Minnesota State Quarter

The Minnesota State Quarter is a United States twenty-five-cent coin issued in 2005 as part of the U.S. Mint's 50 State Quarters Program. Like every coin in that series, it pairs the familiar George Washington portrait on the obverse with a state-specific design on the reverse. Minnesota was the 32nd state honored, and its quarter was released in the spring of 2005.

The state design shown on this coin gathers Minnesota's outdoor identity into a single scene: an outline of the state, a common loon swimming on the water, two anglers in a boat, and a backdrop of pine trees, with the statehood date 1858 and the minting date 2005. The inscription LAND OF 10,000 LAKES names the state's nickname. The coin is copper-nickel clad, about 24.26 mm across and 5.67 g, with a reeded edge.

The 50 State Quarters Program ran from 1999 through 2008, releasing five new quarter designs each year in the order the states ratified the Constitution or were admitted to the Union. Minnesota, admitted as the 32nd state on May 11, 1858, was the fourth quarter issued in 2005 and reached circulation that spring. The 1858 date on the coin marks statehood, while 2005 is the year of minting.

The reverse design was developed from concepts submitted by Minnesota and finalized by the U.S. Mint's sculptor-engravers; the standard Washington obverse derives from John Flanagan's 1932 portrait. The loon was chosen as Minnesota's state bird and the fishing scene and pines evoke the state's lakes and north woods, tying directly to the LAND OF 10,000 LAKES motto. Minnesota quarters were struck in very large numbers at the Philadelphia and Denver mints, with proof versions produced at San Francisco.

The fastest identifier is the reverse scene. It shows an outline of the state of Minnesota containing a tree-lined lake, a common loon floating on the water in the foreground, and a small boat with two people fishing, all framed by pine trees. The legends read UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and E PLURIBUS UNUM around the rim, with QUARTER DOLLAR and LAND OF 10,000 LAKES, plus the dates 1858 and 2005. The obverse carries the left-facing George Washington portrait common to all State Quarters, with LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, and the mint mark.

The mint mark sits on the obverse to the right of Washington's neck: P for Philadelphia, D for Denver, or S for San Francisco proof strikes. Physically the coin matches all modern clad quarters — roughly 24.26 mm in diameter, 5.67 g, with a reeded edge and a copper-colored stripe visible along the rim from the clad construction.

Minnesota's design is distinctive because of its loon-and-anglers lake scene; it should not be confused with other State Quarters that also feature outdoor or wildlife themes. The presence of the state outline, the LAND OF 10,000 LAKES legend, and the 1858 statehood date together confirm the type.

Circulated Minnesota State Quarters are worth their face value of twenty-five cents. They were produced in enormous quantities for general circulation, so ordinary worn examples carry no premium and are still occasionally found in pocket change.

Modest premiums attach to uncirculated business strikes, clad and 90% silver proof coins from San Francisco, and full original rolls or mint sets. The Minnesota quarter is also notable among collectors for a group of die-doubling varieties often called the "extra tree" errors, where extra tree-like marks appear in the reverse forest; genuine, attributed examples can bring a premium above face.

Treat any dollar figures as general context rather than fixed prices. Condition, whether a coin is a proof or silver strike, and third-party attribution of any error variety are what move a Minnesota quarter above face value.