CVC & Collectables presents the 1999-S Connecticut State Quarter Gem Proof, a San Francisco–struck, copper-nickel clad proof from the very first year of the 50 State Quarters Program. Struck with frosted devices and mirrored fields, it showcases the intricate Charter Oak design in stunning detail.
Coin Highlights
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Maker: United States Mint – San Francisco
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Date: 1999 (first year of the 50 State Quarters Program)
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Catalog: KM# 297 – Connecticut Statehood quarter type
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Metal: Copper-nickel clad (91.67% copper, 8.33% nickel), proof finish
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Grade: Gem Proof (deep cameo eye appeal; as described in listing)
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Weight / Diameter / Edge: 5.67 g; 24.3 mm; reeded edge
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Obverse: Modernized Washington portrait by William Cousins after John Flanagan with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, QUARTER DOLLAR, and “S” mint mark.
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Reverse: The famed Charter Oak filling the field, with CONNECTICUT, 1788, THE CHARTER OAK, 1999, and E PLURIBUS UNUM. Design by T. James Ferrell.
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Type: 50 State Quarters – Connecticut, clad proof only for collectors, issued in 1999-S proof sets.
Historical Significance
Released on October 12, 1999, the Connecticut quarter was the fifth and final quarter of the program’s inaugural year. Its reverse honors the Charter Oak, the legendary tree where Connecticut’s 1662 royal charter was hidden in 1687 to keep it from agents of King James II—an act that symbolized the colony’s determination to preserve its boundaries and self-rule.
The actual Charter Oak stood in Hartford until it fell in a storm in 1856, making this design a tribute to a landmark that survives today only in history and on Connecticut’s coinage.
Collectibility
All 1999-S clad Statehood quarters share a proof mintage of 3,713,359 pieces, sold only in special proof sets and 5-coin State Quarters proof packs. Within that total, the 1999-S Connecticut Gem Proof is a popular choice as both a first-year issue and the capstone design of 1999.
