1944 Washington Quarter Coin Value: How Much Is It Worth?
A 1944 Washington quarter is a 90% silver coin struck during the height of World War II production. Guide estimates start around $16.43 for a well-worn example and reach roughly $54 for a selected uncirculated piece at the MS65 level, depending on mint and grade.
These are retail estimates from USA Coin Book, not guaranteed sale prices. All three mints — Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco — produced business strikes only; no proofs were made in 1944.
Fast Way to Identify Your 1944 Washington Quarter
The quickest way to get a preliminary identification of your 1944 quarter is to upload clear photos of the front and back. That lets us check the mintmark, assess surface condition, and flag anything unusual.
Good lighting and a steady shot help — try to capture the full rim on both sides.
1944 Washington Quarter Value
Upload both sides of your 1944 Washington Quarter.
Front Obverse
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Back Reverse
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Which 1944 Washington Quarter Versions Are Worth Money?
- All three mints produced silver business strikes — check the mintmark under the wreath to identify Philadelphia (blank), Denver (D), or San Francisco (S).
- Uncirculated examples with original luster are where the real premium lives; a worn 1944 quarter is common regardless of mint.
- The 1944-D Doubled Die Obverse is a confirmed die variety that has sold for $360 in MS66 at auction.
- A cracked planchet or struck-through error on a Philadelphia coin has documented auction sales — condition and visibility drive the premium.
- Repunched mintmark, off-center, clipped planchet, wrong planchet, and repunched date varieties have been reported for 1944 quarters.
Step 1: Identify Your 1944 Washington Quarter Mint Mark and Version
Start with the date on the obverse — you are looking for a clear "1944." Next, flip the coin over and look below the wreath on the reverse. A small "D" means Denver, an "S" means San Francisco, and no letter at all means Philadelphia.
All genuine 1944 quarters share the same composition: 90% silver and 10% copper, weighing about 6.25 grams with a diameter of roughly 24.3 mm. If your coin feels unusually light or the wrong color, that is worth investigating — it could be damaged, plated, or something more unusual.
There is no proof version for 1944. Proof production had been suspended during the war years, so every authentic 1944 quarter you encounter is a business strike.
A blank mintmark area on a Philadelphia coin is normal, not an error.
Coin Value Lookup is a useful starting point if you want to look up guides for other dates or denominations in the Washington quarter series. You can compare your coin against multiple years quickly.
Step 2: Check Your 1944 Washington Quarter Grade
Focus on three key areas when judging wear. On the obverse, examine the hair detail above Washington's ear and along the cheek and jawline — these are the first spots to lose definition.
On the reverse, the eagle's breast feathers flatten quickly with circulation.
The difference between a weak strike and actual wear is luster. A weakly struck coin can still show original mint sheen in the fields, while a worn coin loses that reflective surface along with the detail.
Look at the comparison image to see these stages side by side.
Check the fields carefully for hairline scratches that suggest cleaning, and inspect the rims for nicks and contact marks. Cleaning drops a coin's desirability significantly, even if the remaining detail looks strong.
An honest, original surface in lower grade often beats a scrubbed coin that appears higher.
Step 3: Check 1944 Washington Quarter Value by Mint and Version
1944 Washington Quarter
The 1944 Philadelphia quarter carries no mintmark — the space below the reverse wreath is simply blank. It is a 90% silver business strike weighing about 6.25 grams.
USA Coin Book estimates place this coin at roughly $16.43 in G4 (a heavily worn but readable grade), around $20 at MS60 (uncirculated but with noticeable contact marks), and about $41 at MS65 (a sharply struck gem with minimal blemishes). Wartime output was enormous, so circulated examples are plentiful.
The premium shows up in coins that survived without bag marks or cleaning.
| Range | Grade | Price | Auction Records | Appraisal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PO | PO 1 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| FR | FR 2 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| AG | AG 3 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| G | G 4 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| G 6 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| VG | VG 8 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| VG 10 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| F | F 12 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| F 15 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| VF | VF 20 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| VF 25 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| VF 30 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| VF 35 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| XF | XF 40 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| XF 45 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| AU | AU 50 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| AU 53 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| AU 55 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| AU 58 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| MS | MS 60 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| MS 61 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| MS 62 | Coin Identifier | |||
| MS 63 | Coin Identifier | |||
| MS 64 | Coin Identifier | |||
| MS 65 | Coin Identifier | |||
| MS 66 | Coin Identifier | |||
| MS 67 | Coin Identifier | |||
| MS 68 | Coin Identifier | |||
| MS 69 | — | — | — | |
| MS 70 | — | — | — |
1944 Washington Quarter — D
Look for a small "D" mintmark below the wreath on the reverse. The 1944-D is the same 90% silver composition and weight as its Philadelphia sibling.
Guide estimates from USA Coin Book run about $16.43 in G4, roughly $28 at MS60, and around $54 at MS65 — the highest of the three mints at that gem level. That MS65 premium reflects the difficulty of finding Denver-mint coins with clean, well-struck surfaces at the gem tier.
A confirmed doubled die obverse variety also exists for this date and mint, which adds a separate layer of collectibility beyond the ordinary issue.
| Range | Grade | Price | Auction Records | Appraisal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PO | PO 1 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| FR | FR 2 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| AG | AG 3 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| G | G 4 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| G 6 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| VG | VG 8 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| VG 10 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| F | F 12 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| F 15 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| VF | VF 20 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| VF 25 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| VF 30 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| VF 35 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| XF | XF 40 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| XF 45 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| AU | AU 50 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| AU 53 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| AU 55 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| AU 58 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| MS | MS 60 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| MS 61 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| MS 62 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| MS 63 | Coin Identifier | |||
| MS 64 | Coin Identifier | |||
| MS 65 | Coin Identifier | |||
| MS 66 | Coin Identifier | |||
| MS 67 | Coin Identifier | |||
| MS 68 | Coin Identifier | |||
| MS 69 | — | — | — | |
| MS 70 | — | — | — |
1944 Washington Quarter — S
The 1944-S carries a small "S" mintmark below the reverse wreath. Same silver alloy, same weight, same business-strike finish as the other two mints.
USA Coin Book estimates are about $16.43 in G4, approximately $26 at MS60, and around $46 at MS65. In low grades, all three mints trade at essentially the same level because the silver content provides a floor.
The separation happens in uncirculated condition, where the San Francisco issue sits between the Philadelphia and Denver coins at MS65.
| Range | Grade | Price | Auction Records | Appraisal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PO | PO 1 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| FR | FR 2 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| AG | AG 3 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| G | G 4 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| G 6 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| VG | VG 8 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| VG 10 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| F | F 12 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| F 15 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| VF | VF 20 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| VF 25 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| VF 30 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| VF 35 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| XF | XF 40 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| XF 45 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| AU | AU 50 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| AU 53 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| AU 55 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| AU 58 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| MS | MS 60 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| MS 61 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| MS 62 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| MS 63 | Coin Identifier | |||
| MS 64 | Coin Identifier | |||
| MS 65 | Coin Identifier | |||
| MS 66 | Coin Identifier | |||
| MS 67 | Coin Identifier | |||
| MS 68 | Coin Identifier | |||
| MS 69 | — | — | — | |
| MS 70 | — | — | — |
1944 Washington Quarter Error List
1. 1944 Washington Quarter — Doubled Die Obverse
A doubled die obverse has been attributed on the 1944-D quarter. This is a genuine die variety where the hub impressed the die twice in slightly different positions, leaving raised duplicate contours on obverse design elements.
Under magnification, look for repeated outlines on letters or date digits that appear raised and sharp — not flat or shelf-like. Machine doubling, which is far more common, produces a flattened, shelf-like appearance on the displaced image rather than a crisp secondary outline.
A PCGS-attributed example in MS66 sold for $360 at Heritage Auctions in March 2018. That is a single recorded specimen result at a very high grade, not a broad market price.
Wear, scratches, or added metal do not replicate the die-made pattern, so careful comparison under magnification is essential before drawing conclusions.
2. 1944 Washington Quarter — Cracked Planchet
A cracked planchet error occurs when the coin blank develops a fissure before or during striking. On the 1944 Philadelphia quarter, a PCGS-graded VF30 example with this error sold for $53 at Heritage Auctions in September 2024.
The key diagnostic is a genuine crack running through the body of the coin — not just a raised line on the surface (that would be a die crack, which is a different thing entirely). The fissure may be visible at the rim or within the field, and the metal along its edges should show evidence of having been struck in that condition.
Post-mint damage like cutting, grinding, or impact splitting can mimic a cracked planchet. A genuine example will show the crack interacting with the struck design in a way that random damage does not.
The $53 result is for that specific VF30 specimen.
3. 1944 Washington Quarter — Reverse Struck-Through
A struck-through error happens when foreign material — grease, cloth, wire, or other debris — sits between the die and the planchet during striking. The result is an incuse disruption on the coin's surface where the design failed to fully impress.
On the 1944 Philadelphia quarter, an NGC AU58 example with a reverse struck-through sold for $174 at Heritage Auctions in November 2020. That price reflects one specific specimen at a high circulated grade.
To identify this error, compare the disrupted area against the adjacent undisturbed design. The struck-through zone should show interrupted metal flow from the moment of striking, distinct from sharp post-mint gouges or corrosion pitting.
The foreign material does not need to remain attached to the coin. Post-mint cutting, engraving, or polishing can create similar-looking impressions, so matching the disruption to a strike-made feature is critical.
4. 1944 Washington Quarter — Wrong Planchet / Off-Metal Strike
A wrong planchet error means the 1944 quarter die struck a blank intended for a different coin. This is among the more dramatic mint errors because the resulting coin can differ visibly in size, weight, color, or edge characteristics from a normal quarter.
To evaluate a suspected wrong-planchet strike, weigh the coin carefully and measure its diameter. Compare the edge type and completeness of the design impression against a normal 1944 quarter (6.25 g, roughly 24.3 mm, reeded edge, 90% silver).
A genuine off-metal strike will show consistent differences across all these characteristics.
Plating, corrosion, acid treatments, and deliberate alteration can make a normal coin look abnormal. Condition, the specific planchet involved, and how much of the design transferred all affect value individually — no single price range applies here.
5. 1944 Washington Quarter — Off-Center Strike
An off-center strike occurs when the planchet is not properly seated between the dies, shifting the design to one side and leaving an unstruck crescent of blank metal. The 1944 quarter has been reported with this error.
The percentage of off-center displacement and whether the date remains visible are the two biggest factors in collectibility. A 5% shift barely catches the eye; a 50% shift with a readable date is a different story entirely.
Distinguish a genuine off-center strike from a clipped planchet (which removes metal but keeps the design centered) or post-mint flattening (which distorts without leaving an unstruck crescent). Value depends on the severity, the condition of the struck portion, and the visibility of identifying features.
No specific price range is available for this category.
6. 1944 Washington Quarter — Repunched Mintmark
A repunched mintmark variety has been reported on the 1944-D quarter. In this era, mintmarks were hand-punched into working dies, and sometimes the punch landed slightly off position on the first attempt.
The corrected final punch remains, but traces of the earlier placement are visible nearby.
Under magnification, look at the "D" mintmark below the reverse wreath for remnants of a second impression — a partial outline or notch that does not match the final letter's position. Compare your coin at the same magnification against a normal 1944-D mintmark.
Machine doubling, die chips filling or distorting the letter, and simple corrosion around the mintmark can all mimic a repunched mintmark. Value depends on the clarity of the repunching and the coin's overall condition.
7. 1944 Washington Quarter — Clipped Planchet
A clipped planchet error results when the blank is incompletely punched from the metal strip, leaving a missing curved, straight, or ragged section. The 1944 quarter has been reported with this type of error.
Look for a portion of the rim and adjacent field that is simply absent, along with design weakness on the opposite side of the coin — metal could not flow fully into the die cavity opposite the missing area. The edge texture at the clip should be consistent with the original blank, not sharp or filed.
An edge that has been cut, filed into a notch, or eaten away by corrosion can look like a clip at first glance. Genuine clips show characteristic metal-flow weakness (called Blakesley effect) roughly 180 degrees from the missing area.
Condition and the size of the clip affect value, but no specific price range is available.
8. 1944 Washington Quarter — Repunched Date
A repunched date variety has been reported on the 1944 quarter. Like the repunched mintmark, this comes from the hand-punching process — one or more date digits were punched into the die, then repositioned and punched again, leaving traces of the first impression.
Under magnification, look for ghost outlines or displaced serifs beside the final date numerals. The remnants should appear die-made: raised, consistent across multiple specimens of the same die, and sharp rather than mushy.
This is a die variety, not a doubled die — the repunching affects only the individually punched numerals rather than the entire obverse design.
A damaged date from circulation hits or machine doubling (which produces flat, shelf-like displacement) can mimic a repunched date. Value depends on the prominence of the repunching and the coin's overall grade.
