Last Updated on August 29, 2022
The coins minted in the early part of the 1940s have a lot of significance due to the fact that they were minted during the most intense time of World War II.
The US Treasury had to mint millions of coins during the war due to economic reasons.
The 1942 Quarter is one of those significant coins that were minted during this time.
The coin belongs to the Washington Quarter series.
How Much Is The 1942 Quarter Dollar Worth?
The 1942 Washington Quarter is valued at around $5.27. The value stays somewhat same even up to Extremely fine condition.
The ‘About Uncirculated’ 1942 Quarter from the San Francisco mint is worth around $24 where as the coins from other mints in same grade are worth a little less at around $6 to $9. The uncirculated coins from the Philadelphia Mint can be valued at around $7 to $40.
The value is somewhat same for the 1942 quarters minted at Denver whereas the uncirculated coins from the San Francisco Mint can be worth $80 to $200.
Looking for the value of other coins from 1942? Read more of our guides:
How Many 1942 Quarter Proof Coins Were Minted?
The Philadelphia Mint produced just over 21,000 proof coins for the 1942 quarter. These proof coins are also worth a lot of money. A proof coin grade PR65 can be worth around $150.
One with a higher grade can get you even more than that.
Does the 1942 Washington Quarter Have Any Melt Value?
The 1942 Washington quarter has a large amount of silver in it. In fact, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that it is a silver coin with just ten percent copper in it.
So, it definitely does have high melt value based on the bullion price of silver. As the bullion price of silver keeps changing so does the melt value of the 1942 Washington quarters.
1942 Washington Quarter Mintage
These 1942 Washington quarters are minted with three mint marks. Almost one-third of the quarters are minted from Philadelphia with no mint mark.
Around 102,096,000 quarters were minted in 1942 with no mint mark, and they value at an average price of 7$. A total of 17,487,200 1942 Washington quarters were struck at Denver with a “D” mint mark on the reverse side of the coin below the wreath.
They have an average worth of 8$. Lastly the San Francisco mint minted over 19 million Washington quarters in 1942. The mintmark can be seen on the bottom side of the reverse of the coin.
What Is the Double Die Observe Error On the 1942 Washington Quarter?
The error in the 1942 Washington Quarter minted at the Denver Mint made some of the coins unique and rare. You can see the double die on the words Liberty and also on the motto ‘In God We Trust’.
These double press errors are quite significant and the fact that it is on the obverse of the coin makes it more prominent.
The 1942 D Washington Quarters with the double die error are worth around $120 in good condition. However, in pristine condition you may be able to get over $7,000 for these coins.
So, check your coin collection and if you have one from the Denver mint with a double die error, you should get it graded. You never know you might be sitting on a fortune.
The following table will help you understand the difference in value of standard 1942 Quarters and the ones with a double die error.
| Coin | Good | V. Good | Fine | V. Fine | Extremely Fine | About Uncirculated | Uncirculated | Proof |
| 1942 | $5.27 | $5.27 | $5.27 | $5.27 | $5.88 | $6.45 | $7.40 – $40 | $149 |
| 1942 S | $5.27 | $5.27 | $5.27 | $6 | $8.5 | $24 | $80 – $200 | – |
| 1942 D | $5.27 | $5.27 | $5.27 | $5.27 | $6.5 | $8.7 | $17 – $50 | – |
| 1942 D With DDO Error | $120 | $150 | $200 | $260 | $400 | $850 | $2000 – $7500 | – |
The above table shows how a small error sky rockets the value of the coin.
How To Tell If the Double Die Error Is a Mint Error?
When something is as valuable as the 1942-D with DDO error, you are bound to find some fakes in the market. There are counterfeits of almost all old and valuable coins however the counterfeiters usually try to counterfeit coins that are worth a lot of money.
So, if you have one and you think it has the DDO error on it then you should take the coin to a professional grader. Using their equipment, experience and trained eye they will be able to quickly tell you if the coin you have is a counterfeit or an original 1942 D with Double Die error.
