The release of the Northern Mariana Islands quarter on December 10, 2009 marked the end of the DC and U.S. Territories quarter program.
The Northern Mariana Islands quarter honors the South Pacific group of islands which have been a U.S. Commonwealth territory since the 1970s.
The Northern Mariana Islands quarter features a reverse design by Phebe Hemphill.
On the coin you’ll find:
- A limestone latte (No, it’s not a drink! It’s a traditional type of architectural column found in ancient structures on the Northern Mariana Islands.)
- A Carolinian lei called a mwar
- A Carolinian canoe
- 2 white ferry tern birds
Northern Mariana Islands Quarter Values & Errors
Unless any special errors arise, the Northern Mariana Islands quarter is and will remain a common coin.
There have been no major reports of any Northern Mariana Islands quarter errors.
However, while in circulation, there are plenty of chances for a keen eye to discover a significant error. Quarters with die cracks and filled dies, for example, could turn up and result in “error” Northern Mariana Islands quarters worth higher than usual values.
Circulated examples of Northern Mariana Islands quarters are worth face value. Therefore, if you find an Mariana Islands quarter in your pocket change, it will be worth only 25 cents.
Uncirculated examples of such coins tend to sell for a markup of approximately 3 to 5 times face value, depending on demand.
I’m the Coin Editor here at TheFunTimesGuide. My love for coins began when I was 11 years old. I primarily collect and study U.S. coins produced during the 20th century. I’m a member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA) and the Numismatic Literary Guild (NLG) and have won multiple awards from the NLG for my work as a coin journalist. I’m also the editor at the Florida United Numismatists Club (FUN Topics magazine), and author of Images of America: The United States Mint in Philadelphia (a book that explores the colorful history of the Philadelphia Mint). I’ve contributed hundreds of articles for various coin publications including COINage, The Numismatist, Numismatic News, Coin Dealer Newsletter, Coin Values, and CoinWeek. I’ve authored nearly 1,000 articles here at The Fun Times Guide to Coins (many of them with over 50K shares), and I welcome your coin questions in the comments below!
