1942 US Washington Silver Quarter Proof 25C - NGC PF 68

1942 US Washington Silver Quarter Proof 25C

Certified NGC PF 68

Washington Quarters were first minted in 1932 and designed by John Flanagan.

Photos are of the actual coin you will receive.



The Washington Quarter was introduced in 1932 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of George Washington, the world-renowned Founding Father, Commander in Chief of the Continental Army and first President of the United States of America. Although the coin was only intended to be issued for a single year, plans were altered and the design was permanently adopted as an ongoing tribute to Washington. The original series would be produced until 1998 amidst a change in composition from silver to copper-nickel clad. Even after that point, the obverse portrait would carry over in use to subsequent series for the twenty-five-cent denomination.

The origin of the Washington Quarter can be traced back to a competition announced in 1930 to create a design for a commemorative medal and half dollar to mark the bicentennial of George Washington's birth. The winner of the competition was sculptor Laura Gardin Fraser, designer of several commemorative half dollars and the wife of James Earle Fraser.
The following year, Congress changed plans and decided to issue a circulating Washington Quarter rather than a commemorative half dollar. During a second competition, the George Washington Bicentennial Committee and the Commission of Fine Arts reviewed more than 100 models submitted by 98 sculptors. The groups both supported another design prepared by Laura Gardin Fraser, however the Secretary of the Treasury would ultimately choose an alternate design by sculptor John Flanagan. It was this design which would become the familiar appearance of the denomination for more than six decades.

The obverse of the coin features a bust of George Washington based on Jean-Antoine Houdon's 1785 bust, now displayed at Mount Vernon. Washington faces to the left with the word LIBERTY above. The motto IN GOD WE TRUST is to the left and the date is below. The designers initials JF can be found on the base on Washington's neck. The reverse of the coin features a stylized eagle grasping a bundle of arrows with olive branches beneath. The inscriptions UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and E PLURIBUS UNUM are above the eagle, with the denomination indicated as QUARTER DOLLAR below.

Minor modifications were made to the design and devices over the years and a different reverse design was briefly adopted to celebrate the Bicentennial of the United States. Following the conclusion of the series, John Flanagan's obverse design would be used in modified format for the 50 State Quarters Program and the District of Columbia & U.S. Territories Quarters Program. The modernization of the portrait was performed by William Cousins, whose initials were placed on the base of Washington's bust next to Flanagan's. In 2010, Flanagan's original portrait was restored for use within the America the Beautiful Quarters Program.

Washington Quarter Specifications
From 1932 to 1964, the Washington Quarter was struck in a composition of 90% silver and 10% copper. These quarters have a standard weight of 6.25 grams and diameter of 24.3 mm with a reeded edge. During this time period, the mint mark for quarters struck at the Denver and San Francisco Mint facilities appears on the reverse of the coin beneath the olive branches.
In 1965, a new composition was introduced which consisted of an inner core of pure copper with an outer layer of 75% copper and 25% nickel. The overall composition was 91.67% copper and 8.33% nickel. These pieces weigh 5.67 grams and have the same 24.3 mm diameter. These specifications remained in use for circulation strikes through the end of the series. During this period, the mint mark appears on the obverse, to the right of the ribbon in Washington's hair. Starting in 1980, the Philadelphia Mint began to include the P mint mark.
Certain modern numismatic issues have carried different specifications. In 1976, silver clad coins were issued in three-coin Proof or Uncirculated Bicentennial Sets. These coins had an inner core of 20.9% silver and 79.1% copper, with an outer layer of 80% silver and 20% copper, yielding a net composition of 40% silver and 60% copper. From 1992 to 1998, silver Proof coins were issued within the annual Silver Proof Set. These coins were struck to the standards of the original 90% silver coins of the series.