STATE quarters have not been minted in nearly 15 years, but there some ones that could be quite valuable.
From 1999 to 2008, the US Mint struck state-specific quarters.
All 50 state coins featured George Washington on the obverse, with a design unique to each state on the inverse.
Each year, the coins were released into five groups in order of birthdays until the series was complete nearly a decade later.
While Americans might be inclined to collect a piece from their native state, the determination in value is no different than other coins.
The most important elements you’ll want to look out for are dates, mintages, letter marks, and potential errors.
Becoming familiar with these could help you spot a valuable coin.
Odds are if you happen to have a coin in your spare change, it is circulated.
The term circulated could mean a few things including that it was meant for the use of daily transactions and the grade, which runs from 1-58.
They also contain traces of wear.
Uncirculated coins, on the other hand, do not contain traces of wear.
Below we reveal some of the most valuable state quarters, most of which are in circulation.
1. 1999 Georgia State Quarter – $23
The 1999 Georgia State Quarter can be sought out by collectors.
This particular coin features a clipped planchet error, which happens when a blanking die overlaps a previously punched hole in a coin metal strip.
The result of the malfunction leaves a concave fail.
According to error-ref.com, there are five characteristics to look for in a clipped planchet.
- A pole opposite the clip shows a fragile or absent rim. This is considered the “Blakesley” effect. The “Blakesley” effect is not always seen on coins with original curved clips.
- The design elements bordering the clip always show the flow of the metal – which usually indicates the smeared and stretched-out style.
- The uncovered edge of the clip usually shows a “belly line” or “breakaway zone.” A portion of the exposed edge will be grainy, and the other half will be smooth.
- The rim should fade out and taper toward the clip.
- The copper core is asymmetrically uncovered in a clad coin along the edge. The position of the exposed copper core “flips” when you transition from a standard edge to a curved edge.
The Philidelphia minted quarter is marked with the letter “P.”
The Denver coin is marked with the letter “D.”
Both combined sold for $23 online in a recent eBay listing.
That means they are worth about $11.50 each.
2. 2008 Alaska state quarter – $81
Sometimes errors could be tough to spot – but not on an Alaskan 2008 state quarter that sold online for $81 recently.
Very clearly you could see that there is a piece to the coin missing on the right side, which the seller describes as an “end of sheet straight clip error”.
These are also known as “ragged clips” or end of strip” clips.
“The shape of a ragged clip is highly variable,” numismatics website Error-Ref wrote.
“Many are straight, some form “ragged notches” and some turn into “ragged fissures.
“The edge texture of a ragged clip is invariably rough and shows some graininess.”
The error should not be mistaken for broken coins or planchet errors.
3. 2004 Wisconsin state quarter – $95
If you happen to find a Wisconsin quarter, you’ll want to be on the lookout for a couple of varieties.
The 2004-dated state quarter features a cow next to a leaf of corn and a round of cheese.
There is also the text of “forward” (beneath the images) and the state’s birth date of 1848 (above the images).
In particular, you’ll want to look out for an extra leaf, in which there are two varieties.
“Immediately, the discovery of the coins broke out in the news and people all over the country were out searching for them,” Jamie Hernandez, former President of Professional Coin Grading Service wrote.
“There were some reports that some individuals found up to hundreds of them at once from bank wrapped rolls, making it seem as if they were very easy to find.”
According to coin online database CoinTrackers, the extra high leaf variety of the Wisconsin quarter is worth up to $300.
The extra low leaf is worth up to $250.
One variety with the extra low leaf that was ungraded sold for $95 in an eBay auction.
4. 2000 New Hampshire state quarter – $216
Another state quarter has sold for hundreds online due to an error.
The text in the listing features the birthdate of 1788 with the text “Old man of the mountain” on the reverse.
Although “New Hampshire” does not show on the top of the reverse of the Washington quarter in the listing, this is clearly the design of that particular state coin.
According to the seller, the quarter was struck on a Jefferson nickel with a planchet mint error, which is also known as a double denomination.
“Planchet errors encompass all mistakes resulting from a defective blank, whether or not it has passed through the upsetting mill,” coin service website Fleur de Coin wrote.
The New Hampshire error quarter wound up selling for $215.50 after 13 bids.
5. 1999 Delware state quarter – $788
This last coin is unlike the others on this list because it is in a proof grade.
That means it could be tougher to find since they were minted mainly for the purpose of collecting.
It is said that proof coins are struck twice at the beginning of the minting process.
The Delaware quarter was the first one struck by the Mint that kicked off the state series.
The design features the text “The First State” and “Caesar Rodney,” who was one of the country’s founding fathers.
The quarter honors the former Delaware governor’s horseback ride in 1776.
The coin in the listing features an S mintmark, which stands for San Fransisco.
But most importantly, the coin has a grade of 70, which is the highest on Professional Coin Grading Services’ scale.
The coin grader describes coins in the grade as “fully struck and lustrous”.
The proof Delaware piece sold for a total of $787.77 after 86 bids.
It was certified by Numismatic Guaranty Company.
