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  • 1978 Proof
  • Popular Washington design
  • From original Proof Set
  • Made for Collectors

Specifications

  • Limited Edition: Yes
  • Year(s): 1978
  • Coin Type: Quarter
  • Coin Grade: Proof
  • Denomination: Varies
  • Diameter: 24.26mm
  • Mint Mark: S
  • Mintage Year(s): 1978
  • Obverse: Washington
  • Reverse: Eagle

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Mints & Mint Marks

Mints
The United States' first mint was opened in Philadelphia in 1793. Cents and half-cents were its first coins struck for circulation. Dies were cut by hand and each cutter added their own touch to the coin. Horses and strong men were the "machines" that operated the presses that made the coins. Mints were located in Philadelphia (PA), Denver (CO), West Point (NY), San Francisco (CA), Carson City (NV), New Orleans (LA), Charlotte (NC) and Dahlonega (GA). Only four of these mints currently exist: Philadelphia, Denver, West Point and San Francisco. The other four were closed soon after the Civil War.

Mint Marks
A mint mark is a small letter struck on an open area of a coin to represent the mint location where it was made. While mint marks began in ancient Greece and Rome, the first mint marks to appear on coins in the United States were in 1838. Mint marks were usually struck on the reverse side of the coins. In 1968, however, mint director Eva Adams changed the striking to the obverse of the coin in order to gain uniformity.

Mint marks are quite important to collectors because they help to determine a coin's value. A coin may have been struck in mass quantities at one mint, yet struck in smaller quantities at another. The coin struck in smaller quantities may be worth more than the one produced at a larger count. Mint marks are also important to collectors who gather the same coin from every mint it was struck.

The Philadelphia Mint has always been the main U.S. Mint location, yet the majority of coins struck there did not have mint marks until 1980. It carried the title of the world's largest mint until 2009. All coins from Philadelphia carry the letter "P". Pennies, however, are the exception, as they do not carry mint marks.

The Denver Mint opened in 1906 due to the gold and silver discoveries in Colorado. Coins produced there are marked with the letter "C". The West Point Mint opened in 1988 and coins produced there are marked with the letter "W". The San Francisco Mint opened in 1854, thanks to the gold rush in California. Coins produced there are marked with an "S".

Coin Grading
The grade of a coin is an essential element of information when it comes to coin collecting. The grade explains what physical condition the coin is in, therefore is important in determining a particular coin's value. Below explains the different coin grades given by most certification companies, from flawless to poor condition.

  • Mint State (MS-70 through MS-60): a coin with no imperfections after production at a 5x magnification is considered a MS-70 grade. MS-69 to MS-60 advises what level of Mint State a coin might be given the small imperfections; MS-60 is the lowest Mint State grade.
  • About Uncirculated (AU-58, 55, 53, 50): a coin where light wearing can be seen somewhere on the coin by the naked eye; MS-50 is the lowest About Uncirculated grade.
  • Extremely Fine (XF-45, 40): a coin that has light wearing throughout; XF-40 is the lowest Extremely Fine grade.
  • Very Fine (VF-35, 30, 25, 20): a coin that still shows the major details but also shows moderate wear; VF-20 is the lowest Very Fine grade.
  • Fine (F-15, 12): a coin showing moderate to heavy wear, but the major details are still visible.
  • Very Good (VG-10, 8): a coin with the design worn down by heavy wear, however the major design is outlined; VG-8 is the lowest Very Good grade.
  • Good (G-6, 4): a coin with flattened details but the design is still outlined, but some features of the coin are unclear; G-4 is the lowest Good grade.
  • About Good (AG-3): a coin with flattened details but the design is still outlined, however some of the edge of the coin is lost because of wear.
  • Fair (FA-2): a coin that is still identifiable in the design and outline, however the edge of the coin is no longer visible.
  • Poor (PR-1): a coin that is still identifiable in the design or date, but in the most poor quality.

    • Coin Certification Companies

  • ANACS (American Numismatic Association Certification Service): This grading and certification service certifies coins as genuine then grades and encapsulates them. ANA is one of the original grading services.
  • NGC (Numismatic Guaranty Corporation): NGC is one of the three most popular coin grading certification services today. They are considered a third party service, in that they are not directly controlled by any coin dealers.
  • PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service): PCGS certifies coins as genuine and determines their grades according to a popular coin grading scale (of 1 to 70). They charge a fee for their services and seal the coin in a tamper-resistant protective holder. PCGS is one of the top three independent grading services today.

    • Washington Quarter:
    The United States Treasury initially conceived of a limited issue commemorative coin to honor the bicentennial of George Washington's birth. However, after winning over the American public so convincingly upon its debut in 1932, the new coin was retained indefinitely. The obverse of the coin features the bust of George Washington, while the reverse shows an eagle with expanded wings clutching a bundle of arrows over an olive branch.

    The design is the work of sculptor John Flanagan and came about as a result of an open competition held by the U.S. Treasury Department in 1931. A judging panel initially selected the submission of Laura Gardin Fraser (wife of Buffalo Nickel designer, James Earle Fraser) as the winner, but was overruled by Treasury Secretary Andrew W. Mellon, who declared Flanagan's design victorious. Though Mellon cited Flanagan's superior work as his reason for his decision, some believe the truth was that he simply could not bring himself to award first prize to a woman. In 1999, the United States Mint issued a five-dollar commemorative gold piece marking the 200th anniversary of Washington's death which featured Laura Gardin Fraser's design submission from the 1931 Washington Quarter contest.

    For the Bicentennial of the United States in 1976, the U.S. Mint held another contest and requested design concepts for a reverse to be used on the Washington Quarter for the celebratory year. Similar competitions for the Bicentennial celebration were also held for the dollar and half-dollar coin designs. An image by Jack L. Ahr, featuring a regimental drummer in colonial army uniform adjacent to a torch surrounded by 13 stars, was chosen to appear on the quarter coin. The dual date of 1776-1976 was added to the obverse. John Flanagan's original design resumed production in 1977.

    In 1999, the United States Mint celebrated the debut of the 50 State Quarters program. For every year in the subsequent decade, the Mint released five different reverse designs for the Washington quarter with each design honoring a different State in the Union. States were recognized by order of their entrance into the Union. The District of Columbia and United States Territories were honored in the same manner throughout the year in 2009. In 2010, the United States Mint began a 56-issue series for the Washington Quarter titled America the Beautiful Quarters program. Reverse designs in this series will feature national parks and sites in each of the 50 states, District of Columbia, and U.S. Territories.