The 50 State Quarters Program, which ran from 1999 to 2008, was a huge success for the U.S. Mint, producing quarters that featured designs celebrating each of the 50 states. While these quarters were released as part of a standard collection, many collectors have found a wealth of rare and valuable minting errors in these coins. These errors are often due to mistakes made during the coin’s production, and they can dramatically affect the value of a quarter. In this article, we’ll explore some of the most fascinating State Quarter errors and explain how these mistakes can increase the value of your coins.
1. The 1999 Delaware State Quarter
The 1999 Delaware State Quarter is one of the most well-known examples of a coin with a minting error. In this case, a “spitting horse” error occurred during production. The error refers to a small die crack that formed on the reverse of the coin, near the horse’s mouth. The crack created the illusion of the horse “spitting” or “blowing,” as if it were releasing a stream of liquid.
2. The 2004 Wisconsin State Quarter
The 2004 Wisconsin State Quarter features an image of a cow and an ear of corn, representing the agricultural heritage of the state. However, there was an error in the design that led to the creation of two versions of the coin: one with an extra leaf and one without.
3. The 2005 Minnesota State Quarter
The 2005 Minnesota State Quarter features an image of a sailboat on the Mississippi River with a 36-point star. A rare error occurred on some of these coins when the reverse die was doubled, causing a noticeable distortion on the design, particularly around the outline of the star and the sailboat.
4. The 1999 Georgia State Quarter
The 1999 Georgia State Quarter contains an error known as the “Wide AM” error, which refers to a spacing issue between the “A” and “M” in the word “AMERICA” on the reverse of the coin. On regular versions of this coin, the “A” and “M” are close together, but some examples of the 1999 Georgia State Quarter were struck with a wide gap between these two letters, resulting in a visually noticeable error.
5. The 2000 New Hampshire State Quarter
The 2000 New Hampshire State Quarter is notable for a minting error where the mintmark “D” for the Denver Mint or “P” for the Philadelphia Mint was either missing or poorly struck, creating a coin with no mintmark at all. The absence of the mintmark made these coins very distinct and rare, as all U.S. coins typically carry the mintmark to indicate their place of production.
6. The 2007 Wyoming State Quarter
Another fascinating error occurred with the 2007 Wyoming State Quarter, where the mintmark was mistakenly placed in the wrong location. On regular Wyoming quarters, the mintmark is located beneath the “IN GOD WE TRUST” motto, but in this case, the mintmark was struck closer to the bottom of the coin, resulting in a misplaced mintmark error.
Conclusion
If you’re collecting State Quarters, paying attention to the possibility of errors can be a great way to increase the value of your collection. Some of the most fascinating and valuable quarters include the spitting horse error on the 1999 Delaware quarter, the extra leaf error on the 2004 Wisconsin quarter, and the doubled die reverse on the 2005 Minnesota quarter. Collectors who can identify these errors and find well-preserved specimens can turn a modest coin collection into a valuable investment.
FAQs
1. What is the most valuable State Quarter error?
The most valuable State Quarter error is the 1999 Delaware Spitting Horse, which can fetch hundreds or even thousands of dollars depending on the condition of the coin.
2. How do I identify a coin with an error?
To identify a coin with an error, carefully examine the design for signs of doubling, misalignment, missing elements, or unusual spacing. Common errors include doubled dies and misplaced mintmarks.
3. Can State Quarter errors be found in circulation?
Yes, State Quarter errors can still be found in circulation, though they are rare. Coin collectors often hunt for these errors in their pocket change or at coin shows.