1994-P Washington Quarter : A Collector’s Guide

By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek Notes …..
 

Throughout the 1990s, the hair detail of the Washington Quarter became increasingly garish as the United States Mint made a series of adjustments to the design, resulting in the so-called “Spaghetti Hair” quarters. Starting around 1991, the modifications were gradual but easily discernible. Sculptor John Flanagan’s original portrait of Founding Father George Washington did not feature particularly realistic hair detail, giving it some form but not articulating the wavy lines in such sharp detail.

We once approached former Chief Engraver John Mercanti about the Spaghetti Hair incident, and he told us that he knew who did it but didn’t want to call them out. It’s likely that these changes were meant to increase production and were not an artistic whim, as the Mint was adjusting the concavity of the design during this period.

The Philadelphia Mint struck 825,600,000 1994-P Washington Quarters – over 54 million fewer quarters than those produced at the Denver Mint. The entire mintage entered into circulation within the first year or so of production and was available over the counter in Brilliant Uncirculated condition at most bank locations throughout the Philadelphia facility’s service region.

Additionally, the 1994-P Washington Quarter was sold as part of the 1994 United States Mint Uncirculated Coin Set. These sets, offered every year since 1968, included one example of each circulating coin struck at the Philadelphia and Denver mints. Along with the 1994-P quarter, the Philadelphia coins in the set included the 1994-P Kennedy Half Dollar, the 1994-P Roosevelt Dime, the 1994-P Jefferson Nickel, and the 1994 Lincoln Cent. These sets can be acquired with minimal effort and typically sell for less than $10 each.

How Much Is the 1994-P Washington Quarter Worth?

Like all United States coins, the 1994-P Washington Quarter is collectible. It’s been 30 years since the coin was released into circulation, and a few billion coins survive in various states of preservation. Despite this, one is not likely to encounter a 1994-P in change very often. Those interested in acquiring this date (and many others from the post-1965 clad period) will find some success with coin roll hunting. Most bank branches will have rolls and boxes of quarter dollars, and may allow you to purchase them at face value. Expect that most coins found this way will be in circulated condition.

The Mint sold 1,234,813 Mint Sets in 1994. These coins are in uncirculated condition, and with some effort, one can find coins in Gem Mint State or better. As mentioned previously, these sets sell for about $10 each for all 10 circulating coins. Expect to pay between $1 and $2 for a loose uncirculated 1994-P Washington Quarter.

The record price for a 1994-P quarter is $8,156.25, paid on December 30, 2018, for a flashy and fully brilliant example graded PCGS MS68 – a top pop, pop one coin when offered. When the second PCGS-graded MS68 was sold in January 2021, that coin brought considerably less, which makes us believe that the previously offered MS68 has lost more than half of its value with the addition of the second coin to the PCGS census.

Certified MS67s sell for under $150 (some as low as $50), while MS66s trade at or below the cost of submission.

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1994-P Washington Quarter Market Data and Noteworthy Specimens

Both NGC MS68s were made after 2017.

Top Population: PCGS MS68 (2, 11/2024), NGC MS68 (2, 11/2024), and CAC N/A (0:0 stickered:graded, 11/2024).

• PCGS MS68 #40907578: GreatCollections, January 17, 2021, Lot 893287 – $3,216.38. Lightly champagne hue. Second PCGS MS68 graded.
• PCGS MS68 #36639374: GreatCollections, December 30, 2018, Lot 602245 – $8,156.25. Flashy. Fully brilliant. First PCGS MS68 graded.
• PCGS MS67+ #47514851: GreatCollections, August 27, 2023, Lot 1275225 – View.
• NGC MS67 #2729627-009: Marketed by DLRC as of November 12, 2024 at $300.
• NGC MS67 #6548376-017: eBay, August 30, 2024 – $155.75.
• PCGS MS67 #12843561: Heritage Auctions, June 18, 2019, Lot 25557 – $504. Pop 14 with one finer when offered.
• NGC MS67 #2557585-083: Heritage auctions, January 10, 2017, Lot 24132 – $223.25.
• PCGS MS66 #84915291: eBay, August 19, 2024 – $26.

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Design

Obverse:

Designed by American sculptor John Flanagan, the obverse of the 1994-P Washington Quarter is based on a bust of George Washington created by the neoclassical French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon in 1785. Flanagan’s design differs from the original bust in several ways, such as a slightly different head shape and several curls of hair that are not on the bust; for comparison, Houdon’s bust can be viewed at the late president’s Virginia estate, Mount Vernon. Under the left-facing effigy’s chin is the national motto IN GOD WE TRUST. The word LIBERTY runs along the top of the coin’s field, and the date 1994 is below. In small letters, Flanagan’s initials JF can be found above the “4” in 1994 at the base of the bust, and the P mintmark is to the right of Washington’s hair tie.

Reverse:

Flanagan’s reverse is dominated by a heraldic eagle with outstretched wings and a left-facing head. The eagle is perched on a neat bundle of arrows with two intertwined olive branches below. The two main inscriptions above the eagle are the legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM. Finally, at six o’clock on the design, the denomination is written out as QUARTER DOLLAR.

Edge:

The edge of the 1994-P Washington quarter is reeded.

Coin Specifications

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