Mystery Solved: Why Some Quarters Have Red Paint on Them

(KMDL-FM) We realize that in this day and age, the ability to make a cash transaction is becoming fewer and further between. We just don't spend cash like we used to spend cash, but there is still a fascination and a few mysteries that surround our legal tender. For example, have you ever gotten change back from a purchase and discovered that one of your quarters appears to be painted red?

a brush with red paint on a white surface

That used to happen a lot more about ten or twenty years ago, and it can still happen with a handful of change today. The quarter, other than being covered with what appears to be basic red paint or nail polish, appears to be perfectly normal.

Are Red Painted Quarters Worth More Than Regular Quarters?

silver round coins on white surface

No, they are just more colorful; that's all. There is a profile of George Washington on the "heads" side of the coin, and there is an eagle or some other emblem, if it's a State Quarter, on the back. But why on Earth would someone need to paint a coin with red paint?

READ MORE: These State Quarters Are Worth a Lot More than .25 Cents

The red-painted coins were often referred to as "house coins" or "shills" by owners of coin-operated devices such as jukeboxes, arcade games, and laundromats. Often, bar and restaurant operators would "prime" the jukebox by putting on some songs to encourage others to play their favorite tunes.

selective focus photo of alphabet and latter tile

Since the bar owner or restaurateur didn't own the jukebox, he didn't want to give his cash away, so when the jukebox owner came to collect his money from the coinbox, he knew the "red quarters" weren't profit; they were used to prime the machine.

What Were The Red Painted Quarters Used For? What Did They Symbolize?

The red quarters, or red-painted coins, were also used when an arcade machine malfunctioned, or a landlord wanted to give a tenant a free load of laundry. Again, the red paint was used to indicate the coin was not to be collected with the day's normal profits.

wash and dry signboard in store

So basically, a red coin or red-painted quarter is a very elementary in-house accounting system for people who work with and operate coin-operated equipment. And you thought that people were just painting their money, like they used to put glue on the palms of their hands and peel it off.

READ MORE: Bicentennial Quarter Could Be Worth Thousands - Check Your Change

I bet you did that on field trips too. Here are some of our favorite field trips since we're heading down that road now.