2021-P Washington Crossing the Delaware Quarter : A Collector’s Guide

By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek Notes ….
 

The United States Mint issued the Washington Crossing the Delaware Quarter as a one-year type after the final coin in the 56-coin America the Beautiful Quarters Program was released in early 2021. The option for a second round of America the Beautiful Quarters was available in that program’s original legislation, but Trump Administration Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin did not authorize it by the legal deadline of 2018. The Mint then turned to its plans for a Washington Crossing the Delaware stopgap design.

The U.S. Mint revealed the design on December 25, 2020 – the 244th anniversary of General George Washington’s famous Revolutionary War crossing of the Delaware River in 1776. Artistic Infusion Program (AIP) Designer Benjamin Sowards created the design, which features a standing portrait of Washington on the left, pointing his saber to the right. A boat–which historically included such notable figures as future President James Monroe–follows the river on the right. Mint Medallic Artist Michael Gaudioso sculpted Soward’s design. Perhaps most notable about the quarter is that artist John Flanagan’s iconic Washington effigy was restored to the obverse for 2021 after having been altered for the 50 State Quarters Program in 1999.

The Philadelphia Mint struck 998,800,000 2021-P Washington Crossing the Delaware Quarters, releasing the first batches into circulation on April 5, 2021. A new multi-year, multi-reverse quarter series, the American Women Quarters, replaced it in 2022.

How Much Is the 2021-P Washington Crossing the Delaware Quarter Worth?

As an ultramodern clad coin of quite a recent vintage, the secondary market for the 2021-P quarter is far from mature or settled. As usual, only sites like eBay have anything resembling a price history to look at, though GreatCollections has sold a few certified examples for similar results. There appears to be a slight preference for PCGS-graded coins, with PCGS MS67s selling for about the same amount as NGC-graded MS68s (CAC Grading, as a relatively new full-service grading company, has yet to report any grading events). But again, this is an underdeveloped market, and population numbers will change dramatically over the coming years.

At the time of writing, raw specimens have sold on eBay in recent months for between $1 and $2 – a typical premium for uncertified ultramodern quarters in collectable condition.

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2021-P Washington Crossing the Delaware Quarter Market Data and Noteworthy Specimens

Top Population: PCGS MS68 (9, 9/2024), NGC MS69 (52, 9/2024), and CAC N/A (0:0 stickered:graded, 9/2024).

• NGC MS68 #6459665-004: GreatCollections, November 12, 2023, Lot 1469010 – View. American Leaders: Washington Crossing the Delaware label (#430).
• NGC MS68 #6315363-038: GreatCollections, September 25, 2022, Lot 1225620 – View. American Leaders: Washington Crossing the Delaware label (#430). Early Releases on insert.
• PCGS MS67 #4763: eBay, August 21, 2024, Lot 226149161842 – $55.41.
• PCGS MS66 #43704113: eBay, August 25, 2024, Lot 276569833401 – $17.

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Design

Obverse:

The obverse features John Flanagan’s famous effigy of President George Washington, facing left. Inside a flat rim is the word LIBERTY at the top, and the date 2021 is at the bottom. The motto IN GOD WE TRUST is placed to the lower left of Washington, the words arranged in two lines. The designer’s initials JF are on the right side of the base of Washington’s neck.

Reverse:

General Washington faces right, saber drawn, as he commands his troops through the overnight crossing of the icy Delaware River. In the background is a boat filled with Continental Army soldiers. Inscriptions include CROSSING THE DELAWARE, the legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM, and the denomination QUARTER DOLLAR.

Edge:

The edge of the 2021-P Washington Crossing the Delaware Quarter is reeded.

Designers

American sculptor John Flanagan’s work in the medallic and metal arts ranks him as one of the best artists of his generation. For generations of coin collectors, he is most famous for his Washington Quarter design (View Designer’s Profile).

AIP artist Benjamin Sowards studied at Brigham Young University and Laguna College of Art and Design. He is known for his portraiture and fully painted book illustrations – including the Leven Thumps series of young adult fantasy novels. He has taught as Director of the Illustration Program at Southern Utah University since 2001.

Former Mint Medallic Artist Michael Gaudioso joined the United States Mint in 2009, having worked at the Willet Hauser stained glass studio in Minnesota. He studied at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, the New York Academy Graduate School of Figurative Art in New York City, and the Repin Institute in St. Petersburg, Russia. Gaudioso retired from the Mint in 2020.

Coin Specifications

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