1999-S 1c-50c Clad Proof Set, 9 Coins PR

Original Packaging: Two similar holders were required to house the nine coins in 1999’s complete Proof set, and they differed only in their inserts and the selection of coins included. Each holder consisted of a two­-­piece, transparent plastic casing with frosted borders. This held a blue fiberboard insert featuring a background graphic of the American flag and holed appropriately for the coins it contained. One holder housed the cent, nickel, dime, and half dollar, while the other contained the five statehood quarters for 1999. The two holders were stacked and slipped into a flimsy, white cardboard box. This box was printed primarily in blue and featured a head view of the famous Statue of Liberty (“Liberty Enlightening the World”), along with starred upper and lower borders, the U.S. Mint’s 50 State Quarters® logo, and the words UNITED STATES MINT PROOF SET 1999. The latter two elements both carry trademark symbols. On the reverse is the Treasury Department logo in white against the blue flag backdrop.

The five­-­piece sets consisted solely of the statehood quarters in copper­-­nickel­ ­clad composition. The holder for this set was simply one of the two holders comprising the complete set described above. Its packaging was similar to that of the complete sets, the primary difference being that an eagle appears on the outside of the box in place of the Statue of Liberty.

Commentary: While the cent, nickel, dime, and half dollar retained their pre­-­1999 designs, the quarter dollar was selected to host themes reflective of the 50 United States, each state being honored in the order that it joined the Union. Five state issues per year were minted through 2008. At the end of the state-quarter program, the Mint launched a related series, with the six 2009 quarter-dollar reverse designs recognizing the District of Columbia and the five U.S. territories (the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands).

Congress also authorized an eleven-year program to honor America’s national parks. A site of “natural or historic significance” from each of the fifty states, the five territories, and the District of Columbia will appear on the reverse of the circulating quarter dollar between 2010 and 2020. As with the statehood quarters, five designs will be released per year, in the order in which the coins’ featured locations were designated national parks or national sites. The secretary of the Treasury may choose to extend the series another eleven years by featuring a second park or site from each state, territory, or district.

To accommodate the state themes, all statutory inscriptions have been moved to the obverse of the quarter. The bust of Washington was reduced to fit them in, and this modified bust now carries the initials of both its original designer, John Flanagan, and the U.S. Mint sculptor­-­engraver who adapted it, William Cousins.

The 50 State Quarters® Program has prompted a considerable revival of interest in coin collecting, bringing new participants into what had been an aging hobby population. Of course, interest among the newer collectors is heavily focused on recent­-­date coins, and this has driven up prices for many issues of the 1970s and later, which were formerly ignored.

The 1999­-­S Proof set was offered in two options. The nine­-­piece set included the four coins whose designs had not changed, as well as the five state quarters for this year. The clad Proof quarters alone could be purchased as a five­-­piece set, though most collectors seem to have favored complete sets. The revived Anthony dollar was not minted until the final quarter of 1999, so it came too late to be included in the sets. Proofs of the dollar were minted at Philadelphia and sold separately.

Despite having to perfect five entirely new coin reverses each year, the Mint has managed to maintain a fairly consistent quality throughout the state quarter period. While designs with more relief area naturally seem to be more frosty, there is actually little variation in the quality of the coins and their finishes.

Source: Whitman