THE OBVERSE
united-states-1999-item-3

united-states-1999-item-3

DenominationQuarter Dollar (25 cents)
Country / EmpireUnited States
Obverse DesignA modified portrait of George Washington, facing left. Inscriptions include 'UNITED STATES OF AMERICA', 'LIBERTY', 'IN GOD WE TRUST', and 'QUARTER DOLLAR'.
Reverse DesignDepicts Caesar Rodney on horseback, riding from Dover to Philadelphia to cast the deciding vote for independence. Inscriptions include 'DELAWARE', '1787' (the year Delaware ratified the Constitution), 'CAESAR RODNEY', and 'E PLURIBUS UNUM'.

Historical Context

The Delaware quarter was the first coin released in the U.S. Mint's 50 State Quarters Program, which ran from 1999 to 2008. It commemorates Delaware's ratification of the U.S. Constitution on December 7, 1787, making it 'The First State'. The reverse design honors Caesar Rodney, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, for his pivotal ride to cast the deciding vote for independence.

Related Specimens