The second of the six 2009 Territories quarters — a San Juan garita, the hibiscus, and the first Spanish phrase ever carried on a circulating U.S. coin.
History
- Second of the six 2009 District of Columbia & U.S. Territories quarters; released March 30, 2009.
- Reverse, designed and sculpted by U.S. Mint Sculptor-Engraver Joseph Menna: a sentry box (garita) in Old San Juan overlooking the sea, with the hibiscus — Puerto Rico’s official flower — and the inscription "ISLA DEL ENCANTO". It was the first U.S. circulating coin to carry a phrase in Spanish.
- The garita design honors the fortifications of Castillo San Felipe del Morro.
- Obverse: the standard Washington portrait used across the State/Territories programs.
Key dates & varieties
- Circulation mintages: Philadelphia (2009-P) 53.2 million, Denver (2009-D) 86 million — among the lowest of the entire State/Territories quarter era.
- 2009-S 90% silver proof versions were struck at San Francisco for collector sets.
Specifications
- Circulation strikes: standard copper-nickel clad quarter specifications.
- Collector strikes: 90% silver proofs (2009-S).
Collector notes
- The low circulation mintages make high-grade original rolls and certified examples worth cherrypicking; the silver proofs trade as a separate collector market.