CVC & Collectables presents the 1999-S Pennsylvania State Quarter Gem Proof, a San Francisco–struck clad proof from the first year of the 50 State Quarters Program, featuring frosted devices, mirrored fields, and the iconic Commonwealth statue over the outline of the Keystone State.
Coin Highlights
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Country: United States
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Denomination: 25 Cents (Washington Quarter)
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Year: 1999
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Mint & Mintmark: San Francisco (S) – proof only
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Series: 50 State Quarters – Pennsylvania (2nd state; released March 8, 1999)
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Composition: Copper-nickel clad (91.67% copper, 8.33% nickel)
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Weight: 5.67 g
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Diameter: 24.3 mm; Edge: Reeded
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Mintage (1999-S clad proof): 3,713,359
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Obverse: George Washington by John Flanagan, updated by William Cousins; standard State Quarter legends UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, QUARTER DOLLAR
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Reverse: Commonwealth statue above an outline of Pennsylvania and keystone emblem, with the state motto “Virtue, Liberty, Independence”; design by John Mercanti
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Strike: Gem Proof – sharp details with strong cameo contrast, originally issued only in U.S. Mint proof sets
Historical Significance
The Pennsylvania State Quarter is the second coin in the 50 State Quarters Program, released March 8, 1999, honoring one of the most historically important states in the founding of the United States.
Its reverse centers on Commonwealth, the bronze statue placed atop the Pennsylvania State Capitol dome in 1905. Her extended right arm represents mercy, while the ribbon mace in her left hand symbolizes justice, set before the outline of Pennsylvania and the keystone emblem—visual shorthand for the state’s role as the “Keystone” of the early Union. The motto “Virtue, Liberty, Independence” echoes Revolutionary-era ideals and reinforces Pennsylvania’s political and cultural importance from the colonial period through the birth of the Republic.
Collectibility
As a first-year State Quarter and the San Francisco proof issue, the 1999-S Pennsylvania Gem Proof is a key component of any high-quality 50 State Quarters collection. Its mintage of just over 3.7 million pieces is tiny compared to the hundreds of millions struck for circulation at Philadelphia and Denver, making choice proofs far scarcer in absolute numbers.
Collectors often pursue this coin as part of a four-piece Pennsylvania set (P, D, S clad proof, and S silver proof), with Gem Proof examples prized for deep mirrors, frosted devices, and problem-free fields suitable for albums, high-end raw sets, or submission to grading services. Paired with the matching 1999-S silver proof, it anchors the Pennsylvania segment of any complete silver-and-clad State Quarter run.
