Pennsylvania State Quarter

The Pennsylvania State Quarter is a United States twenty-five-cent coin issued in 1999 as the second design in the U.S. Mint's 50 State Quarters Program. Like every coin in that series, it pairs a shared portrait of George Washington on the obverse with a state-specific reverse. The Pennsylvania reverse is the distinctive side: it features the allegorical 'Commonwealth' statue with one arm raised, an outline of the state, a keystone, and the state motto VIRTUE LIBERTY INDEPENDENCE.

The robed female figure — the Commonwealth statue that stands atop the Pennsylvania State Capitol dome — is often mistaken at a glance for a Liberty figure holding a torch. The keystone behind and below the state outline is a direct nod to Pennsylvania's nickname, the Keystone State. The coin is copper-nickel clad, about 24.26 mm across and 5.67 g, with a reeded edge, matching the standard modern quarter.

The 50 State Quarters Program, authorized in 1997 and launched in 1998, released five new quarter reverses each year in the order the states ratified the Constitution or joined the Union. Pennsylvania, which ratified the U.S. Constitution on December 12, 1787 as the second state, was accordingly the second quarter released, entering circulation in early 1999 behind Delaware and ahead of New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut for that year.

The obverse retains the George Washington portrait first introduced on the quarter in 1932, based on John Flanagan's design and lightly modified for the series. The Pennsylvania reverse was developed from concepts submitted by the state and finalized by the Mint; it deliberately combines the Commonwealth statue, the state's geographic outline, the keystone emblem, and the official motto to represent the Commonwealth in a single composition. All 1999 Pennsylvania quarters carry the dual dates 1787 (ratification) and 1999 (year of issue).

The reverse is the quickest way to confirm this coin. Look for a standing robed female figure — the Commonwealth statue — with one arm extended upward, set against or beside an outline of the state of Pennsylvania, with a keystone shape and the word PENNSYLVANIA above, the date 1787, and the motto VIRTUE LIBERTY INDEPENDENCE on a ribbon below. The presence of the keystone plus the state outline is diagnostic and separates it from every other state quarter.

The obverse shows the familiar left-facing bust of George Washington with LIBERTY above, IN GOD WE TRUST to the left, and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and QUARTER DOLLAR around the rim. This obverse is identical across all state quarters, so identification always depends on the reverse.

Physically the coin measures about 24.26 mm in diameter and weighs roughly 5.67 g, with a reeded edge showing a coppery core stripe between silvery faces — the signature of copper-nickel clad construction. A mint mark (P for Philadelphia, D for Denver, or S for a San Francisco proof) sits on the obverse to the right of Washington's neck, just behind the ribbon of his queue.

Pennsylvania State Quarters were struck in very large numbers at both Philadelphia and Denver, running into the hundreds of millions of coins. As a result, circulated examples pulled from pocket change are common and generally worth their face value of twenty-five cents.

Premiums are modest and apply mainly to select coins: high-grade uncirculated pieces, San Francisco proof and silver-proof versions, and any authenticated die varieties or mint errors. Uncirculated rolls and certified gem examples can bring a small premium over face, and the 90% silver proofs carry some intrinsic metal value. Treat any specific figures as general context — grade, eye appeal, and third-party certification determine which of these quarters, if any, sell for more than a quarter.