TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) – Have you ever wondered if the Kansas state quarter in your pocket is worth more than advertised?
Like every state, Kansas has its own quarter featuring iconic symbols like a bison and sunflowers. The U.S. Mint produced the Kansas state quarter as part of its 50 State Quarters program in 2005 and has been in mass circulation ever since.
The U.S. Mint produced more than 550 million Kansas state quarters. While this places Kansas in the middle regarding the total number of quarters made compared to other states, it doesn’t mean the Sunflower State’s quarters were completely free of errors.
Coin Trackers, which keeps a list of minted U.S. coins, names five error designs for the Kansas state quarter that hold value with collectors or attract bids at auction. The U.S. Mint, in most cases, recycles error coins before they leave a production facility, but on rare occasions, these make it into circulation. Error quarters you might find for Kansas include the following:
- Missing clad layer – The top layer of the coin is missing, showing the copper interior.
- Tilted planchet – The bison and sunflower motif appear off-center.
- Clipped planchet – Parts of the exterior of the coin are missing.
- Oval planchet – The coin appears more like an oval than the usual circular shape.
- ‘In God We Rust’ – The letter ‘T’ is missing from the side of the quarter bearing the portrait of former President George Washington, leading to an error in the inscription for ‘In God We Trust.’
Error coins are not the only collector’s items people might want to look out for. Coin Trackers also lists silver-proof state quarters and those in mint condition as holding above-average value at around $12 and $7, respectively.
Matthew Nichols, owner of Jayhawk Coins, Games & More in Topeka, cautions those who are looking to sell off a potential collector’s item or who think they have found something truly rare. He said looking for a rare coin is “kind of a rat race” and that he receives requests to evaluate items like state quarters on a regular basis, with few turning out to be worth anything more than $0.25.
People are encouraged to research or consult collector’s guides when they think they’ve found something worthwhile. Auction-style websites like eBay can also give people a benchmark to use when trying to figure out if they’ve found a rare coin by checking to see what other quarters have sold for in the past.
“Generally speaking, every error I’ve looked up has been $5 or $10,” Nichols said. “Does it have value? Yes. Does it have significant value? No.”
Nichols said people can also consult experts in the collection field, such as those found at his business or a local numismatist. Sources like these can help people get a better idea of how much their coin is worth if anything.
“We’ll be happy to take a look at one and verify if it is worth anything,” Nichols said. “The chances of you having a valuable one are very slim.”
Kansas is not the only state to have errors in its quarter design. States like Wisconsin, with its “high” and “low” leaf designs, can also be turned into collector’s items or be sold for a value higher than $0.25.
Other things to look out for when searching for a rare coin include checking its mint mark, its luster, whether or not it is damaged, design themes, time period and more. For tips on collecting coins from the U.S. Mint, click here. You can check out Coin Trackers’ website by clicking here.
