100 Greatest U.S. Modern Coins Series: 1999 S Proof Silver Delaware Quarter

Commemoratives. National Park quarters. Native American dollar. American Silver Eagle. What do all these familiar coins have in common? They are modern coins and they are some of the best selling in the business. Whether you subscribe to the appeal that is modern United States coinage or not, one has to not only recognize the creativity and craftsmanship of a coin’s design, but also the background and story that goes into it. That is what modern coins are: stories.

Nothing tells these stories better than Whitman Publishing’s 100 Greatest U.S. Modern Coins publication that features a comprised list of coins brought to us by the authors’ numismatic experience and knowledge. The list was also influenced by some of the hobby’s most important coin dealers.

This series is designed to breakdown the selections based on the revised and most recent version of the list that appears in the fourth edition written by Scott Schechter and Jeff Garrett. Next up, let us look into the significance of the 1999 S Proof Silver Delaware Quarter.

#15 - 1999 S Proof Silver Delaware Quarters

The statehood quarter program is arguably one of the most influential coin programs ever as it brought individuals from all walks of life into the game that is coin collecting. The circulated coin program had collectors frivolously searching through their change for nearly a decade trying to complete a 50-coin set.

Released in order of achieved statehood, the first state to do so within the union was Delaware. Designed by John Flanagan and later modified by William C. Cousins, the obverse depicts the first President of the United States, George Washington. It was modified later to include some words that were initially designed for the reverse. The reverse features Caesar Rodney on horseback. As each reverse for each quarter was to have a chosen theme, Rodney’s famous 80-mile ride on his horse through storms to vote in favor of the Declaration of Independence was chosen. The 1776 vote was deadlocked and it was said that Rodney’s was the one to move the needle forward. Therefore, he signed the Declaration of Independence and was an honored patriot thereafter.

The only way to obtain the silver proof version of this coin was in the silver Proof set from the Mint, which also included Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut quarters as well as the cent, nickel, dime and half dollar. 804,565 sets ended up being the recorded total sale and are now considered to be hard-to-find in the market. We all know that hard-to-find can also mean that prices are high and depending on your seller and the condition, the sets can manage to be hundreds of dollars.

Condition you ask? If you are a proof and mint set collector, you may already know that the packaging of proof sets lacked a certain amount of protection. This is also what makes the 1999 S Proof Silver Delaware quarter a little more special than others. Because of the packaging,1999 silver proof quarter sets mostly likely are found leaving the quarters with toning and a haze on them. Even more so, because of the amount of surface open on the design of the Delaware quarter, the toning and oxidation hits it a little harder making the coin particularly hard to find in a higher grade. In fact, NGC’s census shows just 552 exist in PF70 ultra cameo grade with a price guide of $1,750.00. In just one grade lower, 12,995 have been graded ultra cameo and the price guide makes a significant drop to just $50.00.

The 1999 S Silver Proof Delaware Quarter has moved down six spots since its first edition rankings (9).