Coin Highlights
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Maker: United States Mint – Philadelphia (“P” mintmark)
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Date: 2002
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Program: 50 State Quarters – Tennessee, 16th coin in the series and 1st release of 2002
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Catalog: KM# 331 / 331a (Tennessee State Quarter, clad)
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Metal: Copper–nickel clad (75% copper, 25% nickel over copper core; 91.67% Cu, 8.33% Ni overall)
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Weight: 5.67 g
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Diameter / Edge: 24.30 mm; reeded edge
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Mintage (P business strike): 361,600,000 coins
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Obverse: George Washington portrait by John Flanagan (modified by William Cousins); legends UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, QUARTER DOLLAR, with P mintmark.
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Reverse: Fiddle, trumpet, and guitar resting on a musical score, with three stars and inscription MUSICAL HERITAGE, surrounded by TENNESSEE, 1796, E PLURIBUS UNUM, and 2002.
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Reverse Designer: Donna Weaver
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Grade: As described in the listing title; please see photos for the exact coin offered.
Historical Significance
Released January 2, 2002, the Tennessee quarter honors the 16th state, admitted to the Union on June 1, 1796. The design spotlights Tennessee’s outsized role in American music:
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The guitar represents Nashville’s country and gospel legacy.
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The fiddle evokes Appalachian and bluegrass traditions of eastern Tennessee.
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The trumpet nods to the blues and jazz heritage of Memphis and west Tennessee.
The musical score and “Musical Heritage” caption tie these traditions together, while three stars echo the state flag and symbolize Tennessee’s three Grand Divisions—East, Middle, and West.
Collectibility
With over 361 million P-mint coins struck, the 2002-P Tennessee quarter is common in circulation but indispensable for a complete 50 State Quarters set. Collectors favor bright Uncirculated examples with sharp detail in the instrument strings, valves, and staff lines, since the busy reverse design can lose definition once worn.
High-grade certified pieces (MS67 and above) are notably tougher and can command strong premiums, and variety hunters search Tennessee rolls for die cracks, filled letters, and other small striking anomalies that stand out nicely against the intricate musical motif.
