1962-D 25C MS65 Certification #13294432, PCGS #5873

Charles Morgan

The 1962-D Washington Quarter

During the 1962 and 1963 fiscal years, the demand for circulating coinage was relentless. To keep pace, the Denver Mint operated around the clock, running three eight-hour shifts to strike coins 24 hours a day. While Lincoln Cents comprised over 70% of the total output, the Mint still produced a then-record 127,554,756 1962-D Washington Quarters (#5873). This historic production run marked the first time any branch mint had crossed the 100-million-quarter threshold since the wartime peak of 1944.

Collecting the 1962-D Washington Quarter

The 1962-D is a 90% silver issue that was once a common staple of American commerce. However, as the U.S. Mint transitioned to copper-nickel "clad" coinage in 1965, these silver pieces began to vanish. A massive hoarding effort followed, with the Treasury Department and the general public pulling millions of dollars in face value from circulation. For most, the 1962-D was a hole filler or strictly a bullion play. It wasn't until the arrival of PCGS that collectors began to take note of the issue's condition scarcity in grades PCGS MS66+ and above. 

Choice Mint State examples remain relatively common, fueled by the mid-century craze for coin roll investing and the widespread hoarding of silver following the Coinage Act of 1965. One of the most reliable ways to source high-grade specimens is through original U.S. Mint Uncirculated Sets. While these sets originally retailed for just $2.40 (approximately $25 in today's currency), they now command market prices near $100.

However, there is a massive gulf in scarcity between coins graded PCGS MS66 and PCGS MS67. To put this in perspective: while MS67 examples account for roughly 4.5% of all 1932–1964 Washington Quarter submissions, that figure drops to a mere 1.2% for the 1962-D. This makes a top-tier 1962-D an exceptionally difficult "find" for registry set collectors.

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David Hall

Though the mintage is huge...over 100,000,000 coins, this is one of the scarcer 1941-1964 silver Washington quarters in Gem condition. There weren't that many saved at the time of issue and most uncirculated survivors have lots of marks and abraisions.