Two rare Washington quarters sell for a combined $145 online – see if one is in your spare change
A PAIR of rare quarters featuring President George Washington was recently sold on eBay for $144.
The two coins - a 1938-S and 1939-S Washington - were initially listed at $24.99.
After 18 bids, a collector took home the two 25-cent pieces for $144.16.
What makes these coins valuable?
Coin collectors designate certain pieces as "key date" coins, meaning they're rarer or harder to find than others in its series.
Key date coins include the highly coveted 1955 Lincoln doubled die penny and the 1982-No S Roosevelt dime.
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Both of these recently sold quarters are considered "semi-key date" coins, meaning they're on the second tier of coin rarity.
The coins were minted in San Francisco, and less than 3million of each was produced.
For comparison, nearly 10million other quarters were minted in Philadelphia in 1938 and more than 7million in Denver in 1939.
The Professional Coin Grading Service estimates that 283,200 1938-S quarters and 262,600 1939-S coins still exist.
The 1938 variation is worth anywhere from $5.76 to $260, depending on the condition.
The 1939-S quarters have the same minimum price, but can be worth up to $353, according to USA Coinbook.
This pair of quarters was not officially certified or graded but appeared to be in very good condition based on photos.
How to find rare coins
There are many ways you can find rare coins.
The first thing you’ll want to do is check places in your home or any places you might store change.
You can also try using a metal detector in known areas for buried treasure by stopping by your local bank and asking for a roll of coins.
To check if your coins are worth anything on eBay, search the full name, select the "sold" listing and then toggle the search to "highest value”.
This way, you'll get a sense of what collectors are willing to pay for your coins.
You can either choose to sell the coin on eBay or through a specialist site such as Coinappraiser or USA Coin Book.
And also - be aware of potential fakes when buying online.
To avoid this, it's worth checking the seller’s history and whether or not the coin was certified in the listing.
For instance, even though these coins were not certified, the seller has a perfect feedback rating with 129 positive reviews and zero negative feedback.
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In March, we compiled a list of other Washington quarter variations that sell for upwards of $200.
Plus, we reveal the most valuable coins featuring US Presidents.
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