1963-D Washington Quarter : A Collector’s Guide

By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek Notes …..
The circulation of silver cash within the United States reached its terminus in 1965, however not earlier than the United States Mint was thrust into year-to-year manufacturing data because it struggled to maintain up with demand. The coinage scarcity wasn’t solely concerning the silver content material present in dimes, quarters, and half {dollars}, but in addition as a consequence of an explosion in using merchandising machines. People bought all method of issues from merchandising machines, together with sweet, cigarettes, espresso, sandwiches, and soda. Pay telephones exploded in recognition throughout this time, as glass and aluminum cubicles changed wood ones, permitting for his or her placement alongside the roadside in cities and the sprawling American suburbs.

With so many cash spent on these machines, the suggestions loop fell beneath large pressure. It appeared that irrespective of what number of cash the Mint produced, it wasn’t sufficient to maintain them circulating.

Washington Quarter manufacturing in 1961 surpassed 120 million cash for the primary time in U.S. historical past. In 1962, the full produced exceeded 163 million. In 1963, the Mint struck almost 210 million quarters. The Denver Mint carried many of the burden, outproducing the Philadelphia Mint yearly since 1956. The 1963-D Washington Quarter has a mintage of 135,288,184, which was one-fifth of the full of 1964-D-dated quarters it will produce in 1964 and 1965.

From a numismatic standpoint, Washington Quarters of the Nineteen Thirties and Deep Cameo/Extremely Cameo Proof examples from the early ’50s have historically garnered probably the most curiosity from collectors. The 1932-D Washington Quarter has lengthy been thought to be the collection key, adopted by the extra out there 1932-S, which really has the decrease mintage of the 2 first-year brant mint points.

For the cash of the post-Double Mint Set interval, availability in Mint State was all however assured by massive numbers of Uncirculated Coin Units and BU rolls. The Double Mint Set packaging materials imbued many items with numerous levels of firming. Typically this firming was made up of spectacular colours, however typically this was not the case. From 1959 onward, nevertheless, the Mint packaged its uncirculated cash in a plastic pouch that, until punctured, wouldn’t impart engaging coloration. This gave the late silver-era quarters a distinct taste than earlier points. And for quarters struck within the Nineteen Sixties, PQ coloration is sort of unusual.

Coin certification has given the 1963-D Washington Quarter a life it will not in any other case have had, because the coin–which might simply be bought for $10-$15 in Mint State–turns into scarce within the Excellent Gem grade of MS67. Incidental contact marks are the everyday grade-limiting issue and discovering cash with clear effigies and mark-free eagles is hard.

Grade inflation will seemingly be discovered by astute registry-set specialists as some noteworthy specimens have upgraded. Nevertheless, given the low worth of the coin in all however its high two grades, it’s secure to imagine that the majority of the out there “gemmy” 1963-D Washington Quarters have but to be licensed.

* * *

Market Information and Noteworthy Specimens

In September 2013, the PCGS top-pop grade for the 1963-D Washington Quarter was MS67+, with solely 5 cash graded at that stage. In November 2013, Heritage Auctions offered an MS67+ that may later improve to PCGS’ first and solely MS68 for $15,862.50.

That MS68 coin was reported within the census earlier than August 2021.

Prime Inhabitants: PCGS MS68 (1, 12/2024), NGC MS67+ (10, 12/2024), and CAC MS67+ (1, 12/2024).

• PCGS MS68 #42756832: As PCGS MS67+ #25380340. Heritage Auctions, November 1, 2013, Lot 3612 – $15,862.50. As PCGS MS68 #42756832. Stack’s Bowers, August 25, 2022, Lot 7042 – $24,000. Upgraded by 1/2 level. Darkish rust-colored rim firming that encroaches upon the middle of the obverse and reverse. Prime pop, pop one when provided.
• PCGS MS67+ #83220738: Dell Loy Hansen; DLRC, January 2, 2025, Lot #792290 – View. Hansen novelty insert. Vivid rainbow firming on the obverse. $1,600 beginning bid.
• CACG MS67+ #865192910: GreatCollections, September 22, 2024, Lot 1378570 – $2,925. Gold and rust firming alongside the obverse and reverse periphery.
• NGC MS67+ #8208166-002: Heritage Auctions, August 18, 2024, Lot 7242 – $1,680. Rust-colored peripheral firming.
• PCGS MS67+ #50399256: As PCGS MS67 #25341731. Heritage Auctions, August 5, 2014, Lot 3678 – $1,762. As NGC MS67+ #6332336-001. Stack’s Bowers, March 23, 2023, Lot 6327 – $1,560. Crossed to NGC, the place the coin upgraded by 1/2 level. As PCGS MS67+ #50399256. Stack’s Bowers, August 17, 2024, Lot 5108 – $780. Crossed to PCGS. Good with scattered brown firming encroaching from the higher left obverse rim and the higher reverse periphery. Two ticks in hair.
• PCGS MS67+ #47739246: Stack’s Bowers, March 27, 2024, Lot 5381 – $3,120. Vivid, but darkish obverse rainbow firming.
• PCGS MS67+ CAC #39610016: GreatCollections, December 20, 2020, Lot 863473 – View; Legend Uncommon Coin Auctions, April 21, 2021, Lot 317 – Passed; Legend Uncommon Coin Auctions, October 1-28, 2021, Lot 392 – Passed; Heritage Auctions, July 15, 2022, Lot 3711 – $4,560; “The Stephenville Assortment,” Heritage Auctions, December 15, 2022, Lot 3275 – $3,360; Heritage Auctions, February 9, 2024, Lot 3327 – $3,360. Rust-colored crescent firming alongside the decrease obverse.
• PCGS MS67+ CAC #40568829: Legend Uncommon Coin Auctions, February 2021 – $8,518.75; Legend Uncommon Coin Auctions, April 28, 2022, Lot 142 – $4,935; Heritage Auctions, July 15, 2022, Lot 3710 – $4,560; Heritage Auctions, April 15, 2024, Lot 93124 – $2,280. Rust-colored crescent firming alongside the obverse proper periphery. Firming spots at 9 o’clock.
• PCGS MS67+ CAC #42808712: GreatCollections, March 13, 2022, Lot 1125326 – View; Legend Uncommon Coin Auctions, December 16, 2022, Lot 105 – $5,757.50. Calmly toned.
• PCGS MS67+ #81480319: As NGC MS67 #1960641-004. Heritage Auctions, January 5, 2006, Lot 2579 – $3,220. As PCGS MS67 #09609217. Heritage Auctions, April 6, 2006, Lot 656 – $6,900; “The Craig Norris Assortment,” Heritage Auctions, December 5, 2008, Lot 1423 – $8,625; As PCGS MS67 #18500644. “The George’s Military Assortment,” Heritage Auctions, April 19, 2012, Lot 4331 – $16,100. George’s Military Assortment on insert. As PCGS MS67+ #81480319. “The Washington Rainbows Assortment, the #1 PCGS Registry Set of Silver Washington Quarters, 1932-1964,” Stack’s Bowers, March 25, 2021, Lot 2354 – $7,800; Heritage Auctions, October 7, 2021, Lot 3126 – $4,920. Washington Rainbows on insert. “Grainy” rainbow crescent firming (higher obverse/decrease reverse).

* * *

Design

Obverse:

Designed by John Flanagan, the obverse of the 1963-D Washington Quarter is predicated on a bust of the final created by the neoclassical French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon in 1785. Nevertheless, Flanagan’s design differs from the unique bust in a number of methods, equivalent to a barely totally different head form and several other curls of hair that aren’t on the bust; for comparability, the bust may be considered on the late president’s Virginia property, Mount Vernon. Below the left-facing bust’s chin is the motto IN GOD WE TRUST. The legend LIBERTY runs alongside the highest of the coin’s area, and the date 1963 is under. In small letters, Flanagan’s initials JF may be discovered above the “3” in 1963 on the base of the bust.

Reverse:

In contrast to the obverse, no restrictions had been positioned on the candidate sculptors when designing the Washington Quarter reverse. Flanagan’s reverse is dominated by a heraldic eagle with outstretched wings and a left-facing head. The eagle is perched on a neat bundle of arrows with two intertwined olive branches under and the D mintmark centered between the 2 olive department stems. The 2 essential inscriptions above the eagle are the legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM. Lastly, at six o’clock on the design is the denomination written out as QUARTER DOLLAR.

Edge:

The sting of the 1963-D Washington Quarter is reeded.

Designer

John Flanagan was born in New Jersey in 1865 and lived in New York for many of his life. He started working with Augustus Saint-Gaudens in 1884 on the age of 20 and shortly grew to become a well known sculptor and medallic artist in his personal proper. Saint-Gaudens made introductions for Flanagan at the US Mint. Whereas the Washington Quarter was his sole numismatic design, Flanagan designed quite a few well-known medals and sculptures, together with the official medal of the 1915 Panama-Pacific Worldwide Exposition, the official Verdun medal gifted to France by the US, and the 1924 bust of Saint-Gaudens. Flanagan was additionally a member of the American Numismatic Society (ANS).

Coin Specs

* * *