Junk Silver Calculator

1938 Washington Quarter Value

Silver melt value, mintage by mint, and how this year compares with every other year of the Washington Quarter series.

Silver content

Composition 90% silver, 10% copper
Silver content, as struck 0.1808 troy oz
Silver content, worn (trading convention) 0.1787 troy oz 0.715 troy oz per $1 of face value, the figure dealers quote from
Face value $0.25
Silver years 1932 - 1964

1938 mintage by mint

Issue Mint Mintmark Struck for circulation Proofs
1938 Philadelphia No mintmark 9,472,000 8,045
1938-S San Francisco S 2,832,000 -
Total 12,304,000 8,045

Ranked by circulation mintage against all 83 Washington Quarter issues struck 1932 to 1964, lowest first:

  • 1938 (Philadelphia): 23rd lowest of 83
  • 1938-S (San Francisco): 6th lowest of 83

Key dates: The sources agree on which two issues matter and differ on what to call them. Coin World describes the 1932-D and 1932-S as "the two keys to the series", and coincollecting.com names the same two, which is why both are flagged here. CoinWeek's series page splits them, calling the 1932-D the series key date and the 1932-S the series semi-key. No source names any other issue of the silver Washington quarter as a key date.

Calculate a batch of Washington Quarters

The calculator opens on the Washington Quarter. Enter how many coins you have, or how much face value, to get the total silver weight and melt value at the current spot price.

Loading current price...

Loading coins...

Select a coin and enter quantity to see melt value

Questions about the 1938 Washington Quarter

How much silver is in a 1938 Washington Quarter?
A 1938 Washington Quarter is 90% silver and contains 0.1808 troy ounces of pure silver as struck. Circulated coins have lost a little to wear, so the trade prices them at 0.715 troy oz per $1 of face value, or 0.1787 troy oz for this coin.
What is a 1938 Washington Quarter worth?
Its silver melt value is shown at the top of this page and is recalculated from the live silver spot price each time the page loads. Coins in collector grades can be worth more than melt, which depends on condition and is not covered here.
How many 1938 Washington Quarters were made?
12,304,000 were struck for circulation across 2 mints. Philadelphia struck 9,472,000 with no mintmark. San Francisco struck 2,832,000 with an S mintmark. A further 8,045 proofs were struck.
Is the 1938 Washington Quarter a key date?
No. The key dates of the Washington Quarter series are 1932-D and 1932-S. The sources agree on which two issues matter and differ on what to call them. Coin World describes the 1932-D and 1932-S as "the two keys to the series", and coincollecting.com names the same two, which is why both are flagged here. CoinWeek's series page splits them, calling the 1932-D the series key date and the 1932-S the series semi-key. No source names any other issue of the silver Washington quarter as a key date.
Is a 1938 quarter silver?
Yes. Every Washington Quarter struck from 1932 through 1964 is 90% silver.

Mintage sources