The next time you toss a quarter into the gumball machine at your local grocery store, think about that. That piece of gum can be worth a lot more.
It all depends on the type of branch you use. A Wisconsin state quarter issued in 2004 can be worth as much as $30 or more.
Most of the 2004 Wisconsin quarters are worth 25 cents at face value. However, some have flaws, making them somewhat of a collector's item.
WLAC reported that each quarter of the series featured a cow, a wheel of cheese and an ear of corn on the back. If you have corn, pay close attention to the corn, especially the leaves on it.
Actual values do not match book values (even for graded samples).
If you see extra leaves on the corn, grab those peonies because those little leaves shouldn't be there. An extra leaf high coin in excellent condition sold for $2,530.
However, recently, according to The Spruce Crafts, coins in circulation are worth ~$50 and coins out of circulation are worth ~$130. The PCGS provides price guide valuations.
Slab specimens graded at $115 for MS60 and $3,200 for MS67 (a higher number means a cleaner coin).
At auction, however, numbered copies sell for less than book prices. $825, the highest price ever listed at PCGS at a 2021 Great Collections auction for an NGC graded MS67 example.
Now, if you see a 2004 Wisconsin branch with a few extra leaves under the corn, you'll want to keep it.
The value of an ungraded, ungraded "extra leaf raw" sample at $100. PCGS values a graded MS60 example at $95, but with current pricing guidance they are listing over $5,500 for an MS67 example.
Again, the actual value of examples sold at auction is usually much lower than this number. At least in the current coin market, that is.
However, PCGS lists a PCGS graded MS67 example (from the 2020 Heritage Auction event) as a stunning single sale for $6,000.
On the other hand, if the 2004 Wisconsin quarter had no high or low extra leaves, if you get three more of a kind, you have $1.