Five of these unique coins were released over the course of each year, every one representing a different state. The order of their release was determined by when that state became an official part of the USA. The obverse of the coins features the standard imagery of 25-cent pieces – a profile portrait of George Washington – but the reverse features an array of images and symbols representing the history and culture of that particular state. The reverse also features the year that the coin was cast and the year of the state’s official founding.

Delaware became a state on December 7th, 1787, and was the first of the 50 State Quarters to be issued. The man depicted on horseback is Caesar Rodney, a prominent member of the Delaware Assembly and a delegate to the Continental Congress. On July 1st, 1776, Rodney rode his horse eighty miles through hot summer temperatures and heavy rains to cast his vote in favor of America’s independence.