A circulated 1968 quarter is worth 25 cents as of October 2026. It is clad copper-nickel with no silver, whether it has a D, an S or no mint mark. Uncirculated coins are worth $1-6 in ordinary grades, about $16 in MS66 and about $55 in MS67, and the rare MS68 is a condition rarity quoted at roughly $1,500 and up. The 1968-S is a proof, made for collectors, and sells for a few dollars in common grades.
The 1968 date matters for one practical reason: it is the year mint marks came back. Quarters dated 1965 to 1967 have none, so a 1968 with a letter on the front is simply normal. If you are holding a quarter with a mint mark in the new position and wonder if it is a variety, it almost certainly is not.
Quick answer
- Circulated 1968 or 1968-D quarter: 25 cents. Clad, no silver.
- Uncirculated: roughly $1-6 for most coins, about $16 in MS66, about $55 in MS67, roughly $1,500 and up in MS68.
- 1968-S proof: a few dollars in common grades, more for cameo and deep cameo.
- The mint mark is on the front, right of the hair ribbon behind Washington's neck.
- The 1968-D doubled die reverse (FS-801) is the variety worth checking for; Greysheet's retail guide puts mint state examples at roughly $775 and up.
Where is the mint mark on a 1968 quarter?
On the front, to the right of the ribbon that ties Washington's hair, behind his neck. Greysheet's catalog descriptions of post-1967 Washington quarters place the mint mark to the right of the hair ribbon, with LIBERTY at the top, IN GOD WE TRUST left of the neck and the date at the bottom. Before 1965 the letter was on the reverse, below the eagle; from 1968 it is on the obverse.
- Find the date. At the bottom of the front, under the bust. Confirm it reads 1968.
- Look right of the ribbon. A D means Denver and an S means San Francisco, which for 1968 quarters means a proof. No letter means Philadelphia.
- Check the edge. A copper stripe between two gray layers confirms clad. No 1968 quarter is silver.
- Weigh it. The weight is 5.67 grams. A kitchen scale reading to 0.1 gram is enough to spot a wrong planchet.
- Look at the surface. A mirror-like field with frosted design belongs to a proof, which only the S coin should have.
- Scan for doubling. With a loupe, check the date and lettering for a clear second outline. Flat, shelf-like doubling is machine doubling and worth nothing.
- Judge wear. Flat cheek and hair, dull surface or rubbed eagle means circulated, and a circulated coin is 25 cents.
How many 1968 quarters were made?
The Mint struck 220,731,500 quarters at Philadelphia with no mint mark, 101,534,000 at Denver, and 3,041,506 proofs at San Francisco in 1968, according to the Mint's published figures as listed by PCGS CoinFacts and Greysheet.
| Mint | Mark | Mintage | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | None | 220,731,500 | Circulation |
| Denver | D | 101,534,000 | Circulation |
| San Francisco | S | 3,041,506 | Proof only |
The Denver coin is the lowest circulation mintage of the year. It is still a common coin, because the Mint made over a hundred million of them.
How much is a 1968 quarter worth?
A 1968 quarter that has been in circulation is worth 25 cents, with or without a mint mark. The table uses retail guide values and recorded sales, and high-grade sales are thin, so the figures are guides rather than prices anyone must pay.
| Coin | Grade | Value as of October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Any 1968 or 1968-D | Circulated | 25 cents |
| 1968 or 1968-D | MS60 to MS65 | About $1-6 |
| 1968-D | MS66 | About $16 |
| 1968-D | MS67 | About $55 |
| 1968-D | MS67+ | $240 (PCGS, Heritage, April 2024) |
| 1968-D | MS68 | Roughly $1,500 and up, sales thin |
| 1968-S proof | PR65 to PR67 | A few dollars |
| 1968-S proof | PR69 deep cameo | Higher, check recent sales |
PCGS commentary on the 1968-D estimates roughly 200 to 300 examples known in MS67 and fewer than a dozen in MS68, which is why the price rises so steeply. Greysheet's retail guide range for the 1968-D tops out between about $1,560 and $3,120 for the finest coins. Treat the MS66 and MS67 figures as approximate guide values; the common uncirculated range of $1-6 is the solid part of the table.
Is a 1968 quarter worth keeping or spending?
If it is worn, spend it or keep it as a pocket piece, because nothing about a circulated 1968 adds value. If it is uncirculated, keep it in a cardboard flip or a plastic holder, away from fingers, because the difference between a $1 coin and a $16 coin is a few fingerprints and scratches. Do not rub, polish or dip it to make it look better. Collectors and graders look for original surface, and a cleaned coin is worth no more than a worn one.
A roll of 1968-D quarters is a different matter. Bank rolls of quarters from the 1960s are rare, but if you find one that looks sealed and uncirculated, the rolls are worth looking through coin by coin, because a few might grade MS66 or better. Most will still be worth a dollar or two each.
Condition and what it does to price
| Condition | What you see | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Worn, any grade | Flat cheek and hair | 25 cents |
| About Uncirculated | Slight rub on the high points | 25 cents to about $1 |
| MS60 to MS65 | No wear, visible marks | About $1-6 |
| MS66 | Few marks, strong luster | About $16 |
| MS67 | Very few marks | About $55 |
| MS68 | Nearly flawless | Roughly $1,500 and up |
The pattern is the same as other quarters from the clad years. A coin that was bagged and moved around picked up marks, so unmarked ones are rare, and one that has lived in a coin jar is almost always worn. Our coin grading scale guide shows what each step looks like.
What is a 1968-S proof quarter worth?
A typical 1968-S proof quarter is worth a few dollars, and deep cameo coins in the highest grades are worth more. The 1968-S came only in the 1968 proof set, with 3,041,506 sets sold, so it is common and was kept in its holder. Some owners assume a mirror-bright proof must be silver, but the 1968-S proof quarter has none. Silver-clad proof quarters first came in the 1976 Bicentennial sets, and 90 percent silver proof sets began in 1992.
If you have the original government set, the coins are worth more together than apart. See proof sets worth anything for how sets are valued.
What varieties and errors exist for the 1968 quarter?
The one variety with a real price is the 1968-D doubled die reverse, FS-801, which Greysheet's retail guide lists at roughly $775 to $3,120 in mint state depending on grade. Doubled dies are also catalogued on the 1968-S proof. We could not confirm recent sales for these, so treat guide figures as ceilings, not offers.
- 1968-D doubled die reverse, FS-801. Look at the reverse lettering, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and QUARTER DOLLAR, for a clear second outline. It needs attribution by PCGS or NGC to sell at variety prices.
- 1968-S proof doubled dies. Doubling on the lettering of a proof coin from the set. Sales are thin.
- Wrong-planchet and off-center strikes. These are valued by the degree of the error and need a grading service to authenticate. See error coins worth money.
- Machine doubling. Flat, shelf-like doubling on the edge of letters. It is not a variety.
A worked example
Say you find a 1968 quarter in change and wonder whether the mint mark makes it special.
You look at the front and see a small D to the right of the ribbon, which is where it belongs for 1968. It is a Denver coin. The edge shows the copper stripe, and a kitchen scale reads 5.7 grams, the same as a modern quarter. You look at the cheek under a lamp and see flat spots, so it is circulated. A loupe on the date shows no doubled outline. It is worth 25 cents.
If it were untouched with full luster and almost no marks, you would take a close photo to a dealer. A 1968-D in MS66 is about $16, so a grading fee would exceed the value; only an MS67 or better, about $55 and up, begins to justify it.
Common mistakes
- Looking for the mint mark on the back. From 1968 it is on the front.
- Thinking no mint mark means error. On a 1968, no letter means Philadelphia.
- Assuming a proof has silver. The 1968-S is clad.
- Mixing up the years. Quarters from 1965 to 1967 have no mint mark. The silver blank story belongs to 1965 quarters.
- Cleaning the coin. It lowers the grade. See should you clean old coins.
- Believing an asking price. Listings for doubled dies are not sales.
How WorthPic reads 1968 quarter photos
WorthPic runs on the newest and most capable AI model available, tuned for exactly this kind of identification. From a photo it reads the date, finds the mint mark to the right of the neck, recognizes a proof finish, looks at the edge for the copper stripe and judges wear on the cheek, hair and eagle. It gives an honest value range with a most likely figure, which for most 1968 quarters is 25 cents. It cannot know the weight, the exact grade or whether a coin has been cleaned from a picture, so it asks for a scale photo when a wrong planchet is possible. It identifies and estimates, but it does not authenticate, grade or appraise.
What to photograph
- The front, straight on, with the date and mint mark area sharp.
- The back, filling the frame.
- The edge, tilted toward a light.
- The coin on a digital scale, with the grams reading visible.
- Any doubled letters up close, with a loupe if you have one.
When should I get a 1968 quarter looked at in person?
See a dealer if the coin has no wear and almost no marks, if you see clear doubled lettering, if the weight is not 5.67 grams, or if it comes from an unopened proof set. A dealer can say whether it is worth sending to PCGS or NGC. For worn coins no expert is needed. For the neighboring year, our 1967 quarter value guide covers the last year without mint marks, and what quarters are worth money lists the ones to watch for.
Sources
- Wikipedia, Washington quarter: clad quarters struck without mint marks in 1965 to 1967, and post-1967 mint marks on the lower right of the obverse, right of Washington's neck.
- Greysheet, 1970-D doubled die obverse quarter catalog entry: the clad quarter's 5.67 g weight and the obverse layout, with the mint mark to the right of the hair ribbon.
- Greysheet, 1968 Washington quarter values: retail guide ranges for the 1968, 1968-D and the 1968-D doubled die reverse, FS-801.
- PCGS CoinFacts, 1968-D quarter: the 101,534,000 mintage and the estimate of 200 to 300 MS67 and under a dozen MS68 coins.