Why Are 1932 D Quarters So Worn

They are frequently found worn because it is a Depression-era coin, all coins of that era received extra duty in commerce and are frequently found in low grades. You see many more worn Ds and Ss than Ps simply because of value- a 32P quarter in AG/G will go right into a bulk silver bucket in a shop while an AG/G 1932D or S will get the 2x2 treatment in a rotator case. The number of worn 32Ps far exceeds the number of worn Ds and Ss but you do not really see them because no one is interested in low grade common coins while almost every collector will take a low grade key date simply because better examples can be unaffordable to some collectors.

It is a bit of a misnomer to call 1932 quarters "rare", the D and S had mintages in excess of 400,000 and you can literally find dozens of them at any regional coin show- neither of which are the hallmarks of a truly rare coin. However, they are indeed the two keys to the Washington quarter series so they have values commensurate with a key date. The State Quarter series has drawn alot of attention to Washington quarters over the past decade and that has resulted in an increase of the collector base. When the collector base increases, values rise for the keys and semi-keys due to demand.

I bet that's worked out well for you. I am collecting, but hoping one day it will be worth something :)

I hear ya...and it would be the same for me too...I am really enjoying it

It's almost impossible to find in circulation, but it's easy to find from dealers. The thing is, you'll pay a lot of money for one. It's just that because Lincoln cents are collected by millions, there aren't enough S VDB's to satisfy demand and thus, the price is very high.

Wow that specimin is nice DNA. I know ALL of them aren't worn there just seems to be no middle ground...the most affordable Ds all look like someone ran a belt sander over both sides

Nope, the 1909S VDB is not rare either. Currently, there are over 100 certified examples on ebay in addition to a few dozen raw examples. You want rare? Go find me a business strike 1885 3 Cent Nickel

The odd thing with the two '32 dated coins is the price disparity between D and S mint quarters in the mint state grades. Circulated grades up to XF are priced roughly the same, once they get above MS63, the D is twice the price of a comparable S. The oddity is the S coin's mintage is less 24,000 coins than the D. The real sleeper of the series is the 36D, genuine mint state coins are hard to find and seemingly less available than either the 32D or 32S. Spent more than a year looking for one, whereas the first year coins are always available for a price at any large coin show. Silver Washingtons are my favorite classic coin. Great easy series to collect & grade in either circulated or mint state.

for the younger collectors, silver coins in general didn't wear nearly as well as clad coins do, and 1932 was the depth of the Depression and the average person simply couldn't put any quarters away.