How Much Is a Golden Quarter Worth?

What a 'golden quarter' usually is

Since the 50 State Quarters program began in 1999, private marketing companies have bought ordinary circulated or uncirculated quarters and electroplated them with a thin layer of gold. They are sold in sets, often with certificates and display folders, and advertised as '24k gold-layered' or 'gold-enhanced'. The same is done with America the Beautiful quarters and newer designs.

These are not issued by the US Mint. Underneath the plating is a standard quarter made of copper-nickel clad copper. The gold layer is extremely thin — usually a small fraction of a gram across the whole coin, often much less — so the gold content is worth only cents. Because the coin has been altered after leaving the Mint, numismatists treat it as a novelty rather than a collectible coin, and it usually has no premium over its face value in the coin market.

A gold-plated quarter is still legal tender in the sense that it is a 25-cent coin, but dealers generally pay face value or a little more for the novelty. Complete sets in their original folders sometimes sell for a few dollars online. That is the honest answer to 'how much is a golden quarter worth': typically 25 cents to around $5.

Golden dollars contain no gold

Another source of confusion is the US 'golden dollar'. The Sacagawea dollar (from 2000), the Presidential dollars (2007–2016 and 2020) and the Native American dollars have a golden color, but they are made of manganese brass — copper, zinc, manganese and nickel — around a copper core. They contain no gold at all.

Most golden dollars are worth $1. A few varieties and errors are valuable to collectors, such as some early Sacagawea dollars with unusual tail-feather details or Presidential dollars missing their edge lettering, but that value comes from rarity, not gold content. If you have one you think is special, compare it with a reputable coin price guide or show it to a coin dealer.

The real gold 'quarter': the $2.50 quarter eagle

The genuine US gold coin with a quarter connection is the quarter eagle — a quarter of a $10 eagle, with a face value of $2.50. Quarter eagles were struck from 1796 to 1929. After 1834 they were made from 90% gold, weighing 4.18 g and containing 3.762 g (0.12094 troy oz) of pure gold. They are about 18 mm across, smaller than a dime.

The main types are the Classic Head (1834–1839), the Liberty Head or 'Coronet' (1840–1907) and the Indian Head (1908–1929), whose design is sunk into the surface instead of raised. The live melt value of a quarter eagle is shown above. Because they are scarce and historic, almost every genuine quarter eagle trades above melt; common dates in worn condition typically sell for a premium over gold value, and rare dates can be worth far more.

The modern $5 American Gold Eagle is a 1/10 oz bullion coin with 3.110 g of fine gold, roughly the same size. It is different from the historic quarter eagle but often confused with it. See our pages on the $5 half eagle and the $10 eagle for the larger classic US gold coins.

How to tell a plated quarter from a real gold coin

Six quick checks separate a plated quarter from a genuine quarter eagle. If a coin passes them as a possible quarter eagle, have it authenticated by a reputable coin dealer or a grading service before selling, because counterfeits of US gold coins exist.

• Size: a quarter is 24.26 mm across; a quarter eagle is only about 18 mm.
• Denomination: a real quarter eagle reads 2½ DOLLARS or 2½ D.; a state quarter reads QUARTER DOLLAR.
• Dates: gold quarter eagles date from 1796 to 1929. Any golden coin with a date after 1999 and a state or park design is a plated quarter.
• Edge: look at the reeded edge of a quarter. Wear or a scratch often shows the copper core underneath the plating.
• Weight: a clad quarter weighs 5.67 g; a quarter eagle weighs 4.18 g.
• Magnet: neither is magnetic, so a magnet test does not help here.

Should you sell a golden quarter?

Gold-plated quarters are fine to keep as souvenirs or gifts; selling them rarely makes more than a few dollars, and gold buyers will not pay for the plating. Do not try to scrape or dissolve the gold: there is too little to matter. If you have a genuine quarter eagle, sell it to a coin dealer rather than a scrap gold buyer, because the collector premium is often worth more than the gold. Read our guide on what gold buyers really pay and check other coins on the gold coin melt values page.

Other gold-colored coins people ask about

Gold-colored commemorative medals, casino tokens and 'gold-clad' souvenirs are common in estates. Unless they carry a fineness mark such as .999 or a known mint's bullion design, assume they are plated or brass. Gold-plated sterling silver medals do have silver value, so check for a .925 or STERLING mark. For jewelry that may be plated, our guide on gold plated and gold filled jewelry explains the stamps and what is really inside.