2019-W Quarter Value & West Point Identification Guide
The 2019-W quarter is a modern circulation find with an unusual origin. West Point struck five America the Beautiful designs, marked them with a W, and mixed only two million of each design into ordinary quarter shipments. Start with the W, identify the reverse, assess the surface and then compare the right value category.
Reviewed by the Coins Identification editorial team · Updated September 21, 2026
2019 → CHECK W → IDENTIFY DESIGN → CHECK CONDITION → VALUE
Only five 2019 quarter designs were struck at West Point for circulation: Lowell, American Memorial Park, War in the Pacific, San Antonio Missions and Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness. The U.S. Mint says the program totaled 10 million coins, with two million of each design mixed into bulk bags from Philadelphia and Denver.
The W makes a coin worth investigating, but a worn example is not automatically a high-dollar rarity. The market rewards the right design, clean surfaces, strong strike, certified grade and documented pedigree. Do not treat asking prices or a single spectacular auction as a normal value.
2019-W Quarter specifications
All five regular W designs share the same denomination, metal, dimensions and two-million mintage.
- Year
- 2019
- Denomination
- Quarter Dollar
- Program
- America the Beautiful
- West Point output
- 10,000,000 total
- Each design
- 2,000,000
- Circulation mints
- Philadelphia / Denver / West Point
- Mint mark
- W
- Metal
- Copper-nickel clad
- Weight
- 5.67 g
- Diameter
- 24.30 mm
- Edge
- Reeded
- Silver version
- Not for regular W circulation coins
Which 2019-W Quarter Design Do You Have?
The reverse design separates the five two-million-coin issues.
Lowell National Historical Park
Release: February 4, 2019. Industrial canal and mill imagery from Lowell, Massachusetts.
PCGS #717970. Recorded top sale in the auction table below: $9,900 MS68, PCGS auction record.
American Memorial Park
Release: April 1, 2019. Memorial and island-history design for the Northern Mariana Islands.
PCGS #717990. Recorded top sale in the auction table below: $3,176 MS68, PCGS auction record.
War in the Pacific National Historical Park
Release: June 3, 2019. Guam design tied to the Pacific theater and the national park.
PCGS #718000. Recorded top sale in the auction table below: $589 MS68, PCGS auction record.
San Antonio Missions National Historical Park
Release: August 26, 2019. Mission architecture and the Texas park story.
PCGS #718004. Recorded top sale in the auction table below: $75,000 MS69, PCGS auction record.
Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness
Release: November 4, 2019. Idaho wilderness landscape and the final 2019 release.
PCGS #718008. Recorded top sale in the auction table below: $987 MS68, PCGS auction record.
Where Is the W on a 2019 Quarter?
Find the mint mark before you think about value.
Turn to the obverse and look below Washington’s neck, close to the date. A 2019-W has a clear W. A P or D is a normal Philadelphia or Denver circulation quarter from the same design family, not a West Point issue. A missing mark is not a worn W unless the surrounding surface supports that reading.
Use a loupe, side lighting and a clean photograph. Do not scrape the area or polish the coin. A damaged mint-mark area can lower value and remove the evidence needed for attribution.
2019-W Quarter Value Chart
Current guide checkpoints and documented market context, not guaranteed sale prices.
The table uses current reference checkpoints from the PCGS/CPG material reviewed on September 21, 2026. Ranges are kept as ranges; they are not interpolated. The MS68 or higher row is deliberately labelled as a checkpoint because a guide number and an auction record are different things. A circulated coin may sell for a small premium or face value depending on the buyer, while a certified top-pop coin can sit in a separate market.
| Grade | Lowell | American Memorial | War in the Pacific | San Antonio Missions | River of No Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MS65 | $35–$36 | $110 | $24–$26 | $20–$22 | $44–$46 |
| MS66 | $42–$90 | $155 | $30–$34 | $30–$32 | $75–$90 |
| MS67 | $90–$350 | $405 | $40–$60 | $40–$48 | $500 |
| MS68 or higher | $350 guide checkpoint; rare sales are case-specific | $1,250 | $175 guide checkpoint | $80 guide checkpoint | $500 guide checkpoint |
| Circulated / raw | $0.25 face value for an ordinary example; compare verified sales only when wear, design, W mark and preservation justify a premium. | ||||
How Each 2019-W Design Trades
All five have the same mintage, but their grade populations and recorded sales differ.
| Reverse design | Release | PCGS # | Recorded auction context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lowell National Historical Park | February 4, 2019 | 717970 | $9,900 MS68, PCGS auction record |
| American Memorial Park | April 1, 2019 | 717990 | $3,176 MS68, PCGS auction record |
| War in the Pacific National Historical Park | June 3, 2019 | 718000 | $589 MS68, PCGS auction record |
| San Antonio Missions National Historical Park | August 26, 2019 | 718004 | $75,000 MS69, PCGS auction record |
| Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness | November 4, 2019 | 718008 | $987 MS68, PCGS auction record |
Lowell and American Memorial Park
These were among the designs that made the 2019 W release visible to collectors early in the program. Their First Discovery and First Week labels are pedigree categories, not separate mintages. A label can add interest, but it does not replace grade or authentication.
War in the Pacific, San Antonio and River of No Return
The later designs still have the two-million West Point mintage. A headline auction may reflect an exceptional grade, a pedigree or a one-off bidding environment. Compare several certified examples before using the result to price an ordinary coin.
Why W Quarters Are Harder to Find
The difference is distribution, not a precious-metal composition.
| Mint | Issue role | What the collector should know |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia (P) | Regular circulation | Large circulation production; not the scarce W issue |
| Denver (D) | Regular circulation | Large circulation production; not the scarce W issue |
| West Point (W) | Circulation collectible | 2,000,000 for each design, 10,000,000 total |
The U.S. Mint announced that W coins were mixed into bulk bags with Philadelphia and Denver quarters and shipped to banks. That distribution created a short hunt window and also exposed many pieces to bag marks before collectors could save them.
How the 2019-W Quarter Reached Pocket Change
It was released as a circulation collectible, not as a normal proof or mint-set product.
West Point struck the W quarters, then the Mint mixed them with P and D quarters. The Federal Reserve and financial institutions distributed the bags into the normal cash system. Collectors could therefore find an uncirculated coin, a scratched coin, or a worn coin from the same limited issue.
The release also connected with National Coin Week and the Great American Coin Hunt. The event explains why early discovery pieces and special PCGS pedigree labels attracted attention. Those labels describe timing or discovery history, not a separate 2019-W mintage.
How to Search for a 2019-W Quarter
Search without damaging the coins you are checking.
Check change and rolls under neutral light. Start with the date, then scan the mint-mark position. When you find a W, separate it from ordinary coins before rubbing or stacking it. Photograph the obverse, reverse and edge. A soft cloth is not a substitute for careful handling; even light cleaning can leave hairlines.
- Confirm the date is 2019.
- Find a genuine W below Washington’s neck.
- Identify one of the five reverse designs.
- Look for wear, contact marks, spots and cleaning.
- Compare the grade with recent certified sales.
Why Grade Matters More Than the W Alone
Circulation exposure created a narrow high-grade opportunity.
Wear and marks
Flat hair, cheek marks, rim hits and dull luster usually keep the coin outside the top certified market.
Collector zone
Look for original luster, a sharp strike, clean fields and limited contact marks. The exact design still matters.
Condition rarity
High grade is not the same as high mintage. A rare certified grade can command a premium that an ungraded look-alike cannot.
Do not call a coin “uncirculated” from brightness alone. A polished coin can look bright while losing the original surface that grading services need to see.
First Discovery, First Week and Early Find
Timing labels can add provenance, but they are not error varieties.
PCGS documented special 2019 W designations including First Discovery, First Week of Discovery and Early Find. These categories relate to when qualifying coins were submitted or recognized during the release. A pedigree label can make a coin more desirable to a specialist, but it should be evaluated separately from the regular-strike grade and the design.
Do not assume a raw coin is a First Discovery piece because it came from an early roll. The designation must be on a recognized certification record. Keep the label, certification number and auction description together when researching a price.
2019-W Quarter vs. 2020-W V75 Quarter
Do not add a V75 premium to a normal 2019-W coin.
The 2019 W issue has the West Point mint mark on the obverse and five America the Beautiful reverses. Selected 2020 W quarters carry a V75 privy mark honoring the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. The privy-mark program is separate from the 2019 release.
If a seller uses “V75” in a 2019 listing, treat it as a warning to verify the coin and certification. A normal 2019-W quarter should not have that privy mark.
Is the 2019-W Quarter Silver?
Regular W circulation quarters are clad.
PCGS lists the regular 2019-W quarter as 75% copper and 25% nickel over a pure copper center. The coin has a reeded edge, weighs 5.67 grams and measures 24.30 millimeters. These specifications match the regular copper-nickel clad issue.
A bright color, a gray edge or a strong ring is not a complete composition test. If a coin appears to have a missing clad layer or a wrong planchet, weigh it, measure it and seek professional authentication. Do not scrape the edge.
Which 2019-W Quarter Errors Are Worth Checking?
Verify the mint-made cause before assigning a premium.
Off-center strike
Evidence: Date, W and a clear percentage of displacement.
Pricing method: Match a certified sale for the same error type and severity.
Struck-through or retained material
Evidence: A production-shaped design weakness, not a scratch or scrape.
Pricing method: Compare certified sales for the exact mint-made error.
Clipped planchet
Evidence: A genuine blanking curve with compatible metal flow.
Pricing method: Use a matched certified error sale after attribution.
Missing clad layer / wrong planchet
Evidence: Weight, edge and composition testing.
Pricing method: Do not price from color alone.
Doubled die or die variety
Evidence: Repeatable hub or die markers documented by a specialist.
Pricing method: No confirmed 2019-W doubled-die premium used here.
| Error category | What must be shown | How to price it |
|---|---|---|
| Off-center strike | Date, W and a clear percentage of displacement | Match a certified sale for the same error type and severity |
| Struck-through or retained material | A production-shaped design weakness, not a scratch or scrape | Compare certified sales for the exact mint-made error |
| Clipped planchet | A genuine blanking curve with compatible metal flow | Use a matched certified error sale after attribution |
| Missing clad layer / wrong planchet | Weight, edge and composition testing | Do not price from color alone |
| Doubled die or die variety | Repeatable hub or die markers documented by a specialist | No confirmed 2019-W doubled-die premium used here |
Error premiums depend on the exact mint-made mechanism, size, location, grade and certification. Use a specialist attribution service and a matched completed sale before advertising an error.
Recorded 2019-W Auction Records
These results show the ceiling of individual certified coins, not the price of every example.
| Design | Grade | Sale | Record context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lowell | MS68 | $9,900 | PCGS CoinFacts auction record, eBay, Mar. 19, 2023 |
| American Memorial Park | MS68 | $3,176 | PCGS CoinFacts auction record, eBay, Sep. 1, 2023 |
| War in the Pacific | MS68 | $589 | PCGS CoinFacts auction record, eBay, Oct. 2, 2022 |
| San Antonio Missions | MS69 | $75,000 | PCGS CoinFacts auction record, eBay, Jul. 26, 2021 |
| River of No Return | MS68 | $987 | PCGS CoinFacts auction record, eBay, Dec. 27, 2019 |
PCGS warns that eBay records are not an authenticity guarantee. A record can reflect a pedigree, exceptional grade, date, buyer demand or a one-time bidding result.
What Makes a 2019-W Quarter Valuable?
Use all five checks together.
W mint mark
Without a genuine W, the coin belongs to the normal P or D market.
Reverse design
Confirm which of the five 2019 issues you have before comparing sales.
Surface quality
Original luster and clean fields create the path to a high Mint State grade.
Certification
Professional grading gives a valuable coin a market language buyers can compare.
Pedigree or error
Early-find labels and genuine mint errors are separate from the normal type.
Completed sales
Use realized results and current guides, not optimistic asking prices.
How to Identify a 2019-W Quarter
Date → mint mark → reverse → condition → evidence.
- 01Confirm 2019
Read the date on the obverse and rule out a 2020 V75 issue.
- 02Find the W
Look below Washington’s neck near the date.
- 03Name the design
Match Lowell, American Memorial Park, War in the Pacific, San Antonio Missions or River of No Return.
- 04Check the surface
Record wear, contact marks, luster, spots and cleaning.
- 05Test an error claim
Photograph the edge, weigh the coin and compare repeatable markers.
- 06Compare evidence
Use a current guide and several completed certified sales.
- 07Grade only when justified
Send a clean, apparently high-grade or unusual example to a recognized service.
Should You Clean a 2019-W Quarter?
Preserve the evidence instead.
Do not polish or dip it
Cleaning can leave hairlines, remove original luster and make a potentially valuable coin harder to grade. It can also destroy residue that helps explain a suspected mint error.
Store and document it
Handle the coin by the edge, use an inert holder, photograph both sides and keep the certification or purchase history. If the coin is valuable, avoid unnecessary handling.
2019-W Quarter FAQ
Short answers for identification, rarity and value.
How much is a 2019-W Quarter worth?
A circulated example may trade for a modest premium, while certified Mint State coins can bring much more. The design, surface quality, grade, pedigree and current completed sales all matter.
Why is the 2019-W Quarter valuable?
The W mint mark identifies West Point, only two million of each 2019 design were made, and the coins were mixed into ordinary circulation instead of sold as a normal collector set.
How rare is a 2019-W Quarter?
Each of the five designs has a mintage of two million. That is scarce beside normal P and D circulation output, but it does not make every circulated W quarter rare in the same market sense.
How many 2019-W quarters were made?
The U.S. Mint states that West Point produced 10 million in total, two million for each of the five 2019 America the Beautiful designs.
What does W mean on a 2019 Quarter?
W means West Point Mint. The 2019 W quarter was the first circulating U.S. coin to carry the W mint mark.
Where is the W mint mark?
On a 2019-W Washington quarter, look on the obverse below Washington’s neck, near the date. Use magnification and good light because circulation marks can obscure it.
What are the five 2019-W Quarter designs?
Lowell, American Memorial Park, War in the Pacific, San Antonio Missions and Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness.
Which 2019-W Quarter is worth the most?
The highest recorded result in the current PCGS review is a San Antonio Missions MS69 at $75,000. That is an auction record for a top certified coin, not a normal value for the type.
Is a 2019-W Quarter silver?
Regular 2019-W circulation quarters are copper-nickel clad. A silver-colored appearance does not prove silver content.
Does a 2019-W Quarter have a V75 privy mark?
No. The V75 privy mark belongs to selected 2020-W American Samoa quarters. A normal 2019-W quarter has the W mint mark without that privy.
What 2019-W Quarter errors are valuable?
Authentic off-center strikes, struck-through errors, clipped planchets, composition errors and documented die varieties can be collectible. The error must be verified before a price claim.
Should I get my 2019-W Quarter graded?
Consider grading when the coin is clean, apparently uncirculated, has a strong W mint mark, or shows a possible mint error. A worn coin near face value usually does not justify the cost.