CVC & Collectables presents the 2009-P American Samoa Quarter, a Philadelphia-mint DC & U.S. Territories issue featuring the traditional ava bowl, whisk, and staff with a palm-fringed shoreline and the motto “SAMOA MUAMUA LE ATUA” (“Samoa, God is First”).
Coin Highlights
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Maker: United States Mint – Philadelphia (“P” mintmark)
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Date: 2009
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Program: DC & U.S. Territories Quarters – 4th of 6 designs (American Samoa)
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Catalog: KM# 448
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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; 1.75 mm thick; reeded edge
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Mintage (P business strike): 42,600,000 coins (low for modern quarters)
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Obverse: George Washington by John Flanagan (modified by William Cousins), with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, QUARTER DOLLAR, and P mintmark.
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Reverse: Ava bowl in foreground with whisk and staff (symbols of ceremonial hospitality and orator rank), coconut tree and shoreline behind; inscriptions AMERICAN SAMOA, SAMOA MUAMUA LE ATUA, E PLURIBUS UNUM, and 2009.
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Designers: Obverse – John Flanagan / William Cousins; Reverse – Stephen Clark (design) and Charles L. Vickers (sculptor).
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Grade: As described in the listing title; please see photos for the exact coin offered.
Historical Significance
The American Samoa quarter, released July 27, 2009, is the fourth coin in the one-year DC & U.S. Territories Quarters Program, which followed the 50 State Quarters. American Samoa—often called the “heart of Polynesia”—is a South Pacific island group under U.S. sovereignty since 1900.
Its reverse honors Samoan culture: the ava bowl and utensils represent formal ceremonies and community leadership, while the motto “Samoa Muamua Le Atua” (“Samoa, God is first”) echoes the territory’s official motto and spiritual heritage.
Collectibility
With just 42.6 million P-mint coins struck, the 2009-P American Samoa Quarter has one of the lowest mintages of any modern Washington quarter issue, making it a key piece in the DC & Territories set. Collectors seek bright, Uncirculated examples that show clean fields and sharp detail in the ava bowl teeth, whisk, and palm fronds, and high-grade MS67 pieces are noticeably tougher and bring solid premiums.
