Certain quarters from 1970 could be worth a lot of money

eBay | Mike_Byers

It’s time to dig under those couch cushions and look for loose change. You may find a special type of quarter that’s commanding quite a premium price right now. According to Good Housekeeping, people are selling the coin for $35,000.

So, what’s the deal? Certain quarters minted in 1970 feature a small, easily missed mistake that’s making some collectors excited.

A Mistake Worth Thousands

These special quarters were minted over 1941 Canadian quarters and, as a result, feature a teeny-tiny “1941” marking above the word “DOLLAR” and on the tails side of the coin.

While there’s a rare chance of actually having one of these, it can’t hurt to check that piggy bank and scour the couch cushions, because you could get lucky.

This is a proof quarter, which means it was a test piece. According to coin expert (and the owner of one of these quarters) Mike Byers, “Proof coins are struck by technicians who hand feed the blanks into special presses. They are produced, examined and packaged using extreme quality control. It is very unusual to find major proof errors. A few broadstrikes, off-centers, double strikes in collars and off-metals have been known to be found in sealed proof sets.”

MORE: You Could Have A Rare Penny Worth Thousands—Or Even Millions—Of Dollars In Your Wallet

Why Is This Coin Worth So Much?

The reason why this coin reportedly boasts such a high value?

“Proof errors are aggressively sought after by many error collectors,” according to Byers. Well, that makes sense.

Byers came to own one of these quarters after buying it at an auction from the State of California. The U.S. Secret Service sent a collection of coins with proof errors to the state after its discovery in a group of San Francisco coins.

“There is a significant amount of detail on both sides showing the design of the Canadian Quarter. This is one of the most fascinating and intriguing proof mint errors ever discovered,” Byers wrote.

Here is a photo from Byers that shows the “1941” imprint marking. It’s pretty hard to make out, but it’s there!

If you’re curious about other flawed coins, Byers wrote a book called “World’s Greatest Mint Errors.” It’s a coffee table-style book with “the most dramatic and amazing mint errors and die trials ever found in the U.S. and across the world,” according to the book description. This guy is a serious collector, too.

Right now on eBay, US coin errors are listed for tens of thousands of dollars. Byers previously priced a two-headed Jefferson nickel for $100,000. Yep, you read that right, $100,000.

He also listed a copper penny for $22,500. According to Byers, there are only three coins like this in the world.

Known as numismatists, Byers and others like him spend time studying and collecting coins. There are numismatic clubs, organizations, conferences and newsletters for die-hard coin collectors.

Best of luck to you!

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About the Author
Will Schuerman
Will loves discovering and sharing tips to help make life easier. In addition to his passion for hacks and tips, Will is a former granola business proprietor and a life long techie.

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