2013 Quarter Error List with Pictures
Two kinds of extra “sparks” can appear on Fort McHenry quarters: repeated design lines and lumps from a damaged stamping tool. Telling them apart is a useful first lesson in 2013 quarter errors.
The five designs below have estimated error values of $2–$5,000. For comparison, an older 1776–1976 quarter struck through cloth sold for $881.25 in January 2017.
That different-year sale shows the appeal of a clear woven impression. Match your mountain, memorial, tree, fort, or carving scene before using the closer checks below.
1. 2013 America the Beautiful Quarter White Mountain Feeder-Line Report
Several straight lines on Washington’s side are reported on Denver White Mountain quarters. They have been described as feeder-finger marks, after the machine part that moves blanks into the press.
That name needs a physical check. A feeder can damage a stamping tool, leaving grooves that later produce raised lines on coins.
A line cut directly into the coin is different. The reported White Mountain description does not settle whether the marks are raised or sunken.
Look at their height and relationship to the design before deciding whether they came from minting or later handling.
Estimated Value
For an identified minor mint-made feeder mark, estimate $3–$50. Clear original lines are easier to appreciate than faint streaks visible only under difficult lighting.
A pattern copied from a damaged tool should be compared with the same pattern, not ordinary scratches. Later cuts generally reduce interest rather than create an error premium.
The upper estimate needs a convincing physical explanation and an attractive coin. A seller’s feeder-finger label alone does not establish either the cause or value.
How to Identify
Place a lamp low beside the front and move it to the opposite side. Watch whether each line stands above the surface or forms a groove.
Enlarge a point where the line approaches raised lettering. A cut across finished letters can expose handling damage rather than a pattern stamped into the coin.
Compare the same region on another Denver White Mountain quarter if a matching example is available. Repeated raised lines in identical positions support marks in the tool.
Photograph the D and mountain scene along with the affected area. Do not transfer a feeder-line explanation from a different design just because its scratches point in a similar direction.
2. 2013 America the Beautiful Quarter Misaligned Designs and the White Mountain Rotation Claim
A design can sit too close to one edge when a stamping tool moves sideways. If it turns instead, the back may face the wrong direction when the coin is flipped.
Those are different movements. A sideways shift changes centering; rotation changes orientation.
Great Basin and Mount Rushmore have reported misaligned designs. The Philadelphia White Mountain report mixes shifting and rotation, so its actual movement must be established from both faces.
A percentage in a listing cannot be converted into a rotation angle. The coin’s own rim spacing and face alignment supply the evidence.
Estimated Value
Estimate $5–$100 for a clear sideways tool shift, or $25–$200 for an authenticated substantial rotation. The group therefore spans $5–$200.
These estimates describe two possible appearances, not two proven errors on one White Mountain coin. Very small deviations often attract limited interest.
An unmistakable relationship between the two faces makes a stronger example than one tilted photograph. Bent metal, misleading camera angles, or ordinary slight centering differences do not justify the upper values.
How to Identify
Test centering first by comparing straight-on photographs of both faces. Measure the visual spacing between design and rim at opposite edges.
If one face shifts while the other stays centered, a misplaced tool may explain it. Both designs falling beyond the metal suggest an off-center blank instead.
Test rotation separately: hold Washington upright and turn the coin top to bottom without twisting it sideways. A normal back should then be upright.
Repeat the flip before judging any angle. Photograph the setup if necessary, keeping the same turning direction.
The White Mountain report requires one of these visible relationships to be demonstrated; a quoted percentage alone cannot tell you which movement occurred.
3. 2013 America the Beautiful Quarter Cracks, Chips, and Rim-Connected Breaks
A crack in a die, the steel stamping tool, can leave a raised ridge on coins. A piece breaking out can leave a lump; a larger break reaching the rim is called a cud.
Reported locations include White Mountain’s ridge, Great Basin’s branches, and Mount Rushmore’s carving-tool area. Fort McHenry examples can have extra lumps among the lower fireworks.
Perry’s Victory also has reported cracks or chips around its design. Separate rim-break reports concern Philadelphia White Mountain and Denver Great Basin quarters.
The actual raised path or rim connection matters more than a nickname such as extra sparks.
Estimated Value
Estimate $2–$40 for small genuine cracks and chips. A substantial authenticated rim-connected break can fit $40–$300, giving the combined group a range of $2–$300.
A large clear feature that changes recognizable design usually offers a stronger display. Tiny lumps hidden among normal branches or fireworks may attract little premium.
Do not add a separate price for every small crack on one coin. The complete appearance, original surfaces, and strength of the feature guide the comparison.
How to Identify
Use an ordinary quarter with the same back design to learn which mountain lines, branches, or sparks belong there. Then compare the suspected extra metal.
At Fort McHenry, distinguish a solid lump from a second recognizable firework line. One suggests a tool break; the other may need a doubled-design comparison.
Follow any claimed cud all the way to the outer rim. A bump inside the scene remains an interior chip even when it is large.
Check the ridge under angled light for a cut center and pushed-up edges from a scratch. Photograph its meeting points with nearby letters or artwork so the path can be compared accurately.
4. 2013 America the Beautiful Quarter Mount Rushmore Improper Annealing
Philadelphia Mount Rushmore quarters have a reported annealing-error type. Annealing is the heating step that softens metal blanks before the designs are struck.
An abnormal heating or surface reaction during preparation can change the appearance. A brown or gray quarter, however, does not reveal when its color changed.
Chemicals, later heat, and environmental exposure can produce similar colors after minting. The coin needs original surface evidence supporting a manufacturing cause.
The normal circulation quarter has pale outer layers over a copper center. Color change and loss of an outer layer are different claims to investigate.
Estimated Value
Use an estimated $25–$300 for an authenticated 2013 annealing error. Well-preserved original texture and a clear mint-made change support a stronger comparison than a stained, worn surface.
For broader context, a 2009-P Native American dollar with improper annealing sold for $61 in November 2011. That is a different denomination and year.
The estimate does not include coins colored after striking. A dramatic photograph under warm light is not enough to assign an annealing-error premium.
How to Identify
Check the color under neutral white light beside a normal Mount Rushmore quarter. Rotate both coins together to see whether reflections account for the difference.
Look inside protected spaces near lettering and compare them with the open background. Corrosion spots, a coating, or color following scratches may point to later surface changes.
Inspect the edge for intact outer layers before calling the coin improperly heated. A genuinely missing layer has another physical explanation.
Keep the original surface dry and untouched; polish and solvents can remove useful evidence. An error specialist can assess the texture and metal surface, while a photograph of color alone cannot establish when the change occurred.
5. 2013 America the Beautiful Quarter Great Basin and Mount Rushmore Partial Collars
One part of the edge may keep normal grooves while another spreads outward into a step. This can happen when a blank is only partly inside the collar during striking.
The collar is the ring around the metal disc. It normally controls width and helps form the edge grooves.
Partial-collar errors are reported for Great Basin and Mount Rushmore quarters. A side view is needed because a wider front rim alone can have other causes.
The two-level shape should show how the confined and unconfined portions formed together, rather than a rim folded over after the coin was made.
Estimated Value
Estimate $25–$350 for a genuine partial-collar example from either design. A clean, obvious step is easier to show than a faint edge irregularity.
The condition of both faces still contributes to value. Scratches, corrosion, or later dents can obscure how the original edge formed.
Look for clear edge photographs when comparing prices, since the step is the main attraction. A high rim caused by later rolling or pressure does not belong in this error range.
How to Identify
Photograph the narrow side before enlarging the portrait. Slowly turn the coin and find the boundary between the normal grooved section and the wider metal.
Follow that step around the circumference and check how it meets each rim. A rolled lip or crushed lettering can indicate later pressure instead.
Use a magnifier where grooves end or change level. The transition should belong to the original strike rather than a scraped strip along the edge.
On a loose coin, compare width at several points with the normal 24.26 millimeters. Measurements support the visible shape, but the side view must still explain why part of the blank spread differently from the rest.
6. 2013 America the Beautiful Quarter Doubled Fireworks, Portraits, and Tree Details
Fort McHenry’s lower fireworks and windows show repeated shapes on Philadelphia examples. A doubled die carries those extra shapes before it strikes coins.
Separate Fort McHenry front-letter doubling is also reported, with its mint and exact letters still to be established. Do not assume it accompanies the doubled fireworks.
Perry’s Victory examples show detail below Washington’s earlobe or beside Perry’s coat near his upper leg. Some combine both faces.
Mount Rushmore varieties affect Jefferson’s nose or front lettering, depending on the example. Great Basin Philadelphia varieties show extra detail along needles, branches, or the trunk.
Estimated Value
For matched 2013 doubled designs, estimate $10–$500. Strong separation and attractive original surfaces generally support more interest than a tiny feature partly lost to wear.
The exact design and pattern matter. An extra Fort McHenry firework line does not establish the value of a Mount Rushmore nose variety.
This range covers different strengths and conditions, rather than pricing every cataloged pattern equally. Flat mechanical shelves or ordinary thick lettering should not receive a doubled-die premium without a convincing match.
How to Identify
At Fort McHenry, compare the lower firework spray and windows above the arch with Wexler’s photographs. Look for the repeated shapes in their actual positions.
For Perry, examine the earlobe area on the front separately from the coat edge on the back. Do not assemble two different examples into an imagined double-sided match.
For Mount Rushmore, locate Jefferson’s nose before judging extra outlines. On Great Basin, compare the needles and branches against a normal tree.
Use a magnifier to distinguish rounded raised repeats from low flat shelves. Confirm the mint and affected face before applying a variety photograph to your own coin.
7. 2013 America the Beautiful Quarter Broadstrikes with an Expanded Outline
A quarter can spread wider than normal when the collar fails to restrain it. The entire picture may remain inside the expanded outline; this is called a broadstrike.
Great Basin and Perry’s Victory reports include this mechanism. The Fort McHenry entry is a reported possibility without a specific authenticated example established.
A broadstrike need not have a perfectly even expanded border. The important distinction is a complete design on metal that spread beyond its normal width.
An off-center strike loses part of the picture beyond the blank, while later hammering damages a design that was already finished.
Estimated Value
Use an estimated $50–$500 for authenticated 2013 broadstrikes. Clear expansion, readable identity, and attractive surfaces make the feature easier to appreciate.
A different-year 1984-P broadstruck quarter graded PCGS MS65 sold for $169 in December 2025. That is a mechanism comparison, not evidence of a particular 2013 design.
An unverified Fort McHenry candidate needs its own physical examination before this range applies. A slightly uneven rim around an ordinary-size coin does not establish the error.
How to Identify
Look around the entire outer design before checking dimensions. All intended letters and picture details should remain on the metal despite the wider border.
Turn the coin over and repeat the same check. If part of either design extends beyond the blank, examine the possibility of an off-center strike.
For a loose coin, measure its width at several points and compare with the normal 24.26 millimeters. The ordinary clad weight is 5.67 grams; outward spreading does not require extra metal.
Inspect the edge and adjacent letters for impact marks, flattening, or bending. The complete design and expanded original edge must explain the shape together, without relying on a seller’s label.
8. 2013 America the Beautiful Quarter Curved, Straight, and Ragged Clips
A missing section can begin before the coin is struck, leaving an incomplete blank to receive the design. Its gap may be curved, straight, or uneven.
A White Mountain example is listed with two curved clips and an NGC AU58 grade, meaning very slight wear. A different Perry’s Victory example has a fifteen-percent ragged straight clip.
Mint Error News illustrates the Perry coin as NGC MS65, an unworn grade. Great Basin and Mount Rushmore also have clip reports without a specified gap shape.
Each missing section needs examination of its original boundary.
Estimated Value
Estimate $25–$750 for genuine clips across these 2013 designs. Larger clear gaps and preserved surrounding design generally make stronger displays than tiny edge flaws.
For comparison, a 1980-P quarter with a corner clip sold for $204 in June 2023. That NGC MS65 coin is a different year and clip shape.
The Perry coin’s fifteen-percent description concerns its missing portion, not an off-center design. Two gaps on a White Mountain coin still form one whole-coin value.
How to Identify
For White Mountain, inspect each curved gap separately rather than assuming both have the same surface condition. Keep their endpoints visible in photographs of both faces.
For the ragged Perry clip, follow the uneven edge and nearby struck rim. A rough boundary should not be renamed a smooth curved clip.
Use a magnifier to find cut grooves, sharp burrs, or letters sliced after striking. Original detail may weaken as it approaches a genuine missing section.
Check the opposite rim for supporting weakness, then weigh a loose candidate against the normal clad standard. Reduced weight supports missing metal but also occurs after cutting, so the edge remains essential.
9. 2013 America the Beautiful Quarter Missing Clad Layers
The pale outer skin of a clad quarter can be absent, exposing its copper center. A full missing layer usually lowers the weight as well as changing one face’s appearance.
The Denver Perry’s Victory report concerns Washington’s side. White Mountain and Mount Rushmore reports require their affected faces to be established individually.
A claimed Great Basin example needs its own complete back photograph and physical layer checks. A brown Great Basin quarter alone does not establish this error.
Silver Proofs, collector coins made with special preparation, have a different normal composition. Their pale edges do not indicate missing layers.
Estimated Value
For an authenticated missing-layer 2013 quarter, estimate $50–$1,000. Extensive exposed copper with original struck detail can be more desirable than a small, hard-to-interpret patch.
A 1988-D quarter missing its front layer sold for $156 in November 2020. The NGC MS62 example weighed 4.8 grams; those details belong to that older coin.
A Great Basin candidate requires its own confirmed identity and layer evidence. Neither another design’s photograph nor a brown stain establishes the same error.
How to Identify
Check the back design and collector finish before interpreting the metal. An ordinary clad quarter normally weighs 5.67 grams, while a 2013 silver Proof normally weighs 6.25 grams.
Compare the edge beside the affected face with the edge beside the intact face. A missing layer should change the metal structure, not just the surface color.
For the Denver Perry report, inspect Washington’s side. For the other designs, determine the affected face from that coin itself.
Weigh a loose candidate and examine the exposed copper for original struck details. Scraping, corrosion, and coatings can also change color or weight, so several physical clues need to agree.
10. 2013 America the Beautiful Quarter Struck-Through and Grease-Blocked Areas
A sharp portrait beside a weak patch can show that something blocked part of the strike. Grease or another object between a die and blank can prevent normal detail from forming.
The Denver Perry’s Victory report concerns local missing detail without a fixed location. Great Basin has a separate strike-through report without an identified material.
A Philadelphia Mount Rushmore seller described marks near Washington’s neck, the Y of LIBERTY, and above QUARTER. That account needs examination rather than an assumed fabric or wire cause.
The original surface should explain how the obstruction affected the design.
Estimated Value
Estimate $10–$150 for clear grease-blocked details and $50–$1,000 for stronger identified strike-throughs. The overall group spans $10–$1,000.
As a different-year comparison, a 1776–1976 quarter struck through cloth brought $881.25 in January 2017. NGC graded that coin MS66, indicating strong unworn preservation.
Its recognizable woven impression matters. The same value or material should not be assigned to an unexplained weak patch on a 2013 coin without a comparable visible feature.
How to Identify
Start at the edge of the weak area and compare it with the nearest sharp letters. Local blocking can interrupt one patch while leaving neighboring detail well formed.
On the reported Rushmore candidate, inspect the neck, Y, and area above QUARTER separately. Do not assume every mark on one coin has the same cause.
Use side lighting to distinguish a sunken interruption from a solid raised chip. A scrape may remove a finished image and leave directional cuts or pushed metal.
Look for original surface texture continuing into the affected area. Leave any attached material undisturbed, since its relationship to the strike can help identify what happened more reliably than its color alone.
11. 2013 America the Beautiful Quarter Off-Center Strikes on the Five Designs
An untouched crescent beside an incomplete design can form when the blank sits out of position under the tools. Part of the intended picture then falls beyond the metal.
Year reports include White Mountain, Perry’s Victory, Great Basin, Fort McHenry, and Mount Rushmore. Those reports do not establish one percentage, direction, or mint for every design.
The front and back must fit the same misplaced blank. A shifted tool affecting only one face is a different problem.
The annual design helps identify the issue when displacement removes some lettering. Enough original detail must remain to support that identification.
Estimated Value
For a genuine identifiable 2013 off-center quarter, estimate $30–$1,500. A conspicuous displacement with a readable year can be more appealing than an anonymous fragment of design.
A 1988-P quarter struck thirty percent off center sold for $109 in January 2022, graded ANACS MS63. That older result gives a comparison without establishing a 2013 specimen.
Wear, surface damage, and the amount of recognizable design affect value. Larger displacement alone does not guarantee the highest price.
How to Identify
Find the remaining year and annual design before estimating the shift. A surviving tree, fort, memorial, mountain, or carving detail needs to match the correct 2013 picture.
Look from the untouched crescent across to the opposite edge. Part of the intended design should have missed the original blank.
Turn the coin over and compare the other design. Both faces should fit the same displacement; one centered face calls for a different explanation.
Inspect the blank-looking area under magnification for grinding, flattened letters, or altered texture. A genuine unstruck portion is original metal that never received the picture, rather than a finished design rubbed or cut away later.
12. 2013 America the Beautiful Quarter Wrong Blanks on Great Basin and Fort McHenry
A quarter design may be too large for a blank meant for another denomination. Outer words can run beyond the smaller metal disc, while weight and composition differ from a normal quarter.
Great Basin reports mention dime or nickel blanks. The Fort McHenry report does not establish a particular substitute blank.
A candidate needs measurements and a metal check before a substitute blank can be named. Trimming or surface treatment can also make a quarter seem smaller or differently colored.
Both faces, the original edge, and the actual metal need to support the same wrong-blank explanation.
Estimated Value
For an authenticated 2013 wrong-blank quarter, estimate $500–$5,000. The substitute blank, surviving identity, and quality of the strike would guide a closer valuation.
A 1988-P quarter on a nickel blank sold for $852 in October 2021. NGC graded it MS66 and recorded an actual weight of 5.0 grams.
For a 2013 candidate, a clear annual design and an original, undamaged edge strengthen its appeal. A verified substitute blank helps buyers make a closer comparison.
How to Identify
Weigh a loose candidate before proposing another denomination. Normal clad quarters are 5.67 grams, modern dime blanks about 2.27 grams, and nickel blanks about 5 grams.
Measure the diameter too, remembering that a smaller blank can spread under larger quarter tools. Color alone cannot separate all these metals.
Inspect the edge for filing or an added coating, then compare how outer letters end at the original boundary. Natural incomplete striking differs from cutting away finished design.
Keep enough of the Great Basin or Fort McHenry picture visible to establish the issue. A grading service can test the metal and assess whether the measurements and struck design fit a particular alternative blank.
Conclusion
The most useful 2013 clues are specific: a doubled firework, an extra nose outline, two curved gaps, or a missing outer layer. Estimated values span $2–$5,000 across these very different groups.
Compare the same design and mint, then choose the physical check that fits the feature. An enlarged photograph helps with tiny details, while shape and metal errors also require views of both faces and the edge.