2003-P Illinois Quarter
Circulation strike struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 225,800,000 made
- Mintage
- 225,800,000
- 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 2003-P Illinois 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 2003-P Illinois Quarter rare?
- Not in absolute terms: 226 million were made. It is one of the smaller runs in the series, though, so uncirculated examples are worth a little more than most dates.
- Is the 2003-P Illinois 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 2003 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 2003-P Illinois Quarter coins were made?
- 225,800,000.
What to check on your 2003-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 2003-D (237 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 2003-S Illinois Quarter Proof (3,408,516 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 226 million made, the 2003-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 2003-P Illinois
Philadelphia made 225,800,000 of the Illinois quarter. Among the 5 designs of 2003 it was the second largest Philadelphia run, between Missouri (225 million) and Arkansas (228 million).
Denver struck a similar number of the same design (237 million), so neither mint's version is much harder to find.
Across the whole program it sits 7th of 50 Philadelphia designs by mintage, where the scarcest is Iowa at 214 million.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 2003
The last Jefferson nickels with the original 1938 design were struck before the Westward Journey series.
How to recognize it
The Illinois design
A young Abraham Lincoln holding a book stands inside an outline of the state, with a farm scene on one side and the Chicago skyline on the other. Twenty-one stars border the design, along with LAND OF LINCOLN and 21ST STATE/CENTURY. Lincoln spent his early adult years in Illinois as a shopkeeper, lawyer and legislator before winning the presidency. The farm and skyline show the state's mix of agriculture and industry. Illinois became the twenty-first state in 1818.
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 | 2003 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | "P" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 225,800,000 |
| 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 2003 50 State Quarter issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-P Illinois Quarter | 225,800,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2003-P Alabama Quarter | 225,000,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2003-P Maine Quarter | 217,400,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2003-P Missouri Quarter | 225,000,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2003-P Arkansas Quarter | 228,000,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2003-D Illinois Quarter | 237,400,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2003-D Alabama Quarter | 232,400,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2003-D Maine Quarter | 231,400,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2003-D Missouri Quarter | 228,200,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2003-D Arkansas Quarter | 229,800,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2003-S Illinois Quarter Proof | 3,408,516 | Proof | – |
| 2003-S Alabama Quarter Proof | 3,408,516 | Proof | – |
| 2003-S Maine Quarter Proof | 3,408,516 | Proof | – |
| 2003-S Missouri Quarter Proof | 3,408,516 | Proof | – |
| 2003-S Arkansas Quarter Proof | 3,408,516 | Proof | – |
| 2003-S Silver Illinois Quarter Proof | 1,125,755 | Proof | 0.1808 oz |
| 2003-S Silver Alabama Quarter Proof | 1,125,755 | Proof | 0.1808 oz |
| 2003-S Silver Maine Quarter Proof | 1,125,755 | Proof | 0.1808 oz |
| 2003-S Silver Missouri Quarter Proof | 1,125,755 | Proof | 0.1808 oz |
| 2003-S Silver Arkansas Quarter Proof | 1,125,755 | 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.