Coin Highlights
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Maker: United States Mint – Denver (“D” mintmark)
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Date: 2008
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Metal: Copper-nickel clad copper (91.67% copper, 8.33% nickel)
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Weight: 5.67 g
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Diameter / Edge: 24.26 mm; reeded edge
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Mintage: 254,000,000 pieces (2008-D business strike)
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Obverse: George Washington portrait by John Flanagan (mod. William Cousins), with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, QUARTER DOLLAR, and D mintmark.
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Reverse: Grizzly bear emerging from a river holding a salmon, with waterfall and spruce, the North Star, and inscriptions ALASKA, 1959, THE GREAT LAND, E PLURIBUS UNUM.
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Type: 50 State Quarters series – Alaska, 49th state; 49th coin in the program and fourth design of 2008.
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Grade: As described in the listing title; please refer to photos for the exact coin you will receive.
Historical Significance
The Alaska quarter was released on August 25, 2008, as the 49th issue in the wildly popular 50 State Quarters Program, marking Alaska’s admission as the 49th state on January 3, 1959. Its rugged reverse design captures Alaska’s identity: the powerful coastal grizzly, the state fish (salmon), and the North Star above “THE GREAT LAND,” celebrating the state’s vast wilderness, rich wildlife, and frontier heritage.
Collectibility
With a substantial but smaller-than-average mintage for the State Quarters era, the 2008-D Alaska issue is a must-have for complete 50 State Quarters sets and for collectors focusing on the final year of the program. Many enthusiasts also search Alaska quarters for the informal “extra claw” die-chip variety on the bear’s paw—seen most often on P-mint coins but occasionally on D-mint pieces as well—which adds a fun modern variety angle, typically with only a modest premium.
