PURPOSE: To easily produce a quinone compound useful as a raw material for unsubstituted hydroquinone for photographic industry, etc., in high yield and selectivity, by reacting a phenolic compound with oxygen using a specific solvent and a catalyst.

CONSTITUTION: A quinone compound is produced by reacting a phenolic compound of formula [R1WR4 are H, halogen, cyano, 1W12C alkyl or alkoxy or 6W16C (substituted) phenyl or phenoxy] having a concentration of 0.5W70wt%, preferably an unsubstituted phenol with O2 in methyl alcohol solvent in the presence of 0.002W0.167mol of cuprous chloride per 1,000g of methyl alcohol and 1W10mol of an alkali metal chloride catalyst such as lithium chloride per 1mol of cuprous chloride under an O2 pressure of 30W200kg/cm2 at 0W120°C for 0.5W10hr.