The In God We Rust Kansas quarter
In 2005 the Kansas state quarter appeared with the motto reading IN GOD WE RUST. It is real, it is well known, and it is not a design change: a small amount of grease and debris filled the recess of the die that forms the T, so the letter simply failed to strike. Coins from that die left the Mint with the T missing.
Because it is a filled-die error rather than an engraved one, the strength varies. A coin with the T completely absent and crisp detail everywhere else is the one collectors want. A coin where the T is faint or partial is far more common and far less interesting. Grease-filled dies happen across many issues, so the same effect turns up on other coins and other letters, and the Kansas quarter is simply the most famous example.
The Jovita Idar quarter and the American Women series
The Jovita Idar quarter is a 2023 issue from the American Women Quarters Program, which ran from 2022 to 2025 and honoured a different woman each release. Idar was a Mexican American journalist and civil rights activist from Texas. The coins are ordinary copper nickel clad and were struck in very large numbers, so a circulated one from pocket change is worth face value.
What people are actually searching for when they look these up is whether theirs is special, and there are only two honest answers. An uncirculated example with full lustre, ideally still in Mint packaging, is worth more than face value. And a genuine striking error on one, like a die crack, an off centre strike or a doubled die, is worth having examined. Everything else is a quarter.
Most expensive quarter, and highest value quarters
The genuinely valuable quarters are old, not modern, and they are scarce for reasons that have nothing to do with errors. The earliest United States quarters from the 1790s are the top of the market, followed by a handful of low mintage dates from the Barber and early Washington series. Those are auction coins, and if you own one you will usually have some idea already, because they rarely turn up loose in change.
For coins you might actually find, the useful rule is silver. Quarters struck in 1964 and earlier are ninety percent silver, and their metal alone puts them well above face value whatever their condition or date. That is the single most valuable habit to build when sorting a jar: check the date first, then look for errors. Our rare pennies and quarters list covers the specific dates worth pulling out.
Half dollar coin errors and dimensions
Half dollars follow the same logic and get asked about for the same reasons. On dimensions, a modern clad Kennedy half is a little over thirty millimetres across and noticeably heavier than a quarter, which is how most people confirm what they are holding. Silver matters here too, and the cutoff is different from the quarter: Kennedy halves from 1964 are ninety percent silver, and those from 1965 through 1970 are forty percent silver, which still carries real metal value.
The errors worth checking on halves are the same families: doubled dies, off centre strikes, filled dies producing missing or weak letters, and clipped planchets. Bring them and we will look.
What to do with a jar of coins
Do not clean them. Do not sort them into a coin machine. Bring the jar. We check dates for silver, look at edges and surfaces for the error families above, and tell you plainly when the answer is face value, which it usually is. That takes a few minutes and costs nothing, and it is a great deal better than discovering afterwards that the interesting one went into a supermarket counting machine.
One coin, one ring, or a box nobody has opened in thirty years: checked in front of you, explained in plain English, paid the same day. Call (732) 483-4145 or walk in.
Get it looked at, at any of our 8 storesQuarter and half dollar FAQs
Is the In God We Rust Kansas quarter real?
Yes. In 2005 grease and debris filled the recess of the die that forms the T in TRUST, so the letter failed to strike and the motto reads IN GOD WE RUST. Strength varies: a coin with the T completely absent and crisp detail elsewhere is the one collectors want.
Is the Jovita Idar quarter worth anything?
A circulated one is worth face value. It is a 2023 American Women Quarters issue in ordinary copper nickel clad, struck in very large numbers. An uncirculated example with full lustre, or one with a genuine striking error such as a doubled die or off centre strike, is worth having examined.
Which quarters are worth the most money?
The earliest United States quarters from the 1790s lead, followed by a few low mintage Barber and early Washington dates. For coins you might actually find in change, the useful rule is silver: quarters dated 1964 and earlier are ninety percent silver and are worth well above face value whatever the date.
Are Kennedy half dollars silver?
Those dated 1964 are ninety percent silver, and those from 1965 through 1970 are forty percent silver, which still carries real metal value. Later ones are copper nickel clad unless they came from a special collector set.
Should I clean coins before bringing them in?
No, never. Cleaning leaves fine scratches that a grader spots immediately and permanently caps what a coin can be worth. Bring them exactly as they are, even dull, dark or dirty.