Your gold quarters are worth more in 2021 than they ever were in each year back to 2016 when they were first issued.
An unprecedented level of uncertainty observed in the global economy following the Coronavirus outbreak drove upward pressure on gold prices, 2019 and 2020.
According to Bank of America, kicking off the final quarter of 2021 at $1,814.85/oz, gold prices are expected to push higher despite economic recovery efforts and ongoing vaccination programs.
This is likely the case due to overall volatility in equities and persisting high rates of global money printing, more so U.S. dollars.
A promising outlook for the precious yellow metal should be quite welcoming news if you have a gold quarter stashed away.
Keep reading our gold quarter 2021 update to find out how much your gold quarters are worth today.
You will also find this article particularly helpful if you are in the market to collect these coins.
There are quite a handful of ‘marginally fraudulent’ companies hyping gold plated quarters, which are different from the prized, authentic US mint-issued gold quarter.
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Gold Plated Quarters: What are they?
If you have ever come across any of those colorful Ads touting the “collectability” of state quarters lavished in gold or other precious metals like platinum, I’m here wondering what you thought of them.
Well, many unassuming non-collecting Americans bought these heavily marketed statehood quarters enhanced with .999 gold coating.
A set of 5 or 10 of these “premium” gold or platinum state quarters neatly arranged in an attractive case would be offered for anywhere between $20 and $50, or even $100.
The vast majority of buyers assumed that they were getting some sort of rare coins and that their collection would be pretty valuable in the future.
Besides state quarters, companies pushing “special gold coin” sets also presented a variety of other coins from pennies and nickels to dime sets altered in some form to give them numismatic value, apparently.
But are any of these low-value old coins coated in very thin24k gold or .999 pure platinum worth as much as $10 apiece?
The truth is that these gold-plated quarters contain a very thin layer of gold – no more than 0.003 inches thick- whose melt value is estimated at 0.0366 cents…if you can manage to extract the gold.
Keep in mind that the value of the standard US-minted quarter before gold plating is exactly worth its face value, 25-cents.
Then comes the shocking revelation that these gold-coated quarters are actually only worth 25.0366 cents today.
That should be the melt value of the minuscule precious metal coating added to the value of the coin itself, and that’s being generous.
The coin collecting community doesn’t bother with gold-plated quarters or other standard-issue coins altered in any way.
Serious coin collectors prize collectible coins that are as near-perfect as can be.
That means slight wear and no alterations or other value-destroying modifications, including electroplating.
As such, coin collectors treat these altered statehood quarter coins as “damaged” and therefore lacking any numismatic value beyond their original worth.
Essentially, gold-plated quarters are worth no more than their twenty-five cents face value as far as coin collecting goes.
However, that is not to say that there is no market for the gold-coated version of otherwise collectible coins.
While few and far between, there are people out there who may buy gold-plated quarters simply for their sentimental value.
Hopefully, with clever marketing, plus shipping and handling charges, gold-plated may be sold for far more than 25-cents.
This should not be the case with the gold quarter issued by the U.S. mint, which is the only official gold quarter worth collecting.
The rest are only gold-coated US Minted coins which are worth only their face value, as far as we have demonstrated above.
United States Mint Gold Quarter: Brief History
Similar to gold plated quarters, authentic gold quarters are genuine U.S. Mint issued coins and have a $0.25 face value.
However, officially sanctioned gold quarters were struck in 99.99% pure gold.
This is different from having gold plating applied to standard state quarters.
While the first gold-plated quarters were in existence since 1999, when statehood quarters were first issued, officially sanctioned gold quarters did not enter circulation until 2016.
These were the 2016 W Standing Liberty Centennial Gold Coins minted out of West Point.
They were not to be mistaken for gold-plated state quarters nor the quarter-eagles which came before it but are considerably different.
Gold quarters we have explained, but as for quarter-eagles, these were also pure gold coins sanctioned through the Coinage Act of 1792 but are different from 2016 W Standing Liberty gold quarters for their face value of $2.50.
United States gold Eagles had a $10 face value, which made quarter eagles valued at $2.50.
Gold Eagles, Half-eagles, and quarter eagles are made in 24 karat gold, similar to gold quarters, but the former gold coins are worth considerably more in melt value.
All this confusion wasn’t envisaged when the US Mint issued 91,752 gold quarters during the 100th anniversary of the Standing Liberty quarter design.
These commemorative gold coins were struck in .9999 pure gold weighing a total of 0.25 troy ounces each and distinguished by the “W” West Point, New York mint hallmark featured on the obverse side.
Despite the coins’ face value of 25-cents, they are actually worth their weight in gold.
Given that each Standing Liberty Centennial Gold Coin weighs 0.25 ounces in 24K gold, their resale value is calculated from the melt value derived from gold bullion’s current per ounce spot price.
Gold Quarter Value Today: What’s the Outlook?
Because the value of gold is commonly derived from the yellow metal’s spot price, knowing the exact resale value of your gold quarters at any time is easy.
A look at gold’s performance from the start of the year cautiously suggests that your gold quarter may be worth more into Q4 2021.
At the current spot price of $1,769 per troy ounce of gold bullion, the melt value of your genuine gold quarter should be $442.25, mid-October 2021.
Near-perfect SP69 specimens of 2016 W Standing Liberty Centennial gold quarter coins may be worth over $700 apiece.
From the historical point of view, 2021 may be one of the best years to own gold quarters, even as the World Bank expects a drop from last year’s average of $1775/oz.
2020 was a good year for the yellow metal, with a high level of uncertainty, increased volatility, and near-zero interest rates being the primary positive gold price drivers since the breakout of Covid-19.
Even with the ongoing vaccination programs and economic recovery plans underway through much of 2021, gold experienced a remarkable peak mid-year, with its prices briefly breaching the $1,900 per ounce mark.
Whether gold will experience another jump towards the end of Q4 2021 is on many investors’ minds.
The Bank of America predicts an excellent final three months of the year, expecting gold prices to average at around $1,800/oz.
What this forecast means for your gold quarter is that it will be worth $450. The second-best rate ever since the Standing Liberty Centennial gold coin was in circulation.
- 2016: $289.78
- 2017: $324.12
- 2018: $320.41
- 2019: $379.87
- 2020: $483.87
Historical performance indicates a fairly steady climb in gold prices, placing your gold quarter investment among the best assets to hedge against stock market downturns.
Still, past results cannot guarantee future performance.
Looking at the gold price forecast for the next 10 years, for example, market watchers expect the precious yellow metal to tumble to under $1,600/oz by 2030.
While not completely reliable, forecast information may help create a sort of understanding of the future potential for your gold quarters as an investment asset.
Right now, the market landscape is most conducive for gold as the forces driving gold prices appear only to get stronger.
Until the market proves otherwise, gold should be the beneficiary in the prevailing environment.
Final Word: Should You Invest in Gold Quarters 2021?
If gold’s performance during the past three quarters of 2021 has shown anything, it’s that gold quarters and precious metals investment remains an excellent hedge against instability in the equities market.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for gold-plated quarters, which will always be worth only 25-cents no matter which way the market goes.
The 2016 Standing Liberty Centennial gold coin is the only genuine gold quarter produced by the U.S. mint.
The U.S.-minted gold quarter is made of 0.25 ounces 24Karat gold and is literally worth its weight in gold.
And with gold bullion performance holding at pretty elevated levels throughout much of 2021, gold quarters remain a safe haven asset worth considering for anyone looking to protect their investment in physical precious metals.
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