The 1965 Quarter: What Kind of Mint Marks and Mistakes Are There?

The 1965 Washington Quarter coin indicates the official cessation of the issue of dimes and quarters made of silver, so you may be led to find an erroneous silver coin — who knows. 

And if you don't understand how to define 1965 Quarter value in general, learn more to be well-prepared.

Coin Design

The front side of the coin has the classic picture of George Washington made by John Flanagan, and the back side has a picture of an eagle standing on a group of arrows.

• Words on the Front Side: LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, 1965

• Words on the Back Side: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, E PLURIBUS UNUM, QUARTER DOLLAR

All 1965 Quarter Coin Types and Their Value

1965 Quarter 

This type is most of the quarters that were made, and they were hit by the machines many, many times to fix the problem of not having enough coins, so you can easily see the copper layer on the side of these coins.

• Number Made: 1.8 Billion

• Weight: 5.67 g

• Diameter: 24.26 mm

• Composition: Copper and Nickel

Auction Record Note: A coin graded PCGS MS-68, was sold for $5,258 at a Heritage Auctions sale in January 2016.

Silver Blank Mistake 

This is the most famous and valuable mistake for the 1965 quarter, because a few silver coin blanks, which were supposed to be used for 1964 coins, were left in the machines and were hit by the 1965 stamps by accident, so the result is a 1965 coin that has 90% silver inside.

• Number Made: N/A

• Weight: 6.25 g

• Diameter: 24.26 mm

• Composition: 90% Silver, 10% Copper

Auction Record Note: A coin that was checked and graded PCGS MS-62 was sold for $16,800 at a Stack’s Bowers Galleries sale in 2020.

1965 Quarter SMS Set

In 1965, the US Mint stopped making the very shiny Proof coins because of the lack of coins, and instead they made "Special Mint Sets".

• Number Made: N/A

• Weight: 5.67 g

• Diameter: 24.26 mm

• Composition: Copper and Nickel

Auction Record Note: A coin graded NGC SP-67, was sold for $960 on eBay in 2023.

1965 Quarter Special Strike Deep Cameo

The Deep Cameo effect makes George Washington's face look dull against the background.

• Number Made: N/A

• Weight: 5.67 g

• Diameter: 24.26 mm

• Composition: Copper and Nickel

Auction Record Note: A coin graded NGC SP-67 DCAM, was sold for $4,080 at a Heritage Auctions sale in October 2017.

Doubled Die Obverse Mistake

You can usually see this double look on the date "1965" and the words "IN GOD WE TRUST".

• Number Made: N/A

• Weight: 5.67 g

• Diameter: 24.26 mm

• Composition: Copper and Nickel

Auction Record Note: A coin was graded NGC MS-64, sold for $720 at a GreatCollections sale in July 2022.

Struck on Dime Blank Mistake

The quarter machine hits a smaller coin blank that was supposed to be a dime, so the finished coin has the full quarter picture but is too small.

• Number Made: N/A

• Weight: 2.27 g

• Diameter: 17.91 mm

• Composition: Copper and Nickel

Auction Record Note: A coin was checked and graded PCGS MS-63 sold for $11,400 at a Heritage Auctions sale in February 2019.

Off-Center Strike 

The picture is pushed far from the middle.

• Number Made: N/A

• Weight: less than 5.67 g

• Diameter: 24.26 mm 

• Composition: Copper and Nickel

Auction Record Note: A coin that was hit 60% off-center, graded NGC MS-63 and sold for $875 at a Stack’s Bowers Galleries sale in 2021.

Clipped Planchet Mistake

The metal sheet is punched twice, one time over the other has a smooth, curved part missing from its edge.

• Number Made: N/A

• Weight: N/A

• Diameter: 24.26 mm 

• Composition: Copper and Nickel

Auction Record Note: A coin with a 15% curved cut, graded NGC MS-63, was sold for $216 on eBay in 2024.

Struck Thru Mistake

The dirt or oil is stuck on the machine's stamp, stopping the full picture from being pressed onto the coin.

• Number Made: N/A

• Weight: 5.67 g

• Diameter: 24.26 mm

• Composition: Copper and Nickel

Auction Record Note: A coin with Struck Thru mistake graded PCGS MS-64, was sold for $115 on a major mistake coin website in 2023.

How to Check the Value of Your 1965 Quarter

The Silver Test 

The first thing you must check is if your coin is the Silver Blank Mistake.

• Look at the Side: Look very closely at the edge of the coin, because if you see a red-brown line between the silver-looking outside parts, it is a common coin, but if the edge is all silver or white across the whole side, it might be the silver mistake coin.

• Check the Weight: A silver mistake coin must weigh 6.25 grams, but an average layered coin will only weigh 5.67 grams.

The Mint Mark Check

You should not look for the letters P, D, or S on the normal coin, because all real 1965 coins that were used by people do not have a mark, so if your coin has a mark, it is fake.

The Condition Check

The coin will only have a high value if it is in a New Condition (MS-65 or better), so you should look for any small marks, scratches, or wear.

Professional Grading

If you think you have found the Silver Blank Mistake or a MS-67 coin — send it to a PCGS or NGC as their check is the only way to prove the mistake is real and to know the exact value of your coin.

In any case, there are plenty of other options to verify the authenticity of the token and generally find out the basic information about it — try various value determination applications, for example, Coin ID Scanner. 

Take the time now to study all the subtleties and details to be ready for auctions, because in any case, every collector is only interested in his own benefit, and good preparation will protect you from scammers.