1950-S Washington Quarter

The 1950-S quarter marks the return of San Francisco to the Washington quarter program after a one-year absence in 1949, with 10,284,004 pieces struck across both the normal die marriage and the small portion that came off the famous S/D over-mintmark dies. The combined total is the reported figure for the issue; the over-mintmark variety carries its own catalog slot at significantly higher value. The 1950-S is the lower-output member of the 1950 trio, sitting below Denver's 21 million and well below Philadelphia's 25 million. The S mintmark on the reverse below the wreath is the correct placement for San Francisco quarters from 1932 through 1964.

Strike on the standard 1950-S is generally good, with San Francisco's careful mid-century die work showing in the eagle's breast feathers and Washington's hair detail above the ear. The single most important authentication step is mintmark inspection under five-to-ten-power magnification: confirm that the S punch sits cleanly on the field with no underlying D ghost, since any trace of a D below or within the S moves the coin into the S/D variety catalog at significantly higher value. Look particularly for straight horizontal D-bar traces inside the upper and lower loops of the S. Counterfeit alteration of common 1950 Philadelphia coins to mimic San Francisco issues does occur, with tooling marks around the punch base as the diagnostic. Population reports at PCGS, the Professional Coin Grading Service, show the date is reasonably well-represented through MS65.

The standard 1950-S is a common date in the catalog today, set-fillable in circulated grades for modest premiums over silver melt and obtainable in MS65 without significant hunting. Sharp collectors examine every raw 1950-S for the S/D over-mintmark before relegating it to type-coin status, since cherrypicking opportunities for the variety still exist in dealer back stock. Realistic acquisition for the standard issue is a certified MS65 or MS66 from a major auction, with the genuinely difficult upgrade target arriving at MS67 where the population census thins and pricing climbs into four-figure territory. For the broader story of John Flanagan's design and the series' production arc, see the Washington Quarter series history.