives these scores, not raw mintage.

The 1942-D scores lowest at 31, landing in “Scarce” territory at rank 60. PCGS authority David Hall has noted that the 1942-D is “not a rarity in Gem condition” and turns up with frosty, attractive luster fairly often.

The 1942-S is the sleeper. Back in the 1950s and 1960s, PCGS CoinFacts records that the 1942-S was “considered the rarest Washington quarter of the 1940s.” Die erosion and repolishing at San Francisco left many coins poorly struck, so well-detailed high-grade survivors are genuinely scarce.

 

Key Features of the 1942 Quarter

By 1942, Flanagan’s Washington design was in its tenth year. All three mints — Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco — ran at full capacity to keep up with wartime demand. A special proof version was also struck for collectors.

The obverse of the 1942 quarter

The 1942 quarter obverse features George Washington’s profile surrounded by:

• LIBERTY from above
• 1942 (the date) from below
• IN GOD WE TRUST from the left. The JF initials are placed at the President’s neck base.

The reverse of the 1942 quarter

Flip it over and you’ll see the classic eagle design with these elements:

• A centrally positioned bald eagle with outstretched wings
• Two olive branches and arrows clutched in the eagle’s talons
• QUARTER DOLLAR
• UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
• E PLURIBUS UNUM
• The mint mark D, S, or blank space (for Philadelphia)

One helpful tip for beginners: the mint mark on a 1942 quarter is found on the reverse (back) of the coin, positioned just above the “R” in QUARTER and below the eagle’s tail. Philadelphia coins have no letter there at all.

Other features of the 1942 quarter

Every 1942 quarter is 90% silver, containing 0.1808 troy ounces/5.623 g of silver from a total coin weight of 0.20094 troy ounces/6.25 g. Face value is twenty-five cents.

These are round coins with a reeded edge, a thickness of 0.06870 inches/1.75 mm, and a standard diameter of 0.95669 inches/24.3 mm. Quick authentication trick: look at the edge. A silver coin shows a uniform white/silver band with no copper stripe. Modern clad quarters have a visible copper core sandwiched in there — if you see that, it’s not a 1942.

Also Read: Top 20 Most Valuable 1776-1976 Bicentennial Quarter

 

1942 Quarter Mintage & Survival Data

Philadelphia pumped out over 102 million coins. Denver and San Francisco added 17.4 million and 19.3 million respectively. To put that Philly number in perspective — if you stacked 102 million quarters, the pile would stretch over 100 miles high.

Despite those wildly different mintages, all three business strikes show roughly the same 10% survival rate. Silver price spikes in later decades sent millions of coins to the melting pot regardless of which mint made them.

The proof had a mintage of just 21,123 pieces — the highest annual proof output before wartime suspension halted proofs until 1950. About 35% survived, thanks to collectors treating them carefully from day one. That 8-year gap in proof production makes the 1942 proof a historically significant “last of its kind” coin.

Also Read: Top 100 Most Valuable Washington Quarter Worth Money (1932 – 1998)

 

The Easy Way to Know Your 1942 Quarter Value

Your 1942 quarter’s value starts around $12–$14 in average condition across all three mints (Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco), with uncirculated examples ranging from $16–$43, though rare varieties like the 1942-D Doubled Die Obverse can reach $8,000 or more in top grades.

Accurately assessing your coin requires identifying the mint mark (D, S, or none), checking for valuable error varieties like doubled dies, and determining the precise condition grade. The Coin Identifier and Value App instantly eliminates the complexity — simply photograph your 1942 quarter to receive AI-powered mint identification, error detection, professional-grade estimates, and current market valuations based on real auction data.

 

How to Grade Your 1942 Quarter Value

Before checking prices, you need to understand coin grading. Grading is the process of judging a coin’s condition on the Sheldon scale from 1 (Poor) to 70 (Perfect Mint State). Here’s what to look for on a 1942 Washington quarter specifically:

Start with the hair above Washington’s ear — that’s always the first spot to show wear. On an Uncirculated (MS) coin, those individual hair strands will be sharp and fully separated. At Extremely Fine (EF-40), you’ll notice slight flattening on the cheek and the highest hair curls starting to merge together.

For Mint State coins, check the open fields — the flat areas of the surface — for scratches and bag marks. MS grades run from MS-60 (no wear but plenty of contact marks) up to MS-70 (perfect). The value jumps between grades can be staggering: a 1942 Philadelphia MS-67 is worth around $550, while an MS-68 can fetch $8,500 or more.

I’d strongly recommend professional grading by PCGS or NGC for any 1942 quarter you think is worth $200 or more. Slabbed coins trade at higher prices because buyers trust the grade.

 

1942 Quarter Value Guides

1942 Quarter Categories:

• 1942 No Mint Mark Quarter (Philadelphia)
• 1942-D Quarter (Denver)
• 1942-S Quarter (San Francisco)
• 1942 Proof Quarter

Four categories to chase for a complete 1942 set. The Philadelphia issue is the easiest entry point thanks to its huge mintage. Denver and San Francisco add branch-mint variety with lower production numbers. The proof stands apart as a specially struck collector piece with mirror surfaces and sharp details — and it’s the last proof quarter before an 8-year wartime gap.

 

1942 No Mint Mark Quarter Value

Over 102 million struck — and yet this coin can still surprise you. That’s the paradox of the 1942 Philadelphia quarter.

As PCGS CoinFacts points out, the massive 100+ million mintage may have actually discouraged dealers from saving rolls at the time, making it “a bit of a sleeper in Gem condition.” Wartime production was rushed, so many coins came off the press weakly struck. Pristine MS-67 and MS-68 examples are far rarer than you’d expect from such a big mintage.

The proof? A PCGS MS-68 with attractive toning realized $8,718.75 at GreatCollections. For a coin most people dismiss as “common,” that’s a jaw-dropping result.

Here’s what recent auctions show for high-grade examples of this date.

Current market activity tells you how actively collectors are buying and selling this variety.

 

1942-D Quarter Value

Here’s something most collectors get wrong about the 1942-D: they assume lowest mintage means hardest to find. Not exactly. Denver’s 17,487,200 coins was indeed the smallest output that year, but the 1942-D is actually easier to find in Gem Mint State than you’d think. It’s in heavily circulated grades where this coin gets scarcer relative to the Philly issue.

That means a worn 1942-D is worth a slight premium over a worn Philadelphia coin, but in uncirculated condition the playing field levels out. Where things get really interesting is the Doubled Die Obverse variety — even in VF grades, a 1942-D DDO commands $225 or more. Cherrypicking these from raw lots is one of the most rewarding hunts in the series.

Recent auction results for Denver-minted 1942 quarters across all grades.

Trading activity and collector demand for this variety in recent months.

 

1942-S Quarter Value

If you only remember one thing about the 1942-S, make it this: strike quality is everything.

NGC has documented that the San Francisco Mint suffered from “die erosion and subsequent repolishing” in 1942 — the result of pushing dies too hard during the wartime production rush. Many 1942-S quarters came out with mushy details, especially in the eagle’s breast feathers and Washington’s hair. Finding a well-struck example in high Mint State grades is a completely different kind of rare compared to the mintage numbers alone.

Collectors should also know there are two known “S” mint mark styles on 1942-S quarters: Trumpet-Tail and Serif. They don’t carry a meaningful premium difference right now, but they’re worth noting as die varieties. We think the Trumpet-Tail is the more interesting of the two.

Auction records showing what collectors actually pay for top-condition examples.

Recent trading volume and collector interest for this wartime San Francisco issue.

 

1942 Proof Quarter Value

Want a coin with mirror fields and razor-sharp details from 1942? This is your only option — and it’s the last proof Washington quarter before an 8-year gap.

“Proof” means the dies were polished to create those mirror-like background fields, while the raised design elements got a contrasting treatment. On most 1942 proofs, those raised devices appear brilliant rather than frosted. That matters because collectors specifically hunt for “Cameo” (CAM) or “Deep Cameo” (DCAM) examples where the devices show heavy white frost against the mirror fields. Here’s the kicker: PCGS population records confirm that zero 1942 Washington quarters have ever been designated as DCAM or CAM by either major grading service. None. Finding even a hint of frost on a 1942 proof is extraordinary.

Values run from $24 at PR-60 all the way to $16,800 for the finest known PR-69 (sold in a 2021 auction). Most examples you’ll encounter grade between PR-64 and PR-66.

Auction performance for these specially struck collector pieces.

Recent market activity and trading interest for the 1942 proof quarter.

Also Read: What Quarters Are Worth Money

 

1942 Quarter Silver Melt Value: What Every Coin Is Worth at Minimum

Every 1942 quarter — Philadelphia, Denver, or San Francisco — contains exactly 0.1808 troy ounces of pure silver. That’s your price floor no matter what.

Multiply 0.1808 by the current silver spot price to get your coin’s minimum melt value. With silver at approximately $30 per troy ounce, that works out to roughly $5.42 per coin. When silver climbs, so does your floor.

This is why even a beat-up 1942 quarter in Poor condition is always worth at least melt value — typically above $5. It also means paying for professional grading on a coin worth less than $5–$6 makes zero financial sense.

 

Rare 1942 Quarter Error List

Wartime production pressure created some fantastic minting mistakes on 1942 quarters. Mint workers were running hard to meet circulation demands, and the errors they left behind are now some of the most collectible varieties in the Washington quarter series.

You’ll find doubled dies (DDO/DDR) and repunched mintmarks (RPM) on this list. A quick note on doubled dies: the doubling happens during creation of the working die itself, not when individual coins are struck. Every coin from that flawed die shows the same doubling pattern.

1. 1942 Doubled Die Obverse (FS-101) Errors

This is the big one for Philadelphia. The FS-101 shows dramatic doubling on “LIBERTY” and “IN GOD WE TRUST” — the working die took multiple impressions from the master die at slightly different angles.

FS stands for “Fly-In Special,” a reference from the Cherrypickers’ Guide. This variety is listed in the Red Book, so virtually every Washington quarter collector knows about it and actively hunts for it. The doubling is also visible on Washington’s hair details and the date. You can often spot it with the naked eye, no loupe needed.

2. 1942 Doubled Die Reverse (FS-801 To FS-803) Errors

Three distinct reverse doubled die varieties exist for 1942: FS-801, FS-802, and FS-803. Each shows doubling in different spots.

FS-801 hits the eagle’s wing feathers and tail. FS-802 shows up mainly in “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and “QUARTER DOLLAR.” FS-803 affects the olive branch and arrows. These are subtler than the obverse varieties, so you’ll need a loupe and good lighting. Specialists who focus on Washington quarter die varieties prize these — they’re tougher to cherrypick, which makes finding one all the more satisfying.

3. 1942-D Doubled Die Obverse (DDO) Errors

I consider this one of the most important DDO varieties in the entire Washington quarter series. It’s listed in the Official Red Book, which means broad collector demand and strong liquidity at every grade level.

Look for strong separation on the word “LIBERTY” — you can often catch it with a basic loupe or even the naked eye. Even in VF grades, this coin routinely trades for $225 or more. Denver DDO varieties are generally scarcer than Philadelphia counterparts, so finding one in a raw group of 1942-D quarters is a real score.

Use our Coin Identifier and Value App to instantly identify and appraise your 1942-D doubled die quarters with precision.

4. 1942-D Doubled Die Reverse (DDR) Errors

The 1942-D DDR shows doubling on the reverse, especially in the eagle’s feathers and surrounding inscriptions. Check “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and “QUARTER DOLLAR” for a slightly blurred or shadowed look.

Denver doubled die reverse errors are considerably scarcer than Philadelphia versions. Always examine both sides of your 1942-D quarters under good lighting with a loupe — you might have a DDR and not even know it.

5. 1942-S Repunched Mintmark (FS-501) Errors

Before 1990, mint marks were hand-punched into each working die with a mallet. If the punch shifted between blows, you’d get a doubled or overlapping mint mark. That’s exactly what happened here.

On this FS-501 variety, traces of the original “S” position are visible beneath or next to the final placement. You’ll need magnification — the secondary punch impression can be subtle. These RPM varieties are collectible both for the wartime connection and because San Francisco errors from this period don’t turn up often.

Also Read: 20 Rare Washington Quarter Errors Worth Money (Full List with Pictures)

 

Where to Sell Your 1942 Quarter

Consider reputable coin dealers, certified auction houses like Heritage Auctions or Stack’s Bowers Galleries, online platforms such as eBay, or local coin shops for selling your 1942 quarter.

Check out now: Best Places To Sell Coins Online (Pros & Cons)

 

1942 Quarter Market Trend

*Market Trend Chart showing the number of people paying attention to this coin.

 

FAQ About the 1942 Quarter Value

1. Is there anything special about a 1942 quarter?

Absolutely. Every 1942 quarter is 90% silver, so it has real precious metal value as junk silver. It was struck during the first full year of U.S. involvement in World War II. The 1942 proof was the last proof Washington quarter before an 8-year wartime hiatus. High-grade examples and error varieties like the FS-101 DDO can sell for thousands at auction.

2. Are 1942 coins rare?

Not in lower grades — they’re easy to find circulated. But above MS-65, they get scarce fast. The San Francisco issue is especially tough to find well-struck due to die erosion issues documented by NGC. Error varieties like the 1942-D DDO (a Red Book variety) and proof coins are genuinely scarce, with top-grade specimens being exceptionally hard to locate.

3. How much is a 1942 Washington Quarter worth?

A typical circulated example runs $6–$15, mostly based on silver content. High-grade coins are a different story — the finest known 1942-S MS-68 sold for $18,975 at Heritage Auctions in January 2004, a record that still stands.

4. What does the “MS” grade on a 1942 quarter mean?

“MS” stands for Mint State — never circulated, no wear. The scale runs from MS-60 (lots of bag marks but no wear) to MS-70 (perfect). The value jumps are dramatic: an MS-65 Philadelphia 1942 quarter may sell for around $30, an MS-67 can fetch $550, and an MS-68 has sold for over $8,000 at auction.

5. Can I still find a 1942 quarter in circulation today?

Extremely unlikely. Silver quarters were pulled from circulation after 1964 when the Mint switched to copper-nickel clad. Silver prices rose enough that the coins were worth more melted than spent, and most vanished quickly. Your best bet today is old coin rolls, estate sales, or inherited collections.

6. What is the 1942 proof quarter, and how is it different from a regular 1942 quarter?

Proof coins are specially made for collectors, not for circulation. The dies are polished to a mirror finish, and coins are struck multiple times at slow speeds for maximum detail. The result is mirror-bright fields and razor-sharp devices. Only 21,123 proofs were made in 1942 — tiny compared to the 102+ million Philadelphia business strikes. Values range from $24 at low grades to $16,800 for the finest known (PR-69, sold 2021).

7. How do I find the mint mark on a 1942 quarter?

Flip it to the reverse (eagle side). Look just above the letter “R” in QUARTER, directly below the eagle’s tail. A “D” means Denver, an “S” means San Francisco, and no letter means Philadelphia. Note: Philadelphia didn’t use a “P” mint mark on quarters until 1980, so no letter = Philly.

8. Is the 1942-D Doubled Die Obverse worth getting professionally graded?

Yes — no question. It’s a Red Book variety with broad collector demand and strong liquidity at all grades. Even in VF condition it trades for $225 or more; in Gem Uncirculated the value can reach $8,000+. Any coin worth $200+ raw benefits from PCGS or NGC certification. The attribution itself adds value because most buyers trust certified attributions over self-identified varieties.

9. What are the most common problems that reduce a 1942 quarter’s value?

Cleaning is the biggest value killer — look for hairline swirl marks under magnification and an unnatural flat appearance. Environmental damage (dark spots, pitting, corrosion) and physical damage (scratches, rim dings, holes) also hurt badly. PCGS and NGC label problem coins as “Details” grades without a clean numerical score. A problem-free original coin — even a well-worn one — always beats a polished-up problem piece.

10. What should I look for to identify a valuable 1942-S quarter?

Strike quality. Because of die erosion at San Francisco, many 1942-S quarters are mushy — especially in the eagle’s breast feathers and Washington’s hair. A well-struck example with sharp feather separation on the reverse and crisp hair curls on the obverse is worth significantly more. Look for original luster with no cleaning, and ideally a PCGS or NGC certified grade of MS-65 or higher. In MS-68 condition, a single coin has sold for nearly $19,000.