Photo: US Mint
How closely do you examine the coins you find in your couch cushions or the change you get at the store? You probably just throw it in your pocket without so much as a glance. However, some of those coins are worth way more than face value, and for many of them, it doesn't take much to see that you've got something valuable. That's the case for millions of quarters that were released just a few years ago. The coins have a "W" on them and if you see it, your quarter isn't worth 25 cents, it's worth about $20.
The Coinhubs Instagram account posted a video explaining what to look for. The quarters are from either 2019 or 2020 and on their heads side, under where it says "In God We Trust," you'll see a letter W. That letter is the mint mark, and a W means it was created in West Point, New York. It's the first time circulating coins have ever shown a W mint mark. Only ten million quarters were minted there in 2019 and another ten million in 2020. It may seem like a lot, but with how many quarters are in circulation, these are considered somewhat rare.
There are ten possible scenes on the tails sides of the coins, all part of the U.S. Mint's America The Beautiful Quarters Program. The 2019 ones show scenes commemorating Texas' San Antonio Missions Park, Massachusetts' Lowell National Park, the Northern Mariana Islands' American Memorial Park, Guam's War in the Pacific National Park, and Idaho's Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness. The 2020 ones show Connecticut's Weir Farm National Historic Site, Kansas' Tall Grass Prairie, the U.S. Virgin Island's Salt River Bay, the National Park of American Samoa, and Vermont's Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park. Each design appears on two million quarters.
With so many of the quarters out there, there are going to be plenty of people who find them. Only the nicest mint condition ones will fetch top dollar, but you can still get a lot more than 25 cents for it. You can probably sell it for a few bucks at a pawn shop, but you might do better on eBay or with a Facebook group for coin collectors. Another option is to just save it - it will only increase in value as the years go by.
And if you find yourself digging through your couch cushions or rummaging through your coin jars, be sure to keep an eye out for some other coins that might have value!