Rare 1913 Quarter Errors (List & Pictures)
A superb 1913-S quarter carrying a die crack sold for $172,500 in January 2005. That whole-coin result reflects a rare issue in exceptional condition, while the 1913 quarter errors below span estimated values of $200–$175,000.
Confirm the mintmark first, then examine the known date crack or test a possible off-center strike against both faces.
1913 Quarter A raised line joining 3 to Liberty’s bust: San Francisco die crack Error
The lower-right loop of the date’s 3 is the starting point for this small but useful feature. A fine raised line connects it to the base of Liberty’s portrait on some 1913-S quarters.
On certain examples, the line also extends below the digit toward the rim. It records a fracture in the die, the steel stamping tool, into which silver entered during the strike.
The resulting ridge is part of the coin’s struck surface. A scratch can look similarly bright under one light angle but has a different structure.
How to Identify
Keep the entire 3 and the lower portrait in view under magnification. Move the lamp so you can follow a raised connection rather than a reflection across the field.
If the crack continues below the digit, trace it downward and left toward the rim. Compare its route with the documented 1913-S feature, while allowing for differences in visibility and wear.
Turn the coin over to check the S below the eagle. Examine the date, mintmark, lettering, and surrounding surface together for evidence of alteration.
The crack can be faint or worn away. Its absence alone does not prove a coin is false, and its presence alone does not complete authentication of a rare 1913-S.
What It’s Worth
Estimated whole-coin values range from $2,000–$175,000, covering worn 1913-S quarters through extraordinary high-grade survivors. Most of this value comes from the date, mint, and condition.
A PCGS MS68 coin sold for $172,500 on January 12, 2005. MS68 describes exceptional preservation without circulation wear and with very few imperfections.
The visible crack is a feature of that coin, not a separately measured six-figure premium. A heavily worn, cleaned, or damaged example requires a substantially different comparison.
1913 Quarter An incomplete design beside blank metal: possible off-center strike Error
A blank that lands away from its proper position can receive only part of the quarter design. The opposite side of the coin retains an unstruck crescent.
The supplied catalog does not establish a specific 1913 silver-quarter specimen, mint, or finish. This category remains an unconfirmed possibility rather than a documented example with an auction history.
How to Identify
First verify the denomination from the Liberty-head front and QUARTER DOLLAR on the reverse. A gold quarter eagle is a different coin despite sharing the word “quarter.”
Find where intended artwork runs beyond the original metal, then check the corresponding displacement on the other face. A centered eagle with a shifted portrait may indicate a misaligned die instead.
A widened coin that retains all its design can be a broadstrike rather than an off-center strike. An uneven rim by itself does not distinguish these possibilities.
Inspect the apparently blank crescent for erased lettering, grinding, or compressed surface texture. Read the surviving date and mintmark directly before assigning the candidate to a particular 1913 issue.
What It’s Worth
The conditional combined estimate is $200–$50,000. An authenticated ordinary Philadelphia or Denver example might fall around $200–$5,000, while a genuine San Francisco example would require its own $5,000–$50,000 whole-coin comparison.
These are estimates, not completed sales of confirmed 1913 off-center quarters. Displacement, readable identity, and condition would be essential to a more specific appraisal.
Conclusion
The known San Francisco crack is a fine raised connection near the date, while a possible off-center strike requires missing design and surviving blank metal on the same coin. Neither should be diagnosed from an unusual rim alone.
Keep the mintmark and preservation attached to every value comparison. The exceptional 1913-S auction result prices a rare complete coin, and the off-center category remains conditional without an authenticated specimen.
