CVC & Collectables presents the 1999-P Delaware State Quarter, the very first coin of the U.S. Mint’s wildly successful 50 State Quarters Program. Struck at Philadelphia, it honors Delaware as “The First State” with Caesar Rodney’s dramatic 1776 horseback ride for independence.
Coin Highlights
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Maker: United States Mint – Philadelphia
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Date: 1999 (launch of the 50 State Quarters series)
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Catalog: 50 State Quarters – Delaware type, regular circulation strike
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Metal: Copper-nickel clad (91.67% copper, 8.33% nickel)
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Weight / Diameter / Edge: 5.67 g; 24.3 mm; reeded edge
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Obverse: Updated George Washington portrait by John Flanagan / William Cousins; legends UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, QUARTER DOLLAR, with “P” mint mark.
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Reverse: Caesar Rodney on horseback with inscriptions DELAWARE, 1787, THE FIRST STATE, CAESAR RODNEY, 1999, E PLURIBUS UNUM. Design and engraving by William Cousins, based on artist Eddy Seger’s concept.
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Mintage: 373,400,000 pieces.
Historical Significance
Issued January 4, 1999, the Delaware quarter kicked off the 50 State Quarters Program and re-energized modern U.S. coin collecting. The reverse depicts Caesar Rodney’s famed 80-mile overnight ride from Dover to Philadelphia in 1776, made through heat and thunderstorms so he could cast the deciding vote for independence.
Delaware later became the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution in 1787—hence the proud motto “The First State,” prominently featured on the coin.
Collectibility
With more than 373 million struck, the 1999-P Delaware quarter is readily available, but it holds special importance as the inaugural State Quarter and the first design of 1999. High-grade examples are popular in registry sets, while attractive BU coins are ideal for album builders and 50-coin type collections.
Collectors look for strong luster, clean fields, and sharp detail in Rodney’s figure, the horse’s legs, and the legend “THE FIRST STATE.” Error hunters also enjoy this issue, which is known with various strike-throughs and other mint errors created during the heavy production runs of early State Quarters.
