1938 United States 1/4 Dollar Value
Today a 1938 United States 1/4 Dollar typically sells for its melt value to well into four figures, with condition doing most of the work. See the grade table below for exactly where your coin falls.
1938 United States 1/4 Dollar value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|
Estimated retail range. Estimates are modeled from mintage rarity and metal content, not auction records. Actual sale prices vary with certification, eye appeal and market timing.
What is a 1938 United States 1/4 Dollar worth right now?
The market for the 1938 United States 1/4 Dollar is driven by condition above all.
1938 United States 1/4 Dollar specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1938
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Silver
The missing mint mark, explained
Philadelphia struck the 1938 United States 1/4 Dollar, and Philadelphia coins of this period carry no mint mark at all. An empty space at the usual mint mark position (see the series guide) confirms a Philadelphia strike, not a flaw.
Why the 1938 United States 1/4 Dollar is worth money
The 1938 United States 1/4 Dollar lacks precise production records, so its value rests on demonstrated rarity: how often examples surface at auction and how they compare to documented specimens.
Context adds the final layer to the 1938 United States 1/4 Dollar. Documented United States coin types preserved in museum collections, with measured specifications for each date, denomination and mint. Owning this date means owning a piece of that story, and demand for the series as a whole sustains liquidity for every issue in it.
1938 United States 1/4 Dollar inscriptions & design
Obverse
LIBERTY; IN GOD WE TRUST; (date)
Washington head l.
Reverse
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; QUARTER DOLLAR
eagle standing on bundle of arrows, head l., wreath below
Measured 1938 United States 1/4 Dollar specimens
3 physically measured 1938 United States 1/4 Dollar examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the g, mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 United States 1/4 Dollar #1 | - | - | - | Breen.4292 |
| 1938 United States 1/4 Dollar #2 | - | - | - | Breen.4291 |
| 1938 United States 1/4 Dollar #3 | - | - | - | Breen.4293 |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.