1976-S Silver Washington Quarter PCGS PR69DCAM

The 1976-S Silver Washington Quarter PCGS PR69DCAM, is a high-grade commemorative piece with significant historical value related to America’s Bicentennial celebration.

 

Historical Significance: The Bicentennial Quarter

 

The 1976-S quarter is much more than a common pocket change item; it is a dedicated patriotic commemorative:

• Dual Date (1776–1976): To mark the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Mint temporarily changed the design of the quarter, half dollar, and dollar.² All coins from 1975 and 1976 were struck with the dual date “1776–1976.”³

   

• New Reverse Design: The standard heraldic eagle reverse (designed by John Flanagan) was replaced for two years by a contest-winning design by Jack L. Ahr, featuring a Colonial drummer with a victory torch encircled by 13 stars.⁴

   

• 40% Silver Composition: Most Bicentennial quarters were made of the standard copper-nickel clad composition. However, the coins in the special Proof and Uncirculated Silver Sets were struck in a 40% silver, 60% copper clad alloy—the same composition used for Kennedy Half Dollars from 1965 to 1970. Your coin is one of these special 40% silver proof issues.
• Mintage: Approximately 4,000,000 of the 40% Silver Proof quarters were sold as part of the Bicentennial Silver Proof Sets, ensuring that a significant number of these were preserved by collectors.⁵

   

 

Grading and Condition Breakdown

 

The coin’s value is defined by its nearly perfect professional grade:

Term	Meaning	Numismatic Impact
PCGS	Professional Coin Grading Service—one of the two most recognized and respected third-party coin grading services.	High (Guarantees authenticity and grade)
PR69	Proof 69. A numerical grade on the 70-point scale. It denotes a proof coin with a superb, near-perfect strike and eye appeal, with no detracting flaws visible without magnification. It is just one point shy of the perfect PR70 grade.	Very High
DCAM	Deep Cameo. This is a highly sought-after designation for proof coins. It signifies that the coin has extreme contrast between the highly-mirrored fields (background) and the frosted devices (raised design elements like Washington’s profile and the drummer).	Significant Premium (Maximizes the beauty of the coin)
40% Silver	The quarter contains 0.0739 troy ounces of pure silver.	Establishes a Value Floor

 

Historical Pricing and Value

 

The value of this coin is derived almost entirely from its grade and DCAM designation, as its overall mintage is quite high.

• Intrinsic (Melt) Value: With silver in the low $\text{\$50s}$ (e.g., $\text{\$52}$ per ounce), the melt value of the $\text{0.0739 oz}$ of silver is only around $\text{\$3.84 USD}$.
• Numismatic Value (Pricing): The PR69DCAM grade commands a substantial premium over the melt value due to the coin’s technical perfection and strong aesthetic appeal.

Grade	Estimated Dealer/Retail Value (PCGS)	Notes
PR69DCAM (Your Coin)	$25 – $45 USD	This is the most common high grade for this issue. Most certified sales fall squarely in this range.
PR70DCAM	$150 – $250+ USD	A perfect grade is significantly rarer, and the price jumps exponentially for the ultimate grade.

This 1976-S Silver Washington Quarter PCGS PR69DCAM is a high-quality example of a significant Bicentennial commemorative issue. While it is not an extreme rarity, its nearly flawless PR69DCAM grade and 40% silver content ensure its lasting value to collectors.⁶