CVC & Collectables presents the 2008-S Alaska State Quarter Gem Proof (Silver), a low-mintage 90% silver proof from San Francisco that brings the grizzly bear and salmon design of “The Great Land” to life in deep cameo contrast.
Coin Highlights
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Maker: United States Mint – San Francisco (“S” mintmark)
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Date: 2008
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Catalog: KM# 424 (silver proof issue, 50 State Quarters – Alaska)
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Metal: 90% silver, 10% copper
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Weight: 6.25 g (Actual Silver Weight: 0.18084 troy oz)
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Diameter / Edge: 24.3 mm; reeded edge
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Mintage (Silver Proof): 1,192,908 pieces
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Obverse: Modernized George Washington portrait (John Flanagan / William Cousins), with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, QUARTER DOLLAR, and S mintmark.
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Reverse: Grizzly bear emerging from a river clutching a salmon, with waterfall, spruce, North Star, and inscriptions ALASKA, 1959, THE GREAT LAND, E PLURIBUS UNUM.
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Type: 50 State Quarters series – Alaska; silver proof collector issue from the final year (1999–2008).
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Finish / Grade: Gem Proof, with frosted devices and deep mirrored fields for strong cameo eye appeal (exact coin as described in the listing).
Historical Significance
The Alaska State Quarter, released August 25, 2008, honors the 49th state’s admission to the Union on January 3, 1959. Its dramatic reverse by Charles L. Vickers shows a powerful grizzly with a salmon in its jaws beneath the North Star, framed by rugged landscape and the legend “THE GREAT LAND”—a nod to the Aleutian roots of the name Alaska and the state’s vast wilderness and rich natural resources.
Collectibility
With under 1.2 million struck, the 2008-S Alaska Silver Proof is significantly scarcer than its clad proof counterpart and far rarer than the P- and D-mint circulation issues. Collectors prize this 90% silver quarter for its classic pre-1965 composition, bold wildlife motif, and place in the final year of the 50 State Quarters program—making it a premium upgrade for any Alaska slot or full silver State Quarter set.
