The Washington quarter series is plagued by two deceptive struck counterfeits and several “added mintmark” alterations.
The most common added mintmarks are found on the 1932-D, 1932-S, 1934-D and 1936-D quarters. The 1932’s are altered far more commonly than the others. They began showing up in quantity in the 1960’s and throughout the 1970’s. They are, in all likelihood, being produced today, but with more sophistication and in smaller quantities than we have seen in the past.
Since a fairly large quantity of dies were used for the production of these coins, we do not use die polish, mintmark position or other die markers in authentication. [Editor’s note: ANAAB and other authenticators will often look for key diagnostic features on a coin to determine authenticity. For example, a genuine example of a three-legged buffalo nickel will show a distinct raised ridge between the legs of the bison. While the Washington quarters offer a few such references, none are considered conclusive evidence – which makes them very difficult to authenticate.]
Genuine coins tend to display a crisp, high relief mintmark with distinct serifs that often sit within a slight depression. The mintmark’s sharp edges and high relief tend to contrast with the gently rising design features, such as the stems and lettering around it. This led one of my mentors, John Hunter of 1970’s ANACS (American Numismatic Association Certification Service) fame, to state, “If it looks good, it’s probably bad. And if it looks bad, it’s probably good!”
Also due to the high relief of the mintmarks, they often display machine doubling, whereas the design features seldom show any. I have never seen an added mintmark which displayed machine doubling or double punching. Often mintmarks are filled, with no inner openings. This is more characteristic of genuine coins than alterations.
As with any added mintmark, look for evidence of a seam, or tooling and smoothing. Often when adhesive is a solder, you will notice a heat-induced discoloration of the mintmark. After time, solder will oxidize and discolor differently than the surrounding silver. Look for green or white discolorations surrounding the mintmark.
Washington Quarters > Ch. 2 > Altered & Counterfeit Coins | David Lawrence Rare Coins Blog
