Collecting coins is one of the most exciting hobbies out there! This is especially true if you come across a coin accidentally and you are still not sure how much exactly it is worth. In case you found one or more quarters from 1972, then this article is just for you.
Continue reading to learn everything you need to know about a 1972 quarter value, chart, varieties, errors, grading, and more. Let’s start!
1972 Quarter Value Details
- Category – Washington quarters
- Mint – Philadelphia, Denver, San Francisco
- Mintage – 529 376 728
- Obverse designer – John Flanagan
- Reverse designer – John Flanagan
- Composition – copper and nickel (91.67% and 8.33%)
- Weight – 5.67 grams (0.2 ounces)
- Diameter – 24.3 millimeters (0.95 inches)
A quarter from 1972 is not rare at all. The US mint produced more than half a billion of these coins in three locations – Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco.
The coin was designed by John Flanagan and it consists of more than 90% of copper and the remaining a bit over eight percent nickel. It weighs 5.67 grams and is 24.3 millimeters in diameter.
Also Read: Top 15 Most Valuable Quarters In Circulation
1972 Quarter Value Chart
A 1972 quarter’s starting price is its face value, 25 cents. This is the price for the coins that are graded poorly. The better the condition of your quarter is the more money you can expect to get if you are looking to sell it.
The price for the quarters produced in 1972 that are in fair, good, or fine condition goes up to around five dollars, while those that are in uncirculated condition can sell for a couple of dollars more.
Quarters from 1972 that are rated between 60 and 65 can reach the price of around $15 to $20. The most valuable are those that are rated 65+ and they can be worth up to fifty dollars on average.
If you are lucky and have a coin that is in perfect condition and you find an interested buyer, you may even get several hundred dollars for it.
| Condition | 1972 No Mint Mark Quarter Value | 1972 D Mint Mark QuarterValue | 1972 S Mint Mark Quarter Value |
| Poor | $0.25 | $0.25 | $0.25 – $2 |
| Fair | $0.25 | $0.25 | $2 – $3 |
| About good | $0.25 – $0.50 | $0.25 – $0.50 | $3 – $4 |
| Good | $0.50 – $1 | $0.50 – $1 | $4 – $5 |
| Fine | $1 – $1.50 | $1 – $1.50 | $5 – $6 |
| Very fine | $1.50 – $3 | $1.50 – $3 | $6 – $7 |
| Extremely fine | $3 – $5 | $3 – $5 | $7 – $10 |
| About Uncirculated | $5 – $6 | $5 – $6 | $10 – $20 |
| Mint state (60-64) | $6 – $15 | $6 – $15 | $20 – $30 |
| Mint state (65-67) | $15 – $20 | $15 – $20 | $30 – $40 |
| Mint state (68-70) | $20 – $50 + | $20 – $50 + | $40 – $100 + |
1972 Quarter Value & Varieties Guide
The coins that the US Mint produces are made in different locations, which determine a coin’s mint mark and variety. In the case of the 1972 quarter, the locations were Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco.
Let’s learn more about each of these varieties.
1972 Quarter No Mint Mark Value
Quarters made in 1972 without a mint mark were produced in Philadelphia. Back then, this mint still hadn’t started using mint marks, which is why you won’t find one on the coins it produced.
The Philadelphia mint made more than 200 million quarters in 1972. Most of them are still worth only their face value, or 25 cents. The coins in good condition can sell for around a dollar, while those that are uncirculated can reach the price of around six dollars.
The 1972 quarters that are graded between 60 and 65 can be worth up to $20, while those graded 65+ can reach the price of more than 50 dollars.
- Type – Washington quarter
- Edge – reeded
- Mint mark – no mint mark
- Place of minting – Philadelphia
- Year of minting – 1972
- Face value – 25 cents
- Price – $0.25 – $50+
- Quantity produced – 215 048 000
- Designer – John Flanagan
- Composition – copper and nickel (91.67% and 8.33%)
- Mass – 5.67 grams (0.2 ounces)
- Diameter – 24.3 millimeters (0.95 inches)
1972 Quarter D Mint Mark Value
The different mints normally make a different amount of coins. The Philadelphia mint is the main one which is why it usually puts in circulation more coins than the other ones. This is, however, not true in the case of the 1972 quarter, as the Denver mint produced most of them.
This mint made more than 300 million quarters in 1972. The starting price of these coins is twenty-five cents and they can sell for more than fifty dollars if in perfect condition.
There is not much difference in the price of a 1972 quarter without a mint mark and with a D mint mark. They were made in large numbers so they are almost equally common.
- Type – Washington quarter
- Edge – reeded
- Mint mark – D mint mark
- Place of minting – Denver
- Year of minting – 1972
- Face value – 25 cents
- Price – $0.25 – $50+
- Quantity produced – 311 067 732
- Designer – John Flanagan
- Composition – copper and nickel (91.67% and 8.33%)
- Mass – 5.67 grams (0.2 ounces)
- Diameter – 24.3 millimeters (0.95 inches)
1972 Quarter S Mint Mark Value
The San Francisco mint made only proof quarters in 1972 and only over three million of them. This is still a large number so even the quarters from 1972 with the S mint mark are not rare and, therefore, not very valuable.
They are still slightly more expensive than the Philadelphia and Denver quarters. The starting price for the quarters in poor condition is 25 cents, but it can go as high as over a hundred dollars for the coins graded 65 and more.
- Type – Washington quarter
- Edge – reeded
- Mint mark – S mint mark
- Place of minting – San Francisco
- Year of minting – 1972
- Face value – 25 cents
- Price – $0.25 – $100
- Quantity produced – 3 260 996
- Designer – John Flanagan
- Composition – copper and nickel (91.67% and 8.33%)
- Mass – 5.67 grams (0.2 ounces)
- Diameter – 24.3 millimeters (0.95 inches)
Also Read: Top 16 Most Valuable Modern Quarters Worth Money
1972 Quarter History
A quarter from 1972 is a Washington quarter that has been in circulation since 1932. Before this, the US Mint produced a Standing Liberty quarter – the one featuring Lady Liberty standing on the obverse and a flying eagle on the reverse.
George Washington is one of the most prominent historical figures in the history of the US. He is referred to as the Founding Father and he was also the first president of the United States. The US Mint decided to honor his life on the 200th anniversary of his birth.
The coin was designed by John Flanagan and the obverse design has stayed the same for almost a century now. As of 2023, the main theme of the coin remains, but the designer changes, as a quarter will now feature Laura Gardin Fraser’s original work from 1932.
The reverse of the quarter has changed multiple times since 1932, honoring different important events of US history, such as two hundred years since the Declaration of Independence in 1975 and the following year.
Starting in 1999, the US Mint honored each of the fifty US states as a part of its 50 States Program that ran for ten years.
1972 Quarter Appearance
The obverse of a 1972 quarter features George Washington’s portrait at the very center. Above it is the word LIBERTY that replaced the picture of Lady Liberty and below it is the year, 1972.
To the portrait’s left side, you can see the words IN GOD WE TRUST, which is one of the US mottos. If the coin was produced in Denver or San Francisco, you will find a mint mark right next to the portrait, on the right side.
The reverse side’s center of a 1972 quarter is an eagle. It has its wings spread and it is standing on arrows and branches of olive, representing strength and peace.
The top of the coin is reserved for the words UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, below which is another US motto – ET PLURIBUS UNUM, meaning “one out of many”, signifying the unity of the US states.
The denomination, QUARTER DOLLAR, is engraved at the bottom of a quarter.
Also Read: 10+ Rarest State Quarter Errors Lists (Worth Much Money!!!)
1972 Quarter Grading
Grading a 1972 quarter is best done using a professional coin grading service. If you are not an experienced numismatist, you may overlook some of the important features a coin can have that can increase its price by hundreds of dollars.
This is why it’s important to let someone proficient in the area do it. They will probably give your coin a grade from 1 to 70, with the highest grades indicating the best condition of the quarter.
List of 1972 Quarter Errors
Mint errors are some of the unique features of a 1972 quarter that you may not notice right away. They are important because they make a coin special and, in many cases, much more valuable.
Some of the errors are easily noticeable, but some require a trained eye. This is one of the main reasons why you should always have your coins professionally graded.
1. 1972 Quarter Missing Clad
Quarters made in 1972 are made of copper and have a nickel clad. One of the common factory errors in these coins is missing clad.
You can notice this mint mistake just by observing the color of your quarter. Is it silver in color? If so, then your quarter doesn’t have this error. If it is red-brownish, then it’s possible that there was a factory mistake in which the coin wasn’t covered with nickel.
Keep in mind that the coins wear off over time and your quarter may just be in very poor condition. Don’t try to sell it as an errored one until you have checked that it is indeed.
2. 1972 Quarter Double Die Obverse
The double die error happens when the dies that engrave the design onto coins strike twice, leaving a doubled picture or at least parts of the picture.
In the case of a 1972 quarter, this error has been most commonly found on the obverse of the coin.
3. 1972 Quarter Off-Center Error
The off-center error is usually easily noticeable just by looking at a coin. It happens when a planchet is not correctly positioned in the machine, so when the dies strike, they don’t engrave the whole design onto the coin, leaving it partially empty and flat.
Some of the quarters from 1972 have this error so carefully observe each of the ones you have.
4. 1972 Quarter Clipped Planchet
A clipped planchet is another error that is obvious just by looking at a coin. It means that the coin is not whole as a result of an accidentally clipped planchet during the minting process.
It’s a very interesting mistake and these coins can sell for a lot, especially if they are in mint condition.
1972 Quarter FAQ
What is the error on a 1972 quarter?
There are several potential errors that you may find in the 1972 quarter. One of them is a missing clad, and you can identify it by carefully observing the color of your coin.
If it appears silver, your quarter is a regular one, but if it appears red or brown, it can be that your coin wasn’t covered with nickel in the production process.
Some of the other errors you can find on a 1972 quarter are double-die, clipped planchet, and off-center.
Is a 1972 quarter worth anything?
A 1972 quarter is usually not worth much. Most of them can be sold for their face value or a couple of dollars more. However, if your 1972 quarter is in mint condition and has an error that makes it rare, you can expect to sell it for hundreds of dollars.
What is a 1972 quarter made of?
A 1972 quarter is made of copper and covered with nickel.
Is a 1972 coin rare?
No. The US Mint made more than half a billion of these coins, so they are far from rare. You can still find them on the market for as little as twenty-five cents.