First published in the May 10, 2010 Coin World
The U.S. Mint credits the State quarter dollar series with bringing millions of new collectors to the hobby, most eagerly seeking the coins from change in circulation.
Some collectors of the coins from circulation also sought collector versions, including Proof pieces. In the past several years, some Proof State quarter dollars have emerged as more expensive than others.
For the Proof quarter dollars, the most expensive by far, are the 1999 silver issues: Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia and Connecticut. Their higher prices are in part due to the current high cost of the 1999-S Silver Proof set; the individual issues trade at nearly $2,000 a roll.
The Proof 2001-S silver and copper-nickel clad issues are also expensive, at around $500 and $250 per roll respectively.
A roll of common Proof State silver quarter dollars can be found for $150 while a roll of the most common 2000 Proof clad issues can be found for $50.
Generally for the Proof State quarter dollars, both silver and copper-nickel clad, all five states within a given year trade at around the same level. There are two odd outliers: for 2008 issues, the Hawaii quarter dollar trades at $250 a roll while the other four states' issues linger at the $80 a roll level in copper-nickel clad Proof. The 2002 Ohio quarter dollar trades at $150 a roll in copper-nickel clad and $400 a roll in silver, nearly double the price of the other 2002 issues.
When compared to Proofs, the differences in prices for Mint State circulation strikes are more subtle. Some of the semi-key coins that trade for premiums are the 2003 Illinois quarter dollars from the Philadelphia and Denver Mints, which approach $50 a roll. Mint State rolls of 2002 Tennessee quarter dollars from both Mints approach $40 and the 1999 Georgia and Connecticut rolls approach $30 a roll.
At the very top end of the market are some certified Proof 70 coins, the most remarkable price being for a 1999-S Delaware silver quarter dollar graded Proof 70 deep cameo by Professional Coin Grading Service that brought $17,250 at a 2007 Heritage auction. At the time, PCGS had graded just 16 examples in that grade, but the number has since increased to 53. In 2009, Heritage sold a Delaware copper-nickel clad example in the same grade, with a PCGS population of 70, for less than $1,000.
