How to Identify the 1999 Delaware State Quarter

What the Coin Is

The 1999 Delaware quarter launched the United States Mint's 50 State Quarters program, which paired a standard Washington obverse with a new reverse design for each state, issued in the order each state joined the Union. Delaware, the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution, was fittingly the first design released, kicking off a program that would run for a full decade.

Obverse Design & Inscriptions

The obverse keeps the familiar Washington quarter portrait facing left, updated slightly for the new program, with "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA," "LIBERTY," "IN GOD WE TRUST," and the date "1999" surrounding the portrait, following the same general layout used across every entry in the State Quarters series.

Reverse Design & Inscriptions

The reverse depicts Caesar Rodney riding on horseback, commemorating his famous overnight ride to Philadelphia to cast Delaware's deciding vote for independence in 1776. The design includes "CAESAR RODNEY," "DELAWARE," the phrase "THE FIRST STATE," and "1787," the year Delaware ratified the Constitution, along with "QUARTER DOLLAR" and "E PLURIBUS UNUM," giving the reverse a busy, narrative-driven look compared to earlier quarter designs.

Size, Weight, Metal, Edge

Circulating examples are struck in a copper-nickel clad composition, weigh 5.67 grams, measure 24.3 mm in diameter, and have a reeded edge. Special silver proof versions exist for collectors, struck in 90% silver, and these carry a noticeably heavier weight and different tone than the standard clad issue.

Mint Marks

Look just above the date on the obverse for the mintmark. A "P" indicates Philadelphia, a "D" indicates Denver, and an "S" denotes a San Francisco proof coin not intended for circulation, with each mint producing large quantities for this popular first release.

Telling It Apart From Similar Coins

The Delaware quarter is easily identified by its unique horseback rider reverse and the inscriptions "CAESAR RODNEY" and "THE FIRST STATE," features not shared with any other state design. Confirm the date reads "1999," since the reverse design was used only that year despite the coin depicting an earlier historical date, "1787," within the design itself, a detail that sometimes confuses newer collectors.

Judging Condition at a Glance

As a modern clad coin, wear is usually minimal unless the coin circulated for years; check the horse's legs and rider's details, along with Washington's hairline, for the first signs of wear. Most examples encountered today, especially from mint or bank rolls, remain in high grade, making well-worn specimens somewhat unusual for such a recent issue.

Authenticity Red Flags

Because this is a common modern coin, outright counterfeits are uncommon, but watch for coins with the wrong composition (a silver-colored coin that should be clad, or vice versa) or a mismatched weight, which could indicate a novelty or altered piece rather than genuine Mint production, particularly with items marketed as unusual color or metal variations.