1999 Pennsylvania State Quarter

The 1999 Pennsylvania quarter was the second coin issued in the United States Mint's 50 State Quarters Program, following Delaware. Pennsylvania, the second state to ratify the U.S. Constitution, was honored with a reverse design combining a keystone (the state's traditional nickname symbol), an outline of Pennsylvania, and the bronze "Commonwealth" statue that tops the state capitol dome in Harrisburg.

Like its companion releases from 1999, the Pennsylvania quarter benefited enormously from the popularity of the State Quarters Program, which drew millions of casual and new collectors into the hobby of searching pocket change for new designs.

Following Delaware's release, Pennsylvania was the second state honored in the 50 State Quarters Program, reflecting its position as the second state to ratify the U.S. Constitution, on December 12, 1787.

As with other states in the program, Pennsylvania's design was developed through a public submission and review process, with state officials selecting a composition intended to capture recognizable elements of the state's identity and history.

The chosen design combined the keystone shape long associated with Pennsylvania (traditionally called the "Keystone State"), the state's outline, and the Commonwealth statue, along with the state motto "VIRTUE LIBERTY INDEPENDENCE."

The obverse carries the standard modified Washington portrait used throughout the State Quarters Program, along with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, and the date 1999.

The reverse shows an outline of the state of Pennsylvania with a keystone shape at its center depicting the Commonwealth statue, along with the inscriptions "PENNSYLVANIA," "1787," and the state motto "VIRTUE LIBERTY INDEPENDENCE."

Circulation strikes in copper-nickel clad were produced at the Philadelphia (P) and Denver (D) mints, with the mintmark on the obverse near Washington's ponytail, while proof versions, including a 90% silver option, were struck at San Francisco (S mintmark) for inclusion in annual proof and silver proof sets.

Mintages for the Pennsylvania quarter, like Delaware's, were extremely large, and the coin remains common and inexpensive in circulated and typical mint-state grades. Collector interest generally centers on top-population gem clad examples and silver proof versions, which carry only modest premiums over more ordinary specimens.

Overall, the 1999 Pennsylvania quarter is considered an accessible, budget-friendly coin, valued more for its historical role in a beloved collecting program than for any inherent rarity.