Flashing back to the introduction of the 50 State Quarters® Program and you’re hit over the head with how fast time really does fly by.
The year was 1999 – the initiation year of an innovative, 10-year coin series where each state would be celebrated with a design commemorating its history and inclusion into the Union.
Since, we’ve experienced five new state quarters every year. And each quarter has a different reverse (tails) image and theme.
The quarters have not only helped highlight states’ history but have driven many Americans toward a new hobby, collecting coins.
And with that, new coins have been introduced and are continually planned in an attempt to keep that percolated numismatic interest high.
New coin collectors, investment prospectors and the like have, for sure, enjoyed a hot coin market that’s partly due to the success of the 50 State Quarter Program.
Yet, it looks clear that many a public interest in new coins is fickle, with a somewhat short interest span.
If anything highlights that, it’s the actual state quarter mintage numbers.
State Quarter Mintage Trends
The ramp-up and quarter-dollar trend is striking. With few exceptions, the state quarter production numbers started tilting higher toward the end of their first release year.
They escalated to their highest mintage numbers in year two and then started tapering off in 2001, trending downward for several years.
Interestingly, the quarter production figures slightly picked up in 2005, but not by much and have now steadied. One thing is certain…
The new state quarter series enjoyed it’s strongest peak during the first two years of launch.
With over 31 billion state commemorative quarters produced so far, the series ranks almost infinitely away from a "rare" classification. Even those state quarters with lower mintage numbers enjoy several hundred million exposures to public pockets.
U.S. Quarter Production Totals by State and by Mint Facility
(Circulation Figures Only)
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1999 – U.S. Mint Quarter Production
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|||
|
State
|
Denver
|
Philadelphia
|
Total
|
|
401,424,000
|
373,400,000
|
774,824,000
|
|
|
358,332,000
|
349,000,000
|
707,332,000
|
|
|
299,028,000
|
363,200,000
|
662,228,000
|
|
|
488,744,000
|
451,188,000
|
939,932,000
|
|
|
657,880,000
|
688,744,000
|
1,346,624,000
|
|
|
2000 – U.S. Mint Quarter Production
|
|||
|
State
|
Denver
|
Philadelphia
|
Total
|
|
535,184,000
|
628,600,000
|
1,163,784,000
|
|
|
556,532,000
|
678,200,000
|
1,234,732,000
|
|
|
566,208,000
|
742,576,000
|
1,308,784,000
|
|
|
495,976,000
|
673,040,000
|
1,169,016,000
|
|
|
651,616,000
|
943,000,000
|
1,594,616,000
|
|
|
2001 – U.S. Mint Quarter Production
|
|||
|
State
|
Denver
|
Philadelphia
|
Total
|
|
619,640,000
|
655,400,000
|
1,275,040,000
|
|
|
427,876,000
|
627,600,000
|
1,055,476,000
|
|
|
447,100,000
|
423,000,000
|
870,100,000
|
|
|
459,404,000
|
423,400,000
|
882,804,000
|
|
|
370,564,000
|
353,000,000
|
723,564,000
|
|
|
2002 – U.S. Mint Quarter Production
|
|||
|
State
|
Denver
|
Philadelphia
|
Total
|
|
286,468,000
|
361,600,000
|
648,068,000
|
|
|
414,832,000
|
217,200,000
|
632,032,000
|
|
|
402,204,000
|
362,000,000
|
764,204,000
|
|
|
327,200,000
|
362,600,000
|
689,800,000
|
|
|
289,600,000
|
290,000,000
|
579,600,000
|
|
|
2003 – U.S. Mint Quarter Production
|
|||
|
State
|
Denver
|
Philadelphia
|
Total
|
|
237,400,000
|
225,800,000
|
463,200,000
|
|
|
232,400,000
|
225,000,000
|
457,400,000
|
|
|
231,400,000
|
217,400,000
|
448,800,000
|
|
|
228,200,000
|
225,000,000
|
453,200,000
|
|
|
229,800,000
|
228,000,000
|
457,800,000
|
|
|
2004 – U.S. Mint Quarter Production
|
|||
|
State
|
Denver
|
Philadelphia
|
Total
|
|
225,800,000
|
233,800,000
|
459,600,000
|
|
|
241,600,000
|
240,200,000
|
481,800,000
|
|
|
263,000,000
|
278,800,000
|
541,800,000
|
|
|
251,400,000
|
213,800,000
|
465,200,000
|
|
|
226,800,000
|
226,400,000
|
453,200,000
|
|
|
2005 – U.S. Mint Quarter Production
|
|||
|
State
|
Denver
|
Philadelphia
|
Total
|
|
263,200,000
|
257,200,000
|
520,400,000
|
|
|
248,400,000
|
239,600,000
|
488,000,000
|
|
|
404,000,000
|
316,200,000
|
720,200,000
|
|
|
300,000,000
|
263,400,000
|
563,400,000
|
|
|
356,200,000
|
365,400,000
|
721,600,000
|
|
|
2006 – U.S. Mint Quarter Production
|
|||
|
State
|
Denver
|
Philadelphia
|
Total
|
|
312,800,000
|
277,000,000
|
589,800,000
|
|
|
273,000,000
|
318,000,000
|
591,000,000
|
|
|
294,200,000
|
274,800,000
|
569,000,000
|
|
|
359,000,000
|
305,800,000
|
664,800,000
|
|
|
265,800,000
|
245,000,000
|
510,800,000
|
|
|
2007 – U.S. Mint Quarter Production
|
|||
|
State
|
Denver
|
Philadelphia
|
Total
|
|
256,240,000
|
257,000,000
|
513,240,000
|
|
|
280,000,000
|
265,200,000
|
545,200,000
|
|
|
286,800,000
|
294,600,000
|
581,400,000
|
|
|
320,800,000
|
243,600,000
|
564,400,000
|
|
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
|
Given these numbers, it’s hard for some collectors to really want to chomp on collecting any of the general circulated state quarters. Although each is unique in design, there are just so many of them…
That can explain some of the short interest span mentioned earlier. And with less interest and demand, it’s clearer why the quarter mintage numbers scale down.
Will interest peak to another high in 2008, as collectors realize the series is concluding and they can finally finish their sets? You’d exect so, but we’ll have to wait and see.
Mintage numbers are lower for the state quarters but coin interest is up
As new collectors are brought into the numismatic hobby by the quarters, many learn, gain experience and spend a ton of money on coins. Through the years they’ve gravitated toward collecting other really unique coins.
That results in some frustrations for coin dealers. For them, it’s been difficult keeping up with having the higher quality coins in stock that newer collectors generally desire. But, that’s better than a slow coin market…
The 50 State Quarters Program has resulted in innovation in other areas that have been great for the hobby as well.
New coin designs and concepts, fresh packaging ideas, different promotional and marketing thrusts, increased competition and a drastically improved online coin community are just some of the improvements seen.
However, with that has come a fair share of "profit seekers" who sell overpriced coins, misinformation and use illegitimate methods that hurt the profession.
There’s good and bad with anything.
In all this… it’d be interesting to see how many who started into the hobby with the state quarters still collect them.
Hi, I think you’ve made a mistake here. The mintage of the US State Quarters has absolutely nothing to do with the demand for the coins. Because the US Treasury controls the mintage of circulating coins, the quantity of all cash instruments (from pennies to bills) is determined by the overall money supply needs of the economy. So, when the government wants a tight money supply, they mint fewer quarters, and when they want to add money, they mint more. That’s why the mintage spikes after the stock market crash – the government wanted to add liquidity and increased all… Read more »
[…] good things come to an end. The 50 State Quarters® Program is near that end. Or, is […]
Hey Out there:
Can anyone tell me how many commentative (S Mint) Quarters were made by the San Fransico Mint?
Thank You, Paul