The 5th coin in the DC & U.S. Territories Quarters series was released on September 28, 2009.
It was the U.S. Virgin Islands quarter.
U.S. Virgin Islands Quarter Design
The new quarter design includes the following features…
On the reverse (tails side), which was designed by Joseph Menna:
- Outlines of the 3 main islands that form the U.S. Virgin Islands
- The national bird (the Yellow Breast, Bananaquit)
- Two important plants: the Tyre Palm Tree and the territory’s official flower, known as the Yellow Cedar or Yellow Elder
- The U.S. Virgin Island’s motto, “United in Pride and Hope” rounds out the major elements of the 5th quarter in the series
On the obverse (heads side), which was designed by William Cousins:
- The portrait of George Washington that has appeared on the 50 State quarters (1999-2008) and the other 2009 D.C. & U.S. Territories quarters
- It’s a modification of the John Flanagan bust of George Washington which appeared on the quarter from 1932 through 1998
U.S. Virgin Islands Quarter Values & Errors
Unless any special errors arise, the U.S. Virgin Islands quarter is and will remain a common coin.
So far, there have been no major reports of any U.S. Virgin Islands quarter errors.
That said, while the quarter is in circulation, there are plenty of chances for a keen eye to discover a significant error. For example, U.S. Virgin Islands quarters with die cracks and filled dies could turn up and result in “error” Virgin Islands quarters worth more than usual values.
Circulated examples of the U.S. Virgin Islands quarter are worth face value. So if you find a U.S. Virgin 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.
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