CVC & Collectables presents the 2001-P North Carolina State Quarter, a Philadelphia business strike celebrating the Wright brothers’ historic “First Flight” at Kitty Hawk with a detailed scene of the Wright Flyer lifting off over the Outer Banks.
Coin Highlights
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Maker: United States Mint – Philadelphia (“P” mintmark)
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Date: 2001
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Program: 50 State Quarters – North Carolina, 12th coin overall and 2nd release of 2001
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Catalog: KM# 319; Washington 50 State Quarters, Type 1 clad
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Metal: Copper–nickel clad copper (91.67% copper, 8.33% nickel)
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Weight: 5.67 g; Diameter: 24.26–24.30 mm; Edge: Reeded
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Mintage (P business strike): 627,600,000 pieces
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Obverse: George Washington portrait by John Flanagan (modified by John Mercanti), with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, QUARTER DOLLAR, and P mintmark.
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Reverse: Wright Flyer taking off at Kitty Hawk with Orville at the controls and Wilbur running alongside; inscriptions NORTH CAROLINA, 1789, FIRST FLIGHT, 2001, and E PLURIBUS UNUM.
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Designer / Engraver (reverse): John Mercanti
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Grade: As described in the listing title; please see photos for the exact coin offered.
Historical Significance
Released on March 12, 2001, the North Carolina quarter honors the 12th state, admitted to the Union on November 21, 1789. The “First Flight” design commemorates the Wright brothers’ successful powered airplane flight on December 17, 1903, at Kill Devil Hills near Kitty Hawk—an event that revolutionized transportation and firmly linked North Carolina with the birth of aviation.
Collectibility
With over 627 million struck, the 2001-P North Carolina State Quarter is readily available but remains a core piece for any complete 50 State Quarters set. Collectors favor bright, Uncirculated examples showing crisp detail in the Wright Flyer’s wings and the dunes below, and high-end certified pieces in MS67–68 can command solid premiums over face value. Error specialists also watch this issue for off-center strikes, multiple strikes, and other striking anomalies that occasionally surface.
