50 State quarter
United States
Value0.25 US Dollar
Mass6.25 (Ag); 5.67 (Cu-Ni) g
Diameter24.26 mm (0.955 in)
Thickness1.75 mm (0.069 in)
Edge119 reeds
Composition91.67% Cu 8.33% Ni (standard)
90% Ag 10% Cu (proof only)
Years of minting1999–2008
Mint marksP, D, S (proof only)
Obverse
DesignGeorge Washington
DesignerJohn Flanagan (1932 version) from a 1786 bust by Houdon / William Cousins (modification to Flanagan's design)
Design date1999
Reverse
Designvarious; five designs per year (latest shown)
Designervarious
Design date2008

The 50 State quarters (authorized by Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 105–124 (text) (PDF), 111 Stat. 2534, enacted December 1, 1997) was a series of circulating commemorative quarters released by the United States Mint. Minted from 1999 through 2008, they featured unique designs for each of the 50 US states on the reverse.

The 50 State Quarters Program was started to support a new generation of coin collectors,[1][2] and it became the most successful numismatic program in US history, with roughly half of the US population collecting the coins, either in a casual manner or as a serious pursuit.[3] The US federal government so far has made additional profits of $3 billion from collectors taking the coins out of circulation.[4]

In 2009, the US Mint began issuing quarters under the 2009 District of Columbia and US Territories Program. The Territories Quarter Program was authorized by the passage of a newer legislative act, H.R. 2764. This program features the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the United States Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands.[5]

Origins

The 50 State Quarters program was initially inspired by a 1992 Royal Canadian Mint program, "Canada 125", marking the 125th anniversary of the country's Confederation with a series of commemorative 25-cent pieces representing each of its 12 (at the time) provinces and territories. The Canada 125 program sparked a revival of interest in coin collecting among Canadians, which led American numismatists to advocate for the United States Mint to create a similar series of coins representing U.S. states.[6][7]

In 1992, Congress passed the 1996 Atlanta Centennial Olympic Games Commemorative Coin Act. In addition to authorizing a series of commemorative coins marking the 1996 Summer Olympics, the law also established the Citizens Commemorative Coin Advisory Committee (CCCAC) to consider ideas for future releases.[8] After Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen appointed the committee in December 1993, several of its members, led by David Ganz, urged the committee to endorse a state quarters program. Initially, Ganz found support from only Charles Atherton, from the Federal Commission on Fine Arts, and Dan Hoffman, a young numismatist from South Carolina who also served on the CCCAC. However, by 1995, the CCCAC finally endorsed the idea. The committee then sought the support of Representative Michael Castle (R-Delaware), chairman of the House Banking subcommittee with jurisdiction over the nation's coinage. Castle's initial caution was resolved when Diehl suggested the coins be issued in the order the states entered the Union or ratified the Constitution. Delaware, Castle's home state, was the first state to ratify the Constitution, and would thus get to be the first state to have its quarter released. Castle subsequently held hearings and filed legislation to authorize the program.[9]

Despite the support of the director of the mint and the Treasury Secretary-appointed CCCAC, the Treasury Department opposed the 50 States Quarters Program, as commemorative coinage had come to be identified with abuses and excesses.[10] The Mint's economic models estimated the program would earn the government between $2.6 billion and $5.1 billion in additional seignorage and $110 million in additional numismatic profits. Diehl and Castle used these profit projections to urge the Treasury's support, but Treasury officials found the projections to lack credibility (at the program's conclusion, the Mint estimated the program had earned $3 billion in additional seignorage and $136.2 million in additional numismatic profits).[4]

Diehl worked with Castle behind the scenes to move legislation forward despite the Treasury's opposition to the program.[1][11] However, the Treasury suggested to Castle that the department should conduct a study to determine the feasibility of the program. With Diehl's advice, Castle accepted the Treasury's offer, and the agreement was codified in the United States Commemorative Coin Act of 1996.[12][13] The act also authorized the Secretary to proceed with the 50 States Quarters Program without further congressional action if the results of the feasibility study were favorable.

The Treasury Department engaged the consulting firm Coopers and Lybrand to conduct the study in 1997, which confirmed the Mint's demand, seignorage, and numismatic profit projections for the program.[10] Among other conclusions, the study found that 98 million Americans were likely to save one or more full sets of the quarters (at the program's conclusion, the Mint estimated that 147 million Americans collected the 50 state quarters). Nevertheless, the Treasury Department continued to oppose the program and declined to proceed with it without a congressional mandate to do so.[4]

In 1997, Congress issued that mandate in the form of S. 1228, the 50 States Commemorative Coin Program Act, which was signed into law by President Bill Clinton on December 1, 1997.

50 State Quarters Program

The 50 State quarters were released by the United States Mint every ten weeks, or five each year. They were released in the same order that the states ratified the Constitution or were admitted to the Union. Each quarter's reverse commemorated one of the 50 states with a design emblematic of its unique history, traditions, and symbols. Certain design elements, such as state flags, images of living persons, and head-and-shoulder images of deceased persons were prohibited.

The authorizing legislation and Mint procedures gave each state a substantial role and considerable discretion in determining the design that would represent their state. The majority of states followed a process by which the governor solicited the state's citizens to submit design concepts and appointed an advisory group to oversee the process. Governors submitted three to five finalist design concepts to the Secretary of the Treasury for approval. Approved designs were returned to the states for selection of a final design.

States usually employed one of two approaches in making this selection. In 33 states, the governor selected the final recommended design, often based on the recommendations of advisory groups and citizens. In the other 17 states, citizens selected the final design through online, telephone, mail, or other public votes. US Mint engravers applied all final design concepts approved by the Treasury Secretary. The media and public attention surrounding this process and the release of each state's quarter was intense and produced significant publicity for the program.[4][14]

The 50 State Quarters Program was the most popular commemorative coin program in United States history; the United States Mint has estimated that 147 million Americans have collected state quarters and 3.5 million participated in the selection of state quarter designs.[4]

By the end of 2008, all of the original 50 States quarters had been minted and released. The official total, according to the US Mint, was 34,797,600,000 coins. The average mintage was 695,952,000 coins per state, but ranged from Virginia's 1,594,616,000 to Oklahoma's 416,600,000. Demand was stronger for quarters issued early in the program. This was due to weakening economic conditions in later years and the waning of the initial surge of demand when the program was launched. Another factor was the reassertion of the Treasury Department's opposition to the program. When the director's term ended in 2000, the Treasury proceeded to reduce and finally terminate the most effective elements of the Mint's promotional program despite the high return on investment they earned.

Designs

Year No. State Release date
(statehood date)[15]		 Mintage[16] Design Elements depicted Engraver
1999 1 Delaware January 4, 1999
(December 7, 1787)		 774,824,000 Delaware quarter Caesar Rodney on horseback
Captions: "The First State", "Caesar Rodney"		 William Cousins
2 Pennsylvania March 8, 1999
(December 12, 1787)		 707,332,000 Pennsylvania quarter Commonwealth statue, state outline, keystone
Caption: "Virtue, Liberty, Independence"		 John Mercanti
3 New Jersey May 17, 1999
(December 18, 1787)		 662,228,000 New Jersey quarter Washington Crossing the Delaware, which includes George Washington (standing) and James Monroe (holding the flag)
Caption: "Crossroads of the Revolution"		 Alfred Maletsky
4 Georgia July 19, 1999
(January 2, 1788)		 939,932,000 Georgia quarter Peach, live oak (state tree) sprigs, state outline
Banner with text: "Wisdom, Justice, Moderation" (the state motto)		 T. James Ferrell
5 Connecticut October 12, 1999
(January 9, 1788)		 1,346,624,000 Connecticut quarter Charter Oak
Caption: "The Charter Oak"		 T. James Ferrell
2000 6 Massachusetts January 3, 2000
(February 6, 1788)		 1,163,784,000 Massachusetts quarter The Minute Man statue, state outline
Caption: "The Bay State"		 Thomas D. Rodgers
7 Maryland March 13, 2000
(April 28, 1788)		 1,234,732,000 Maryland quarter Dome of the Maryland State House, white oak (state tree) clusters
Caption: "The Old Line State"		 Thomas D. Rodgers
8 South Carolina May 22, 2000
(May 23, 1788)		 1,308,784,000 South Carolina quarter Carolina wren (state bird), yellow jessamine (state flower), cabbage palmetto (state tree), state outline
Caption: "The Palmetto State"		 Thomas D. Rodgers
9 New Hampshire August 7, 2000
(June 21, 1788)		 1,169,016,000 New Hampshire quarter Old Man of the Mountain, nine stars (representing New Hampshire as the 9th state to join the Union)
Captions: "Old Man of the Mountain", "Live Free or Die"		 William Cousins
10 Virginia October 16, 2000
(June 25, 1788)		 1,594,616,000 Virginia quarter Ships Susan Constant, Godspeed, Discovery
Captions: "Jamestown, 1607–2007", "Quadricentennial"		 Edgar Z. Steever
2001 11 New York January 2, 2001
(July 26, 1788)		 1,275,040,000 New York quarter Statue of Liberty, 11 stars (representing New York as the 11th state to join the Union), state outline with line tracing Hudson River and Erie Canal
Caption: "Gateway to Freedom"		 Alfred Maletsky
12 North Carolina March 12, 2001
(November 21, 1789)		 1,055,476,000 North Carolina quarter Wright Flyer, John T. Daniels's iconic photo of the Wright brothers
Caption: "First Flight"		 John Mercanti
13 Rhode Island May 21, 2001
(May 29, 1790)		 870,100,000 Rhode Island quarter America's Cup yacht Reliance on Narragansett Bay, Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge
Caption: "The Ocean State"		 Thomas D. Rodgers
14 Vermont August 6, 2001
(March 4, 1791)		 882,804,000 Vermont quarter Maple trees with sap buckets, Camel's Hump Mountain
Caption: "Freedom and Unity"		 T. James Ferrell
15 Kentucky October 15, 2001
(June 1, 1792)		 723,564,000 Kentucky quarter Thoroughbred racehorse behind fence, Bardstown mansion, Federal Hill
Caption: "My Old Kentucky Home"		 T. James Ferrell
2002 16 Tennessee January 2, 2002
(June 1, 1796)		 648,068,000 Tennessee quarter Fiddle, trumpet, guitar, musical score, three stars
Banner with text: "Musical Heritage"		 Donna Weaver
17 Ohio March 11, 2002
(March 1, 1803)		 632,032,000 Ohio quarter Wright Flyer III (built by the Wright Brothers who were from Dayton); astronaut; state outline
Caption: "Birthplace of Aviation Pioneers"		 Donna Weaver
18 Louisiana May 20, 2002
(April 30, 1812)		 764,204,000 Louisiana quarter Brown pelican (state bird); trumpet with musical notes, outline of Louisiana Purchase on map of US
Caption: "Louisiana Purchase"		 John Mercanti
19 Indiana August 2, 2002
(December 11, 1816)		 689,800,000 Indiana quarter IndyCar, state outline, 19 stars (representing Indiana as the 19th state to join the Union)
Caption: "Crossroads of America"		 Donna Weaver
20 Mississippi October 15, 2002
(December 10, 1817)		 579,600,000 Mississippi quarter Two magnolia blossoms (state flower)
Caption: "The Magnolia State"		 Donna Weaver
2003 21 Illinois January 2, 2003
(December 3, 1818)		 463,200,000 Illinois quarter Young Abraham Lincoln; farm scene; Chicago skyline; state outline; 21 stars, 11 on left edge and 10 on right
Captions: "Land of Lincoln;" "21st state/century"		 Donna Weaver
22 Alabama March 17, 2003
(December 14, 1819)		 457,400,000 Alabama quarter Helen Keller, seated, longleaf pine (state tree) branch, magnolia blossoms
Banner with text: "Spirit of Courage"
Caption: "Helen Keller" in standard print and Braille		 Norman E. Nemeth
23 Maine June 2, 2003
(March 15, 1820)		 448,800,000 Maine quarter Pemaquid Point Lighthouse; the schooner Victory Chimes[17] at sea Donna Weaver
24 Missouri August 4, 2003
(August 10, 1821)		 453,200,000 Missouri quarter Gateway Arch, Lewis and Clark and York[18] returning down Missouri River
Caption: "Corps of Discovery 1804–2004"		 Alfred Maletsky
25 Arkansas October 20, 2003
(June 15, 1836)		 457,800,000 Arkansas quarter Diamond (state gem), rice stalks, mallard flying above a lake John Mercanti
2004 26 Michigan January 26, 2004
(January 26, 1837)		 459,600,000 Michigan quarter State outline, outline of Great Lakes system
Caption: "Great Lakes State"		 Donna Weaver
27 Florida March 29, 2004
(March 3, 1845)		 481,800,000 Florida quarter Spanish galleon, Sabal palmetto (state tree), Space Shuttle
Caption: "Gateway to Discovery"		 T. James Ferrell
28 Texas June 1, 2004
(December 29, 1845)		 541,800,000 Texas quarter State outline, star, lariat
Caption: "The Lone Star State"		 Norman E. Nemeth
29 Iowa August 30, 2004
(December 28, 1846)		 465,200,000 Iowa quarter Schoolhouse, teacher and students planting a tree; based on the Grant Wood painting Arbor Day[19][20]
Captions: "Foundation in Education", "Grant Wood"		 John Mercanti
30 Wisconsin October 25, 2004
(May 29, 1848)		 453,200,000 Wisconsin quarter Head of a cow, round of cheese and ear of corn (state grain).
Banner with text: "Forward"		 Alfred Maletsky
2005 31 California January 31, 2005
(September 9, 1850)		 520,400,000 California quarter John Muir, California condor, Half Dome
Captions: "John Muir," "Yosemite Valley"		 Don Everhart
32 Minnesota April 4, 2005
(May 11, 1858)		 488,000,000 Minnesota quarter Common loon (state bird), fishing, state outline
Caption: "Land of 10,000 Lakes"		 Charles L. Vickers
33 Oregon June 6, 2005
(February 14, 1859)		 720,200,000 Oregon quarter  Crater Lake National Park
Caption: "Crater Lake"		 Donna Weaver
34 Kansas August 29, 2005
(January 29, 1861)		 563,400,000 Kansas quarter American bison (state mammal), sunflowers (state flower) Norman E. Nemeth
35 West Virginia October 14, 2005
(June 20, 1863)		 721,600,000 West Virginia quarter New River Gorge Bridge
Caption: "New River Gorge"		 John Mercanti
2006 36 Nevada January 31, 2006
(October 31, 1864)		 589,800,000 Nevada quarter Mustangs, mountains, rising sun, sagebrush (state flower)
Banner with text: "The Silver State"		 Don Everhart
37 Nebraska April 3, 2006
(March 1, 1867)		 594,400,000 Nebraska quarter Chimney Rock National Historic Site, Conestoga wagon
Caption: "Chimney Rock"		 Charles L. Vickers
38 Colorado June 14, 2006
(August 1, 1876)		 569,000,000 Colorado quarter Longs Peak
Banner with text: "Colorful Colorado"		 Norman E. Nemeth
39 North Dakota August 28, 2006
(November 2, 1889)		 664,800,000 American bison, badlands Donna Weaver
40 South Dakota November 6, 2006
(November 2, 1889)		 510,800,000 Mount Rushmore, ring-necked pheasant (state bird), wheat (state grass) John Mercanti
2007 41 Montana January 29, 2007
(November 8, 1889)		 513,240,000 American bison skull in the center with mountains and the Missouri River in the background.
Caption: "Big Sky Country"		 Don Everhart
42 Washington April 2, 2007
(November 11, 1889)		 545,200,000 Salmon leaping in front of Mount Rainier
Caption: "The Evergreen State"		 Charles L. Vickers
43 Idaho June 4, 2007[21]
(July 3, 1890)		 581,400,000 Idaho quarter Peregrine falcon, state outline with star indicating location of state capital Boise, Idaho
Caption: "Esto Perpetua"		 Don Everhart
44 Wyoming September 4, 2007
(July 10, 1890)		 564,400,000 Bucking Horse and Rider
Caption: "The Equality State"		 Norman E. Nemeth
45 Utah November 5, 2007
(January 4, 1896)		 508,200,000 Utah quarter Golden spike, Locomotives Jupiter, No. 119, and the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad
Caption: "Crossroads of the West"		 Joseph F. Menna
2008 46 Oklahoma January 28, 2008
(November 16, 1907)		 416,600,000 Oklahoma quarter Scissor-tailed flycatcher (state bird), with Indian blankets (state wildflower) in background Phebe Hemphill
47 New Mexico April 7, 2008
(January 6, 1912)		 488,600,000 New Mexico quarter State outline with relief, Zia sun symbol from flag
Caption: "Land of Enchantment"		 Don Everhart
48 Arizona June 2, 2008
(February 14, 1912)		 509,600,000 Arizona quarter Grand Canyon, saguaro cactus closeup.
Banner with text: "Grand Canyon State"		 Joseph F. Menna
49 Alaska August 25, 2008
(January 3, 1959)		 505,800,000 Alaska quarter Grizzly bear with salmon (state fish) and North Star
Caption: "The Great Land"		 Charles L. Vickers
50 Hawaii November 3, 2008
(August 21, 1959)		 517,600,000 Hawaii quarter Statue of Kamehameha I with state outline and motto
Caption: "Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono"		 Don Everhart

District of Columbia and United States Territories release

Additional notes on individual designs

  • Alabama: The Alabama state quarter is the first coin circulated in the US that features Braille writing.[22]
  • Arizona: The banner reading "Grand Canyon State" in the design is intended to split the quarter into two sections and indicate the Grand Canyon and the Saguaro Cactus are in two different Arizona scenes, as the saguaro cactus is not native to the area near the Grand Canyon.[23]
  • Connecticut: The Charter Oak on the back of the Connecticut quarter fell during a storm on August 21, 1856. It also appears on a 1936 half dollar commemorating the 300th anniversary of the state's settlement by Europeans.[24]
  • Georgia: The outline of the state of Georgia on the quarter appears to have accidentally left out Dade County, which is in the extreme northwestern part of the state. In 1860, Dade residents voted to secede from the United States and from the state of Georgia. The county's secession was never legally recognized, and Dade residents chose to "rejoin" the United States in 1945.[25]
  • Hawaii: The Hawaii quarter features a rendition of the statue of King Kamehameha I, who united the Hawaiian Islands in 1810, with the state outline and motto. This is the first business strike US coin to feature royalty or a monarch of any kind.
  • Illinois: The Illinois quarter is the only quarter to directly reference and portray an urban city, with a picture of the Chicago skyline (the Missouri quarter indirectly references the city of St. Louis with its portrayal of the iconic Gateway Arch).
  • Indiana: The Indiana quarter—having a problem similar to Georgia's quarter—is missing part of its northwestern corner. Lake County is either partially or completely missing (where it borders with Lake Michigan). The error did not garner considerable notice.
  • Iowa: When Iowans were debating the design for its state quarter in 2002, there was a grassroots effort to use a design featuring the Sullivan brothers (to honor the five Waterloo siblings who died when the ship they were aboard—the USS Juneau (CL-52)—sank during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, 1942). The effort was ultimately unsuccessful, and a Grant Wood design was used, but not before some copyright issues were resolved.[26][27]
  • Maryland: The Maryland Statehouse featured on the coin is the country's largest wooden dome built without nails.[28] Some residents complained that the quarter did not feature the state's famous blue crab.
  • Mississippi: The magnolia blossom design, while recognizable at the high levels of magnification at which it was presented for review, appears at production scale as an amorphous mass recognizable only when the accompanying state nickname inscription suggests the image's intended content to the viewer.
  • Missouri: The design contest winner for the Missouri quarter, Paul Jackson, has claimed that the Mint engraver needlessly redesigned Jackson's original submission. The Mint stated that Jackson's design was not coinable, but a private mint later demonstrated that it was. It emerged that Mint engravers may exercise discretion in the final design of US coinage, and the term "design contest" was dropped from solicitations for ideas for later state quarters.[29][30]
  • Nebraska: One of the final concepts for the Nebraska quarter was based on the Ponca leader Standing Bear, who, in a suit brought against the federal government, successfully argued that Native Americans were citizens entitled to rights under the US Constitution.
  • New Hampshire: The Old Man of the Mountain, featured on the back of the New Hampshire quarter, collapsed in 2003, less than three years after the quarter's release.
  • New Jersey. The first coin in history to ever depict George Washington on both sides.[31]
  • Ohio: Astronauts John Glenn, Neil Armstrong, James Lovell, and Judith Resnik were all natives of Ohio, as were the Wright Brothers.
  • Oregon: Oregon's design features a scene of Crater Lake and Wizard Island. This design was chosen by the Oregon Commemorative Quarter Commission. The Quarter Commission was made up of 18 members, including Governor Ted Kulongoski, State Treasurer Randall Edwards, Columbia Sportswear Chairperson Gert Boyle, numismatist Monte Mensing, and Beaverton High School student Laura Davis, along with state legislators Charles Starr, Joan Dukes, Betsy Johnson, and Betsy Close, among others. The Quarter Commission chose the Crater Lake design from three other finalists: a jumping salmon, the Oregon Trail, and Mount Hood.
  • Rhode Island: With a mast height of 199 ft (61m) the yacht Reliance could not have sailed under the Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge, which has a clearance below of 188 ft (57m), although the coin does not show the ship sailing under the bridge. This would also not have happened because Reliance was sold for scrap in 1913 and the Pell Bridge opened in 1969.
  • South Dakota: Although South Dakota has the second highest proportion of Native Americans of any state, the South Dakota quarter features three items that are the result of European settlement. These symbols are Mount Rushmore, which honors four U.S. presidents and is carved into the Black Hills which are seen as sacred by the Lakota, a ring-necked pheasant (an introduced species of Asian origin), and wheat, a Eurasian crop which has replaced much of the state's native grasslands.
  • Tennessee: There has also been some controversy over the Tennessee quarter. Some sources[32] claim that the details on the instruments depicted on the quarter are inaccurate, such as the number of strings on the guitar and the location of the tubing on the trumpet. The number of strings on the guitar-like instrument would be accurate if the instrument was a Mexican vihuela that influenced the country-and-western music prominent in Nashville culture and business.
    5 strings on the guitar on the Tennessee state quarter.
    The instrument, however, has six tuning pegs, so is, in fact, a guitar and not a vihuela.
  • West Virginia: During the submission process for the design of the West Virginia quarter, there was an apparent movement to put the famous Mothman on the final design.[33]
  • Wisconsin:A number of the Wisconsin quarters featured a small mint error: the ear of corn features an extra leaf. Some of the affected coins feature a "low leaf", others feature a "high leaf". All of these "error coins" were minted at the Denver mint. It is unclear whether the error was deliberate or accidental, but the error generated considerable initial interest. Sets of the flawed coins once sold on eBay for up to $2,800, although the 2013 edition of R.S. Yeoman's A Guide Book of United States Coins lists considerably lower prices for uncirculated specimens.[34][35]
  • Wyoming: Some Wyoming quarters were released in 2007 with indications of improper quality control. Many persons, upon first seeing the same cowboy outline design used on the state's automobile license plates, have mistakenly believed that the lack of detail is itself a flaw, the result of an incomplete striking. However, evidence of cracks in the die and subsequent hasty repairs have been observed in a few circulation specimens.[36]

Year map

The following map shows the years each state, federal district, or territory was released as a state quarter.
The following table has the quarters grouped by year.
Color Year 1st release 2nd release 3rd release 4th release 5th release 6th release
  1999 Delaware Pennsylvania New Jersey Georgia Connecticut —
  2000 Massachusetts Maryland South Carolina New Hampshire Virginia
  2001 New York North Carolina Rhode Island Vermont Kentucky
  2002 Tennessee Ohio Louisiana Indiana Mississippi
  2003 Illinois Alabama Maine Missouri Arkansas
  2004 Michigan Florida Texas Iowa Wisconsin
  2005 California Minnesota Oregon Kansas West Virginia
  2006 Nevada Nebraska Colorado North Dakota South Dakota
  2007 Montana Washington Idaho Wyoming Utah
  2008 Oklahoma New Mexico Arizona Alaska Hawaii
  2009 District of Columbia Puerto Rico Guam American Samoa US Virgin Islands Northern Mariana Islands

Collectible value

In 1997, Congress passed the 50 States Commemorative Coin Program Act, which instructed the creation of the 50 State quarters series to "honor the unique Federal Republic of 50 States that comprise the United States; and to promote the diffusion of knowledge among the youth of the United States about the individual states, their history and geography, and the rich diversity of the national heritage...", and to encourage "young people and their families to collect memorable tokens of all of the States for the face value of the coins."[37]

Coin with partially rubbed off "In God We Trust" motto

While mintage totals of the various designs vary widely—Virginia quarters are almost 20 times as abundant as the Northern Marianas quarters—none of the regular circulating issues are rare enough to become a valuable investment.

There was, however, a measure of collector interest over die errors in the Wisconsin quarter. Some designs from the Denver mint feature corn without a smaller leaf, others feature a small leaf pointing upwards, and still others have the leaf bending down.[38] A set of all three quarters sold on eBay in February 2005 for $300 and initially saw significant increases, such as $1500 for individual coins, but as of February 2020 PCGS lists the value of MS-62 specimens from $92 to $130 each.[39]

Another die cast error ran with the first Delaware quarters. Being the first model of state quarter made, the mint gave it a disproportionate weight causing vending machines to not accept it. The quarter die was quickly fixed. Some Delaware quarters appeared without the last E, now saying, "THE FIRST STAT".

A major error occurred in 2000 when the reverse die of a Sacagawea dollar was combined with the obverse die of a state quarter on dollar-coin planchets to form what is known as a "mule". As of August 2019, only 19 of these specimens, produced on dollar planchets, are known to have escaped from the Mint.[40][41][42]

A 2005 Minnesota double die quarter, as well as a 2005 Minnesota quarter with extra trees (another die error), have both triggered numismatic interest. An unusual die break on some 2005 Kansas quarters created a humpback bison.[43] Relatively more common are Kansas quarters bearing the motto "IN GOD WE RUST."[44]

The United States produces proof coinage in circulating base metal and, since 1992, in separately sold sets with the dimes, quarters, and half-dollars in silver. For the silver issues, the 1999 set is the most valuable, being the first year of the series and with a relatively small mintage, although prices have significantly decreased since the 50 State Quarters Program ended. The set in base metal, of this or any other year, is worth only a fraction as much. The silver proof sets of later years, while having some intrinsic and collector worth, are also priced far lower. The public is cautioned to research prices before buying advertised state quarter year or proof sets.

In general, the program increased interest in quarter and general coin collecting.[45] Large numbers of ads, quarter products and quarter information were available during the years the program ran. Home Shopping Network, Franklin Mint, and Littleton Coin Company were among the most prominent in ad space.

Seigniorage

Since the 50 State Quarters Program was expected to increase public demand for quarters which would be collected and taken out of circulation, the Mint used economic models to estimate the additional seigniorage the program would produce. These estimates established a range of $2.6 billion to $5.1 billion. (At the end of the program, the Mint estimated the actual increase in seigniorage to be $3 billion.) The Mint also estimated the program would earn $110 million in additional numismatic profits. (The final, post-program estimate was $136.2 million.) The Mint used these estimates to support the proposed program, and the legislation enacting the 50 States Quarters program cited these estimates.[4]

Satire

  • On July 25, 2001, The Onion ran a satirical news story titled "Collecting All 50 State Quarters Senior's Only Reason To Remain Alive".[46] On May 4, 2005, it ran a further story titled "U.S. Mint Gears Up To Issue Commemorative County Pennies".[47]
  • The Late Night with Conan O'Brien television show aired several segments about fictional satirical designs for new state quarters.[48][49][50][51][52][53]
  • Sculptor Daniel Carr, whose designs were used for the New York and Rhode Island state quarters and whose concept was adapted for the Maine state quarter, has created a series of parody quarters making light of the state quarter concept.[54]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Muoio, Anna. (1999-11-30) "Mint Condition" Archived May 25, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, Fast Company. Retrieved 2011-01-16.
  2. ↑ David L. Ganz, The Official Guidebook to America's State Quarters, Random House, 2000.
  3. ↑ Healey, Matthew (November 28, 2007). "State Quarters Near End of Popular Run". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 23, 2013. Retrieved November 28, 2007.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "50 State Quarters Report: 10 Years of Honoring Our Nation's History and Heritage" (PDF). US Mint. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 10, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2014.
  5. ↑ Noles, Jim. A Pocketful of History: Four Hundred Years of America – One State Quarter at a Time (Boston: Da Capo Press, 2009).
  6. ↑ Noles, Jim. A Pocketful of History: Four Hundred Years of America--One State Quarter at a Time, Hachette Books, March 25, 2009, p. 9.
  7. ↑ Robitaille, Jesse. "1992 'Canada 125' series spurred today's collectors", Canadian Coin News, November 2, 2021.
  8. ↑ H.R.3654 - 1996 Atlanta Centennial Olympic Games Commemorative Coin Act, congress.gov, retrieved May 22, 2023.
  9. ↑ Hearing on the US Mint's Commemorative Coin Program before the Subcomm. On Domestic & International Monetary Policy of the House Committee on Banking & Financial Services, 104th. Cong., 1st session (Serial 104–25)(July 12, 1995)
  10. 1 2 Scott A. Travers (November 25, 2008). The Insider's Guide to Coins Values 2009. Random House Publishing Group. pp. 44–. ISBN 978-0-440-24168-3.
  11. ↑ Hildebrand, Carol. (1999-04-24) "The New Realm of the Coin" Archived October 19, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, CIO magazine. Retrieved 2011-01-16
  12. ↑ "50-State Quarters: Credit Where Credit Is Due". COINage magazine. No. December 2005.
  13. ↑ "Public Law 104–329, 104th Congress" (PDF). Retrieved August 2, 2013.
  14. ↑ "The United States Mint 50 State Quarters Program – Frequently Asked Questions". United States Mint. Archived from the original on December 16, 2007. Retrieved November 29, 2007.
  15. ↑ "State Quarter Release Schedule". Usmint.gov. Archived from the original on February 1, 2010. Retrieved August 2, 2013.
  16. ↑ "Mintage figures: United States Mint". Usmint.gov. June 16, 2013. Archived from the original on September 28, 2015. Retrieved August 2, 2013.
  17. ↑ "Victory Chimes National Historic Landmark Nomination". Nps.gov. Retrieved August 2, 2013.
  18. ↑ Morgan, Charles; Walker, Hubert (January 22, 2016). "African-Americans on US Coins: Circulating Coins (Part 3)". CoinWeek. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  19. ↑ Kinsey, Joni L. (2009). "Wood, Grant Devolson". The Biographical Dictionary of Iowa. The University of Iowa Press. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  20. ↑ Fuson, Ken (July 11, 2004). "Mint set to strike first Iowa quarters". The Des Moines Register. p. 1B – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ↑ "Idaho Quarter". Coins.about.com. June 5, 2007. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. Retrieved August 2, 2013.
  22. ↑ Brian Faler. "Helen Keller Quarter Coins a Breakthrough". Washington Post. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  23. ↑ "Arizona State Quarter". Governor of Arizona (official site). Archived from the original on May 17, 2008. Retrieved May 16, 2008.
  24. ↑ "From the NGC Archives: 1935 Connecticut Tercentenary Half Dollar". Ngccoin.com. March 15, 2011. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved August 2, 2013.
  25. ↑ "The State Of Dade". Dade County, Georgia. Archived from the original on November 12, 2012. Retrieved April 4, 2012.
  26. ↑ "Quarter design will not be put up for a vote". Quad City Times. July 20, 2002. Retrieved February 3, 2007.
  27. ↑ "Grant Wood dominates field". Quad City Times. August 23, 2002. Retrieved February 3, 2007.
  28. ↑ "Maryland". Usmint.gov. U.S. Mint. Archived from the original on January 14, 2009.
  29. ↑ "Quartergate" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on December 24, 2006. Retrieved February 3, 2007.
  30. ↑ "50-State Quarters: Credit Where Credit Is Due". Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society. Retrieved February 3, 2007.
  31. ↑ New Jersey State Quarter Coin Collecting Guide website.
  32. ↑ "Top Stories Photos – AP". Yahoo! News. AP. Archived from the original on March 20, 2002. Retrieved June 23, 2017.
  33. ↑ "Pick a coin: Mountains, a bridge or Mothman". Star News Online. June 15, 2003. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  34. ↑ Hagenbaugh, Barbara (February 10, 2005). "Coin collectors flip, rumors fly after quarters sprout extra leaf". USA Today. Retrieved February 3, 2007.
  35. ↑ Hagenbaugh, Barbara (January 20, 2006). "State quarter's extra leaf grew out of lunch break". USA Today. Retrieved February 3, 2007.
  36. ↑ "United States 2007-P Wyoming 50 State Quarter". Coin Week LLC. Archived from the original on September 26, 2022. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  37. ↑ "Public Law 105-124: 50 States Commemorative Coin Program Act". United States Congress via United States Mint. December 1, 1997.
  38. ↑ Mikkelson, David (May 16, 2011). "Wisconsin Quarter Error". Snopes.com.
  39. ↑ "Washington 50 States Quarters Price Guide". pcgs.com. Collectors Universe, Inc. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  40. ↑ "Washington Quarter/ Sacajawea Dollar Mule". Coinfacts.com. Retrieved August 2, 2013.
  41. ↑ Gilkes, Paul. "19th known double denomination mule error coin coming to auction". www.coinworld.com. Coin World. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  42. ↑ Fred Weinberg & Co. (July 2017). "2000-P "Mule" Sacagawea Dollar Reverse w/ States Quarter Obverse". Fred Weinberg & Co. Archived from the original on May 14, 2019. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  43. ↑ "Coin World". Coin World. October 17, 2005. Archived from the original on January 27, 2007. Retrieved February 2, 2007. no
  44. ↑ Susan Headley. "In God We Rust – A State Quarter Error Caused by a Filled Die Strike Through". About.com. Archived from the original on September 8, 2007. Retrieved August 11, 2007.
  45. ↑ "State Quarters". ResearchBooth.com. Archived from the original on April 25, 2012. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
  46. ↑ "Collecting All 50 State Quarters Senior's Only Reason To Remain Alive". The Onion. Archived from the original on June 15, 2015. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
  47. ↑ "U.S. Mint Gears Up To Issue Commemorative County Pennies". The Onion. Archived from the original on February 4, 2007. Retrieved February 2, 2007.
  48. ↑ Late Night with Conan O'Brien. NBC. Aired 2005-10-21.
  49. ↑ Late Night with Conan O'Brien. NBC. Aired 2006-01-18.
  50. ↑ Late Night with Conan O'Brien. NBC. Aired 2006-04-28.
  51. ↑ Late Night with Conan O'Brien. NBC. Aired 2006-06-21.
  52. ↑ Late Night with Conan O'Brien. NBC. Aired 2006-09-25.
  53. ↑ Late Night with Conan O'Brien. NBC. Aired 2007-02-05.
  54. ↑ "Parody State Quarters, Etc". Dc-coin.com. Retrieved August 2, 2013.

Bibliography

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