CVC & Collectables presents the 2008-P Alaska State Quarter, a copper-nickel clad issue from the final year of the 50 State Quarters program, honoring “The Great Land” with its iconic grizzly bear and salmon design.
Coin Highlights
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Maker: United States Mint – Philadelphia
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Date: 2008
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Catalog: KM# 424
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Metal: Copper-nickel clad copper (91.67% copper, 8.33% nickel)
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Weight: 5.67 g; Thickness: 1.75 mm
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Diameter / Edge: 24.26 mm; reeded edge
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Mintage: 251,800,000 pieces (P-mint)
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Obverse: George Washington portrait by John Flanagan (mod. William Cousins), with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, and QUARTER DOLLAR
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Reverse: Grizzly bear emerging from a river clutching a salmon, with waterfall, spruce, North Star, and inscription “THE GREAT LAND,” plus ALASKA and 1959 statehood date
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Type: 50 State Quarters series – Alaska, 49th state; fourth design of 2008
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Grade: As described in the listing title; see photos for exact appearance
Historical Significance
The Alaska quarter was the 49th coin in the 50 State Quarters program and the penultimate issue of the entire series, released in 2008 as part of the ten-year initiative honoring each U.S. state. Alaska’s design emphasizes the state’s rugged environment and rich wildlife: the powerful coastal grizzly, a leaping salmon, and the North Star echo Alaska’s reputation for natural abundance and its role as America’s northern frontier.
Collectibility
The 2008-P Alaska quarter is a key piece for completing a 50 State Quarters set, especially for collectors focusing on the final year of the program. With a quarter-billion-plus mintage it is accessible, yet attractive examples remain popular thanks to the dramatic bear-and-salmon motif. Specialists also watch for the so-called “extra claw” die-chip variety on some Alaska quarters, where a small chip near the bear’s paw creates the appearance of an additional claw—an interesting modern variety to look for in rolls and bulk lots.
