CVC & Collectables presents the 2003-P Illinois State Quarter, a Philadelphia business strike from the 50 State Quarters program featuring a young Abraham Lincoln framed by the outline of Illinois, with farm fields to the left, the Chicago skyline to the right, and the proud slogan “Land of Lincoln.”
Coin Highlights
-
Maker: United States Mint – Philadelphia (“P” mintmark)
-
Date: 2003
-
Program: 50 State Quarters – Illinois, 21st coin overall and 1st release of 2003
-
Metal: Copper–nickel clad (75% copper, 25% nickel over copper core; overall 91.67% Cu, 8.33% Ni)
-
Weight: 5.67 g
-
Diameter / Edge: 24.3 mm; reeded edge
-
Mintage (P business strike): 225,800,000 coins
-
Obverse: George Washington portrait by John Flanagan, modified by William Cousins, with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, QUARTER DOLLAR, and P mintmark.
-
Reverse: Young Abraham Lincoln superimposed on an outline of Illinois, flanked by a farm scene and the Chicago skyline, surrounded by 21 stars; inscriptions ILLINOIS, 1818, LAND OF LINCOLN, 21st STATE / CENTURY, 2003, and E PLURIBUS UNUM.
-
Reverse Designer / Sculptor: Donna Weaver
-
Grade: As described in the listing title; please see photos for the exact coin offered.
Historical Significance
Released on January 2, 2003, the Illinois quarter honors the 21st state, admitted to the Union on December 3, 1818, and celebrates its identity as the “Land of Lincoln.” The reverse links Illinois’s frontier roots to its modern role in commerce: the farm scene represents deep agricultural traditions, while the Chicago skyline signals the state’s industrial and financial might.
Placing a young, rail-splitting Lincoln at the center emphasizes how his legacy of integrity and hard work underpins the state’s story from 19th-century homesteads to 21st-century skyscrapers. The ring of 21 stars cleverly marks Illinois’s order of statehood while the “21st State / Century” inscription bridges past and future.
Collectibility
With a mid-range mintage for the State Quarters series, the 2003-P Illinois quarter is widely available yet a required key for any complete 50 State Quarters set. Collectors seek bright Uncirculated examples showing crisp detail in Lincoln’s figure, the tiny farm buildings, and Chicago skyline, as the busy design can lose sharpness on worn coins. High-grade certified pieces in MS67 and above can command solid premiums, while error specialists still watch for off-center strikes, die breaks, and other eye-catching anomalies even though no major nationally recognized variety is tied to this issue.
