Wisconsin’s state quarter could be worth hundreds or thousands of dollars: Here’s why (2024)
(NEXSTAR) — If you check your cup holders, coin purse, or piggy bank, there is a very good chance you’ll find a state quarter — the U.S. Mint produced 34.3 billion during the 10-year period the quarters were released.
While every state has a quarter, one is proving to be of increased interest recently.
First, it’s important to understand the process of making the state quarters.
During the program, which ran from the 1990s through 2008, states submitted designs for their own quarters. In 33 states, the governor selected the final design and in 17, citizens made the selection.
Once the design was finalized, the coins were minted in one of three cities: Denver, Philadelphia, or San Francisco. You can tell where any quarter was minted (with the exception of some older ones) based on the small letter to the right of President George Washington’s head.
Where the quarter was minted can have an impact on its collector value, according to Coin Trackers. That’s especially true for some, including Wisconsin.
If you aren’t familiar with the Wisconsin state quarter, it features a cow, a wheel of cheese, an ear of corn, and the state’s motto, “Forward.” An example can be seen below.
But on some versions of the quarter, the ear of corn is slightly different, sprouting an extra leaf on the left side. That extra leaf will be either “high” or “low.”
It isn’t clear how this variation became available, but it has only been found on D-mint quarters (minted in Denver), Heritage Auctions explains. Both error coins are extremely hard to find, though, as it was first noticed shortly after it was released in 2004.
If you are lucky enough to find one, it could be worth a pretty penny. Two separate quarters, one with an extra high leaf and the other with a low leaf, both sold in mid-August for nearly $160 at Heritage Auction. Another low leaf sold in early 2020 went for $6,000. Others have sold for hundreds of dollars.
Wisconsin state quarters, error or otherwise, can be difficult to find — they were the third-fewest produced after Oklahoma and Maine.
There are other error state quarters that can be valuable to collectors. Several Minnesota quarters were minted with an extra tree, but the error was far more common than Wisconsin’s extra leaf, according to Ned Ludd Coins. A few District of Columbia quarters had extra lines on Duke Ellington’s sleeve, while some state quarters were accidentally struck on other coins, or vice versa.
In general, any state quarter will be worth only its intended 25 cents. Some quarters in mint condition can be worth anywhere between $1 and $15, depending on the state and where it was minted, according to Coin Trackers. If it is silver proof, your quarter’s value could skyrocket to as much as $55.
How can you tell if your quarter or any money you’ve been collecting is worth more than its minted value?
“The answer is not always obvious,” Dustin Johnson, Vice President of Numismatics (the study or collection of coins, paper money, and medals) at Heritage Auctions previously explained to Nexstar. “Odd items are always set aside but that doesn’t make them rare or terribly valuable.”
It’s best to take your money to a verified coin expert, like Heritage Auctions, which can evaluate your item for free.
There's a very specific quarter from 2004 that's reportedly worth up to $2,000. Wisconsin state quarters from the 50 State Quarters Program feature a limited-edition design that grows in value if there's a detectable difference in that design, according to coin collectors
coin collectors
Coin collecting is the collecting of coins or other forms of minted legal tender. Coins of interest to collectors include beautiful, rare, and historically significant pieces.
It all depends on which type of quarter you use. If it's a Wisconsin state quarter issued in 2004, it could be worth at least $30 and maybe much more. The vast majority of 2004 Wisconsin quarters are worth their face value — 25 cents. But some contain errors, which makes them somewhat of a collector's item.
In 2004, several coins of the state quarter series were printed with a misprint on the design for the Wisconsin coin. These coins featured an extra leaf on the left side of the corn cob on the coin. These coins become particularly valuable, often selling for several hundred dollars on sites such as eBay.
FOX Business Flash top headlines for March 13. There's a very specific quarter from 2004 that's reportedly worth up to $2,000. Wisconsin state quarters from the 50 State Quarters Program feature a limited-edition design that grows in value if there's a detectable difference in that design, according to coin collectors.
Wisconsin, admitted to into the Union on May 29, 1848, themed the coin, Forward. It highlights an agricultural theme which features the head of a cow, a round of cheese and an ear of corn. President William J. Clinton was in office when this legislation was signed.
The coin collector then put the quarter on a scale and it came in at about 6.11 grams. 'If you find a quarter that has the year 1965 and it's silver, then you have found a $5,000 quarter,' the TikToker stated. 'Always make sure to check your change.
But as Chronicle Collectibles noted, some of the bicentennial quarters were composed of 40% silver — an important distinction because the silver coins are rarer and therefore much more valuable. The coin's condition also plays a part in its value, with those in pristine condition commanding the highest prices.
Many of those quarters have been lost or discarded in this age of Apple Pay — meaning some of those still around are worth a lot more than 25 cents. In fact, certain rare state quarters that contain errors or other special features can fetch as much as $100 on the collector's market, according to experts.
Georgia state quarters from 1999 have several types of errors, according to the U.S. Coins Guide website. The biggest error involves coins struck on experimental metals, called planchets, intended for the Sacagawea dollar.
The second variety is the "High Leaf" variety, which is the scarcer of the two. Each variety has an extra husks on the left side of the corn, which are not visible on regular Wisconsin quarters. These varieties were discovered late in December 2004 by Robert Ford.
If you ever run across anything that looks unusual with the Texas State Quarter, please contact one of our experts to have the error verified, or send the coin to a professional grading company for their opinion. However, the average circulation State Quarter is only worth the face value of $0.25.
Arkansas, admitted into the Union on June 15, 1836, themed the coin, Natural State. It highlights an image of rice stalks, a diamond and a mallard gracefully flying above a lake.
Nearly 350 million quarters were produced, but this unique coin variation is now very challenging to find. These days, some quarters sell for thousands of dollars (one mint condition coin sold for over $10,000 in 2006).
Why are silver 1965 quarters so rare? Silver 1965 quarters are special because they're transitional error coins. In 1964, quarters were still struck with a 90% silver planchet. In 1965, quarter production changed to a clad composition planchet made of copper and nickel.
For evidence, look no further than a 1999 Georgia quarter whose value has been estimated as high as $10,000 due to errors. Georgia state quarters from 1999 have several types of errors, according to the U.S. Coins Guide website.
And the reality is that 99.9999% of state quarters are still just worth 25 cents and will likely always just be worth 25 cents. However, there are two things to look out for; those are errors and proof silver quarter. The silver quarters are still basically just worth their weight in silver.
The 1941 quarter has at least six doubled-die errors plus the Large-S and Small-S mint mark varieties, according to Coin Value Lookup. All these errors make these quarters worth big paychecks. Regarding finding a quarter worth $35,000, the coin sold had the Canadian “1941” imprint behind the U.S. “DOLLAR.”
According to the NGC Price Guide, as of June 2024, a State Quarter from 2004 D EXTRA in circulated condition is worth between $50 and $110. However, on the open market 2004 D EXTRA LEAF HIGH Quarters in pristine, uncirculated condition sell for as much as $1200.
Introduction: My name is Terrell Hackett, I am a gleaming, brainy, courageous, helpful, healthy, cooperative, graceful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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