2008-P Alaska Quarter
Circulation strike struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 251,800,000 made
- Mintage
- 251,800,000
- Metal
- Copper core clad in 75% copper / 25% nickel
- Weight
- 5.67 g
- Diameter
- 24.26 mm
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 2008-P Alaska Quarter worth?
In circulated condition it's worth face value. Only uncirculated coins with full original luster, or a recognized variety, carry a premium.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- A die variety or minting error
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 2008-P Alaska Quarter rare?
- No. 252 million were made, a typical run for the series. Condition and varieties decide its value, not the date.
- Is the 2008-P Alaska Quarter silver?
- No. It's copper core clad in 75% copper / 25% nickel. Quarters dated 1964 and earlier are 90% silver.
- Where is the mint mark on a 2008 50 State Quarter?
- On the obverse, to the right of Washington's ponytail (P, D or S). On this coin the mark is P, for Philadelphia.
- How many 2008-P Alaska Quarter coins were made?
- 251,800,000.
What to check on your 2008-P
- Make sure the mint mark really is a P. A worn or filled mark can be misread. It's what separates your coin from the 2008-D (254 million made).
- Proof or circulation strike? A proof has mirror-like fields and frosted design details and was sold to collectors, not released in change. The 2008-S Alaska Quarter Proof (2,078,112 made) is the one to compare with.
- A face that's fully copper colored could be a missing clad layer error. Patchy discoloration is usually damage.
- Judge the grade under good light. State quarters are judged mainly on luster and contact marks. Look for die varieties and errors, which carry the real premiums in this series.
With 252 million made, the 2008-P still turns up in everyday change. Keep yours only if it looks uncirculated or shows a variety; otherwise it's worth face value.
The story of the 2008-P Alaska
Philadelphia made 251,800,000 of the Alaska quarter. Among the 5 designs of 2008 it was the second largest Philadelphia run, between Arizona (245 million) and Hawaii (254 million).
Denver struck a similar number of the same design (254 million), so neither mint's version is much harder to find.
Across the whole program it sits 17th of 50 Philadelphia designs by mintage, where the scarcest is Iowa at 214 million.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 2008
The 50 State Quarters program ended with Hawaii. The Lincoln Memorial cent was struck for the last time.
How to recognize it
The Alaska design
A grizzly bear emerges from a river clutching a salmon in its jaws, with the North Star shining above and the words THE GREAT LAND. The North Star also appears on the state flag, while bears and salmon are emblems of Alaska's abundant wildlife. The nickname reflects the meaning of the Aleut word from which Alaska takes its name. Alaska became the forty-ninth state in 1959. Its quarter was the fourth release of 2008.
The 50 State Quarter design
To make room for each state design, the obverse was rearranged: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST and QUARTER DOLLAR all moved to the side with Washington's portrait. The reverse shows the state's design with its name, the year it joined the Union or ratified the Constitution, the year of issue and E PLURIBUS UNUM. The mint mark is to the right of Washington's ponytail.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | 50 State Quarter (1999–2008) |
|---|---|
| Year | 2008 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | "P" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 251,800,000 |
| Face value | 25¢ |
| Composition | Copper core clad in 75% copper / 25% nickel |
| Weight | 5.67 grams |
| Diameter | 24.26 mm |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Designer | Obverse by John Flanagan, modified by William Cousins; reverses by various artists |
Other 2008 50 State Quarter issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-P Oklahoma Quarter | 222,000,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2008-P New Mexico Quarter | 244,200,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2008-P Arizona Quarter | 244,600,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2008-P Alaska Quarter | 251,800,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2008-P Hawaii Quarter | 254,000,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2008-D Oklahoma Quarter | 194,600,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2008-D New Mexico Quarter | 244,400,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2008-D Arizona Quarter | 265,000,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2008-D Alaska Quarter | 254,000,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2008-D Hawaii Quarter | 263,600,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2008-S Oklahoma Quarter Proof | 2,078,112 | Proof | – |
| 2008-S New Mexico Quarter Proof | 2,078,112 | Proof | – |
| 2008-S Arizona Quarter Proof | 2,078,112 | Proof | – |
| 2008-S Alaska Quarter Proof | 2,078,112 | Proof | – |
| 2008-S Hawaii Quarter Proof | 2,078,112 | Proof | – |
| 2008-S Silver Oklahoma Quarter Proof | 1,192,908 | Proof | 0.1808 oz |
| 2008-S Silver New Mexico Quarter Proof | 1,192,908 | Proof | 0.1808 oz |
| 2008-S Silver Arizona Quarter Proof | 1,192,908 | Proof | 0.1808 oz |
| 2008-S Silver Alaska Quarter Proof | 1,192,908 | Proof | 0.1808 oz |
| 2008-S Silver Hawaii Quarter Proof | 1,192,908 | Proof | 0.1808 oz |
Mintage: 50 State quarters (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.