is a 1937s quarter a key date?

I searched 4boxes of quarters and found 6 silver the dates were
1937s,1942,1947d,1953,1964d(2)
Is 1937s quarter a key date?
the mintage is only 1,652,000

 

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No.
Ignoring the error varieties, the only Washington quarter keys are '32-D and'32-S.
It might qualify as a semi-key.

 

no, not a key date.

The only key dates are the 1932 D & S.

[of course, that omits varieties.)

However, in higher grade [unc] it is a better date.

 

See link for details...

 

Bowers' book does a good job of familiarizing collectors with the more difficult to come by coins in the series. It teaches us why they are/were difficult to come by. He takes us back to the days when quarters were saved in roll quantities. His recollections of the dates, in relation to the difficulty of locating them in roll quantities (back in the day), pretty much run parallel with the prices we see today. Put differently, his experiences drastically influenced the market (IMveryHO lol). For example, if it was hard to find a 19whatever roll(s) than that coin is currently "priced" higher than a 19whatever which was more easily found back then. Much has happened to those coins which were in these rolls. Many have been damaged, many were sub 63 UNC, and many have been melted, etc...but it's a good starting point to research true supply. I'd like to see prices more accurately reflect today's true supply.

With that said, how many people here currently own a 1937-s Washington in 63 or greater?

 

Not 36d? It always was considered right up there with the 32d and s. I admit I haven't looked at these in 20 years. I have a few 32 d and s coins, it was harder for me to find a 36 d when I put a couple of sets together.

 

You found THAT many silvers??!! I have never found ONE and I've gone through just as many.

Ugh. Congrats I think 1932 is the key date though!

 

only in unc.

 

Thanks, good to know. I would throw it out to anyone new to these that it used to be 3 keys though, with the 36d about half to 2/3rds a 32 d or s in circulated grades. I wonder if there has been price inflation on the 32's making them the only keys. At least from where I used to sit, the 36d was just as scarce in circulated grade as the 32 branch mints ever were, maybe more. If I were interested in the series anymore I would take a hard look at that coin.

Its weird how key price appreciation has chenged what was/is key. The 1877 IHC is not that scarce, and is probably priced about 5 times, at least, more than its scarcity would dictate now. It must be a function of hoarders who only hoard what they consider the keys. I knew a "collector", (hoarder really), who delighted in telling everyone how many 77's he had and how many sets could not be completed because of him. He bought every 77 he say, having over 1000 of them.

I always liked collecting semi keys, underrated scarcities, like the 36d is evidently now, like the 27s quarter is. That is the reason I brought up that story.

Chris

 

Good points Chris... true scarcity vs. perceived scarcity I guess.

 

I still consider any coin near 10 times melt to be at least a semi key.

The 37-s is listed at $35 in xf40 in the 2010 redbook. go up or down (probably down) depending on grade. Excluding errors and varieties, it's the fourth most valuable Washington.

 

I currently own a PGCS 1937 S graded MS 63. I have been searching for a MS 65, going on 2 years now. They are just not out there readily available. Also the 1937 S is usually twice the price in the market place as the 1937 D in the same MS grade.

Once I can afford to buy the 1932 D in MS, my Washington silver set will be completed.

 

Well, I know a dealer who has several of the 32D & S coins in the back and they are "pretty common" and even the AU40-55 isn't worth the price of grading, or so he said.

I imagine he might offer $1.50-$2.00 for a 37 S ? Of course it would need to be in pretty good shape. lol

 

I still consider any coin near 10 times melt to be at least a semi key.

Marshal, at todays spot price of silver ($24.75) any silver quarter is worth $4.84 which is 11+ x silver spot. I don't think you can count every silver quarter dollar as a semi-key coin.

Bruce

 

I own a 37-S. Not the most valueable coin, but i wanted one in my collection since I am big on silver washingtons.

Here it is, next to a 40-D, which, believe it or not, i got in change from a Macdonalds 3 years ago!

 

Please note I said ten times MELT, not face. Essentially, a coin worth $48 and I'll lower that to $30 just for good measure. Now it might not be worth a dealer's time, but worth the efforts of a collector.

 

I think your math if off but I agree with the comment.
Take any top pop coin. It'll be over 11x easy. Or take any old Bust coin...again over 11x so those would all be semi key's. I just don't think you can look at it that way.

 

How about the fourth most difficult coin to find in a series and perhaps more difficult to actually find than the more highly prized keys in every dealer's stock.

 

That works Marshall if it works for you.

IMO, to make semi key is a term that we all can make up our own minds to which ones they are. There are no straight rules that you can follow.

I myself think 40d or a 46s are also semi key's in this series as they have low pop's too but survival rates will change this too.

 

I remember when the 54 and 55-s Lincolns were "keys." So many were saved that they are far from key now.