1932 Washington Quarter

1932 Washington Quarter — The First Year, 90% Silver

The 1932 Washington Quarter is one of the most historically significant coins in the entire series — it is the first year of issue for the Washington Quarter, originally struck as a one-year commemorative to mark the 200th anniversary of George Washington’s birth. What began as a commemorative became one of America’s longest-running and most beloved coin designs, making the 1932 the definitive key date for type and date collectors alike.

Coin Specifications

• Year: 1932
• Mint Mark: Philadelphia (no mint mark), Denver (D), or San Francisco (S)
• Designer: John Flanagan
• Composition: 90% Silver, 10% Copper
• Silver Content: 0.1808 troy oz per coin
• Weight: 6.25 grams
• Diameter: 24.3 mm
• Philadelphia Mintage: 5,404,000

The Key Date of the Series

The 1932 Washington Quarter was struck at three mints, but the 1932-D (Denver, mintage 436,800) and 1932-S (San Francisco, mintage 408,000) are among the scarcest and most valuable coins in the entire Washington Quarter series. Even the Philadelphia issue, with its more modest mintage relative to later dates, carries strong collector demand as the inaugural year of this iconic design.

Real Silver Value

Each 1932 Washington Quarter contains 0.1808 troy ounces of pure silver, giving it intrinsic precious metal value tied to the silver spot price — in addition to its significant numismatic premium as a first-year issue.

John Flanagan’s Enduring Portrait

Designed by sculptor John Flanagan and based on Jean-Antoine Houdon’s celebrated life-mask and bust of Washington, the obverse presents a dignified left-facing portrait of the first president. The reverse features a heraldic eagle with wings spread, perched on arrows and olive branches — symbols of military strength and the pursuit of peace. This design, introduced in 1932, would go on to grace American quarters for over three decades in silver, and continues in modified form to this day.

Own the coin that started it all — the first-year 1932 Washington Quarter, a genuine 90% silver piece with enduring historical and collector significance.