PCGS MS68
PCGS MS68
- PCGS #:
- 5799
- Designer:
- John Flanagan
- Edge:
- Reeded
- Diameter:
- 24.30 millimeters
- Weight:
- 6.30 grams
- Mintage:
- 5,660,000
- Mint:
- San Francisco
- Metal:
- 90% Silver, 10% Copper
- Auction Record:
- $21,000 • MS68 • 08-23-2024 • Stack's Bowers
Major Varieties
- 1935-S 25C
Rarity and Survival Estimates Learn More
| Survival Estimate | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | 566,000 |
| 60 or Better | 30,000 |
| 65 or Better | 620 |
| Numismatic Rarity | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | R-1.5 |
| 60 or Better | R-2.7 |
| 65 or Better | R-5.7 |
| Relative Rarity By Type All Specs in this Type | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | 21 / 93 TIE |
| 60 or Better | 18 / 93 TIE |
| 65 or Better | 8 / 93 TIE |
| Relative Rarity By Series All Specs in this Series | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | 21 / 93 TIE |
| 60 or Better | 18 / 93 TIE |
| 65 or Better | 8 / 93 TIE |
Condition Census What Is This?
#1 PCGS MS68
As PCGS MS68 #49794224: Stack’s Bowers, August 13, 2024, Lot 3113 – $21,000. As PCGS MS68 #56858379. Frosty silvery-white centers with mottled reddish-russet, gold, green, and blue toning arlong the obverse and reverse left periphery. |
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#1 PCGS MS68
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#3 PCGS MS67+
Legend Rare Coin Auctions, January 27, 2022, Lot 120 – $2,173.50; GreatCollections, November 29, 2022, Lot 1242050 - $2,306.25; GreatCollections, September 28, 2025, Lot 1899246 - $1,642.50. Obverse is brilliant save a band of iridescent rainbow toning in the left obverse field. Reverse is brilliant. |
#3 PCGS MS67+
"The Sunset Collection, Part 235," GreatCollections, January 7, 2024, Lot 1451513 - $1,471.50. Frosty surfaces are accented by a stripe of rainbow toning that covers the date and encroaches upon the top of LIBERTY. On the reverse, streaks of gold toning are visible across the lower portion of the design. |
#3 PCGS MS67+
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#3 PCGS MS67+
GreatCollections, March 14, 2021, Lot 893271 - $2.587.50; GreatCollections, April 23, 2023, Lot 1354018 - $1,584. Brilliant with a delicate layer of pearlescence, this example shows subtle blue toning beneath the Y in LIBERTY. A singular, pin-sized toning spot is noted near the rim at the 2 o'clock position. |
#3 PCGS MS67+
GreatCollections, February 26, 2023, Lot 1145908 - $2,981.25. Lustrous, brilliant centers are framed by delicate flecks of brown toning along the obverse and reverse peripheries. |
#3 PCGS MS67+
As PCGS MS67+ #34358638: Heritage Auctions, January 4, 2018, Lot 4519 – $3,480; “Charlie O’s Collection,” Heritage Auctions, June 7, 2019, Lot 3712 – $3,000; Heritage Auctions, May 8, 2022, Lot 7229 – $1,680. As PCGS MS67+ #45997779. GreatCollections, December 4, 2022, Lot 1237616 - $1,760.63. "The pasadenaoldhouse Collection" (PCGS Set Registry). Mostly brilliant with specks of black across the neck. Light isolated toning on the mouth and right and left obverse periphery. |
#3 PCGS MS67+
“The Washington Rainbows Collection, #1 PCGS Registry Set of Silver Washington Quarters, 1932-1964,” Stack’s Bowers, March 25, 2021, Lot 2281 – $2,640; GreatCollections, August 22, 2021, Lot 1035180 – $1816.88; GreatCollections, October 16, 2022, Lot 1233002 – $2,418.75. Iridescent toning graces both sides, accented by splashes of butterscotch color across the obverse." |
#3 PCGS MS67+
GreatCollections, September 11, 2022, Lot 1104101 - $2,306.25. "The Escalante Collection" (PCGS Set Registry). Lustrous and iridescent on both sides, this example displays a rich palette of magenta, gold, aubergine, and peacock green. The toning is heavily concentrated along the lower obverse border, with a similar ring of color encircling the reverse. |
#3 PCGS MS67+
GreatCollections, November 22, 2020, Lot 908074 - $1,643.63; GreatCollections, April 25, 2021, Lot 919305 - $1,750.68. Exhibiting pearlescent iridescence, the obverse is highlighted by a near-vertical streak of gold-orange toning spanning the field from the rim above the 'R' in LIBERTY down through the portrait. A fading band of reddish-orange toning covers the date, while the reverse displays a delicate pastel palette. |
#3 PCGS MS67+
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#3 PCGS MS67+
“The D. Brent Pogue Collection, Part VII,” Stack’s Bowers, March 20, 2020, Lot 7191 – $960; Stack’s Bowers, November 12, 2020, Lot 5173 – $1,800; "The BL Washington Quarter Collection" (PCGS Set Registry). Mottled russet and apricot iridescent toning on both sides. |
#3 PCGS MS67+
As PCGS MS67 #50047982. Heritage Auctions, July 26, 2003, Lot 7211- $6,900. As PCGS MS67+ #38140625. GreatCollections, August 30, 2020, Lot 863631 - $2,193.75. "The digger69 Collection" (PCGS Set Registry). Bathed in iridescent orange, rose, and green toning, the surfaces feature a band of intense color hugging the peripheries of both sides. Within the right obverse and reverse fields, splashes of brilliant original silver break through the toning. |
#3 PCGS MS67+
GreatCollections, May 31, 2020, Lot 602426 - $2,419.88. Bold green, rust, and ruby red toning blanket the obverse. A thin band of crescent toning follows the border starting at 9 o'clock on the reverse and fades into salmon color along the right edge. |
#3 PCGS MS67+
“The D. Brent Pogue Collection, Part VII,” Stack’s Bowers, March 20, 2020, Lot 7190 – $1,920; "The RickJones Collection" (PCGS Set Registry). Gold, green, and red toning around the upper periphery (obverse) and lower and left periphery (reverse). Toning in left obverse field. |
#3 PCGS MS67+
As NGC MS67+ #3582324-002. "The Wonderful World of Color Collection," GreatCollections, January 27, 2019, Lot 667045 – $3,037.50. As PCGS MS67+ #38684547. GreatCollections, March 1, 2020, Lot 674187 – $4,184.99; Dr. John O. Phillips; "The Brodie Collection" (PCGS Set Registry). Gold, green, purple, and magenta toning on the obverse and reverse. |
#3 PCGS MS67+
As PCGS MS67 #50066394. Heritage Auctions, June 3, 2014, Lot 6072 – $4,312.50; Heritage Auctions, June 4, 2015, Lot 3709 – $2,232.50. As PCGS MS67+ #25788976. Heritage Auctions, August 10, 2016, Lot 3885 – $3,290; “The jwb1040 Collection,” Heritage Auctions, February 22, 2018, Lot 3608 – $1,680. Faint curvilinear toning mark at the bottom right field of the obverse. Scattered gold-olive toning on the eagle. |
#3 PCGS MS67+
David Lawrence Rare Coins, November 21, 2016, Lot 4140 - $3,000; David Lawrence Rare Coins, December 19, 2016, Lot 2160 - $3,000; Mtchell Spivack; "Wondercoin's Silver Washington Quarter Collection" (PCGS Set Registry). Satiny, lustrous example with orange-gold and olive toning along the periphery. |
#3 PCGS MS67+
Dell Loy Hansen; "The D.L. Hansen Washington Quarter Complete Variety Set" (PCGS Set Registry). Lustrous example bathed in a thin layer of sandy-gold. Specks of russet and bronze toning splash across Liberty and appear along the borders. |
The 1935-S Washington Quarter
1935 marked the third year of production for the Washington Quarter, a design introduced in 1932 to commemorate the bicentennial of George Washington’s birth. While the coin is now a staple of American commerce, the movement to honor the nation’s first president began in 1924, when President Calvin Coolidge signed legislation authorizing the United States George Washington Bicentennial Commission. Tasked with planning the 1932 festivities, the Commission initially proposed a one-year commemorative half dollar. However, these plans pivoted during the economic hardship of the Great Depression. On March 4, 1931, Congress passed new legislation instructing the Treasury to instead issue a circulating quarter bearing Washington’s likeness.
This shift was driven by more than just the bicentennial; the incumbent Standing Liberty Quarter was notoriously difficult to strike and prone to rapid die failure. Seizing the opportunity for a technical upgrade, Representative Randolph Perkins (R-NJ) successfully championed the bill to replace the Standing Liberty design permanently with the more "Mint-friendly" Washington Quarter.
Collecting the 1935-S Washington Quarter
In 1935, the United States Mint resumed robust production across all three facilities:
- Philadelphia: 35,484,000
- San Francisco: 5,660,000
- Denver: 5,780,000
For the San Francisco Mint, its production of the 1935-S marked its highest quarter output since 1920.
Motto Mayhem
During the first few years of the Washington Quarter's production, the Mint struggled with the execution of the motto, IN GOD WE TRUST. The original design did not strike up well, as the thin lettering tended to wear off the dies prematurely. Efforts to remediate this technical flaw led to several hub adjustments, which collectors now categorize by the visual "weight" of the font: the "Light Motto," "Medium Motto," and the definitive "Heavy Motto" adopted in 1936.
The 1935-S Washington Quarter (#5799) is particularly significant as it utilized dies derived from the "second transitional" hub. While the lettering remains relatively slim compared to the robust 1936 issues, the motto on the 1935-S is notably sharper and more defined than the "soft" strikes characteristic of the original 1932 dies.
Tough in Gem
For decades, the 1935-S was considered the second-most difficult S-mint Washington Quarter to source in Gem condition. Modern data from the PCGS Population Report confirms this long-standing numismatic opinion; while the 1939-S (#5810 remains a formidable challenger, the 1935-S maintains its reputation as the tougher of the two for collectors seeking high grade coins.
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