2017 Frederick Douglass Quarter: Value, Errors & Collector Guide

The Beautiful Quarters show off the best parts of the U.S., and Frederick Douglass was honoured with a quarter of his own. Let’s learn more about the coin and the legacy it represents.

2017 Frederick Douglass Quarter Overview

America the Beautiful series had an interesting release in 2017, featuring Frederick Douglass 2017 quarter. What kind of person was Frederick?

Frederick Douglass was many things. A writer with a very famous autobiography titled “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself”, the first black marshall, and the most photographed American man of the 19th century.

The quarter, commemorated to him, well reflects Frederick’s life and achievements through the design:

• The obverse features the George Washington profile, designed by John Flanagan in 1932. This side has various inscriptions: “United States of America,” “Liberty,” “In God We Trust,” and the denomination “Quarter Dollar.”

• The reverse is unique. It features Frederick Douglass sitting at the desk, doing what he did best (writing). In the background, you can see his historic home, Cedar Hill, in Washington, D.C. This side was designed by Lori N. Hauck.

“Even at a young age, Frederick Douglass realized the value of literacy and the power of knowledge… This new coin honors one of the most influential African-American leaders of the 19th century, whose brilliant words will continue to inspire us for generations to come.” 
— David Motl, Former Acting Principal Deputy Director of the US Mint
United States Mint Official Website

As for technical characteristics like mintage or metal composition, this is not much different than other 2017 issues like the Ozark Riverways quarter.

2017 Frederick Douglass Quarter Value & Worth

Now that we know what this coin represents, what is the Frederick Douglass quarter worth? Unfortunately, like many other coins from the Beautiful series (e.q, the 2017 Ellis Island quarter), they are worth only face value.

2017 Frederick Douglass Quarter Errors & Valuable Varieties

This issue would be valuable only in pristine quality, which is hard to come by. What do you do then, if perfection is hard to find? You seek imperfections, Frederick Douglass 2017 quarter errors. A few quarters from any series could be made flawed, and collectors are ready to pay a high price for such issues.

You can find these errors in the Frederick quarter and most other issues from the beautiful program: 

• Die chips and breaks (cuds): When something goes wrong with the die, it leaves raised blobs or ridges on the struck coin. Small cuds are worth modest prices, but larger ones cou;d be worth $15+.

• Missing clad layer: This flaw makes the coin look miscoloured, because the nickel parts come off and reveal the copper core inside. Some improperly annealed bits have sold at auction for modest prices, $50+.

• Clipped planchets: Some planchets were cut incorrectly, and the press would take a “bite” of the coin, leaving one part completely missing. This error is classical, but rarely worth above $20.

• Doubled die: This error is extremely valuable but not often catalogued. Some letters or design elements might look doubled. In most cases, you will need magnification to identify the error.

Conclusion

The 2017 Frederick Douglass quarter might be common, but the legacy and design behind this coin are nothing but common. 

If you’re lucky enough, perhaps you’ll meet this quarter in life as you get your next pocket change.