History of the U.S. Quarter

The quarter is a U.S. coin worth 25 cents, one-fourth of a dollar. The quarter famously features the profile of George Washington on its obverse side, while the reverse design has changed frequently over the years.

The current version of the quarter consists of two layers of cupronickel, 75% copper and 25% nickel, on a core of pure copper. The coin shows George Washington on its front side. The reverse side featured an eagle up until the 1999 50 State Quarters program. The 50 State Quarters program began circulating quarters with a modified Washington obverse side, and a different reverse design for each state.

Many versions of the quarter have been issued over the course of U.S. history. Here are a few notable examples:

Draped Bust (1796-1807) - The Draped Bust was the second quarter circulated in the U.S. The obverse side features the portrait of Lady Liberty, designed by the Chief Engraver of the U.S. Mint, Robert Scot.  The reverse side features a bald eagle, and was released in two versions: the Small Eagle (1796) and the Heraldic Eagle (1804-1807).

Standing Liberty (1916-1930) - The Standing Liberty features a standing Lady  Liberty holding a shield on its obverse side. The reverse design features a flying eagle. Three different versions of the coin were released, called Type 1, Type 2, and Type 3.

Washington Quarter (1932 - Present) - The Washington Quarter is the present quarter dollar coin issued by the U.S. Mint. The coin was first struck in 1932 and was originally designed by John Flanagan. The obverse design features the profile of George Washington, while the reverse design has featured many different designs. There have been four different sets of the Washington Quarter: the Bicentennial (1975-1976), the 50 State Quarters (1999-2008), the District of Colombia and U.S. Territories 2009, and the America the Beautiful Quarters (2010-2021).