A gem-condition 2008-P Oklahoma quarter has recorded sales above $2,200 — yet most 2008 quarters in your change are worth exactly $0.25. Whether you have an Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, Alaska, or Hawaii quarter, the difference between face value and a real premium comes down to mint mark, condition, and the presence of named die varieties like the Arizona Extra Cactus or Alaska Sixth Claw. Use the free tools below to find out exactly what yours is worth.
The five 2008 State Quarters — the final year of the program
The 2008-P Oklahoma quarter is the single most sought-after regular-strike coin in the series for registry set collectors — gem examples in MS67+ are genuinely scarce. Use this checklist to see if yours could be the real deal.
Dull, worn surfaces with no luster. Washington's cheek and hairline are flat. Scissor-tailed flycatcher details are faint. Worth $0.25–$1.
Full blazing cartwheel luster. Sharp, frosted details on the flycatcher's tail feathers. Zero marks on Washington's cheek. Could be worth $50–$2,200+.
Don't know the grade or mint mark yet? Describe what you see in plain language and our analyzer will walk you through what it might mean for value.
⚡ Want a specific dollar estimate — not just a description? The calculator below gives you an instant value based on state, mint, condition, and errors.
Use the Calculator →Answer three quick questions to get an instant value estimate with a rarity tier and market context.
Look at the coin's back for the state design, and right of Washington's neck for the P or D mark.
If Washington's cheek is flat and dull, choose Worn. If there's full luster and no wear, choose Uncirculated or Gem.
Check all that apply. Leave blank if none — a plain coin is still calculated accurately.
If you're not yet sure about your coin's state or condition, there's a 2008 Quarter Coin Value Checker online tool where you can upload a photo and get an AI-powered identification before using the calculator above.
This guide covers every aspect of 2008 quarter valuation — use the links to navigate directly.
The 2008 State Quarters — the final five coins of the 10-year program — produced a variety of collectible errors across both the Philadelphia and Denver mints. Below are the six most significant error types documented by collectors and major grading services, listed in descending order of typical realized value. Each entry covers how the error occurred, how to recognize it, and what drives the premium.
The missing clad layer error occurs when one or both outer copper-nickel layers are absent from the planchet before striking. This is a planchet preparation defect — the blanks are punched from a bonded metal strip, and occasionally a strip section lacks the bonded outer layer, producing a blank that appears entirely copper-orange on one or both faces.
Identifying this error is straightforward once you know what to look for: the affected side will be a distinctly warm copper-orange color rather than the usual silver-white of the clad surface. If both sides are missing their cladding, the coin will appear copper on both faces and weigh approximately 3.5 grams — notably lighter than the standard 5.67 grams.
Collectors pay significant premiums because complete missing-clad examples are uncommon in any grade, and a double-sided missing clad coin is extremely rare. The 2008-D Oklahoma has been documented with both layers missing in MS66 condition, placing it among the finest known for this error type in the entire 2008 series.
During production, coin blanks pass through an annealing furnace to soften the metal for striking. If the annealing temperature or duration is incorrect — either too hot or too cool — the resulting planchet develops abnormal hardness or unusual surface coloration. On copper-nickel clad quarters, improper annealing typically produces dark, mottled, or splotchy surfaces with a distinctive metallic discoloration unlike normal toning.
Visually, an improperly annealed quarter will display irregular dark patches, unusual brown or gray areas, or a streaky discoloration across its surface that cannot be explained by post-mint handling or environmental toning. The surface texture may also appear subtly different — sometimes showing a faint roughness under magnification at the affected zones.
The 2008-D Oklahoma has been documented with an improperly annealed planchet in MS66 condition, representing a high-end confirmed example of this error for the series. At the upper range, confirmed high-grade specimens have reached approximately $1,190. The premium is driven by the error's relative scarcity and the difficulty of finding examples with strong visual impact in gem condition.
The Arizona Extra Cactus is a progressive die-break variety specific to the 2008 Arizona quarter reverse. As the working die accumulated stress during production, a crack propagated across the die face in the area of the saguaro cactus. This crack transferred as a raised line or protrusion on struck coins, creating the appearance of an extra arm, leaf, or growth on the cactus. On some advanced die states, the crack extends over the designer's initials at the lower left of the reverse design.
Recognizing the variety requires examining the saguaro cactus area with at least a 5× loupe. Look for a small raised protrusion, ridge, or extra arm emanating from the cactus trunk or near its base, in a location where the original design shows no feature. The extra element will be a raised (not incuse) line or blob, which distinguishes it from a post-mint scratch or contact mark on the coin's surface.
This is among the most visually dramatic named die-break varieties in the State Quarters series, comparable to the 1999 Delaware Spitting Horse and 2004 Wisconsin High/Low Leaf in collector recognition. A 2008-P Arizona with a dramatic die crack sold for $440 in MS61, and strong examples command ongoing premiums from both die-variety specialists and state quarter completionists.
The Alaska Sixth Claw is a die-break variety found on the 2008-P and 2008-D Alaska quarters. The Alaska reverse design features a brown bear standing in a river catching a salmon, with the bear's raised front foot prominently displaying five distinct claws. As dies accumulated strike fatigue, a progressive die crack developed in the area of the bear's foot, creating a raised extra claw — a sixth — on the struck coins.
To identify this variety, examine the bear's front claws under a 10× loupe. Count carefully: a standard Alaska quarter shows exactly five claws on the raised foot. The die-break variety shows a raised sixth claw — an additional protrusion adjacent to the standard five. Like all die-break varieties, the extra feature is always raised (above the field), distinguishing it cleanly from post-mint damage.
The Sixth Claw is recognized in coin roll hunting and State Quarter variety collecting communities as one of the most visually interesting die breaks of the 2008 series. It is more subtle than the Arizona Extra Cactus, which contributes to collectors' excitement when they find a strong example — particularly in high MS grades where the die break appears crisp and well-defined against fully lustrous surfaces.
The Doubled Die Obverse error occurs during the die-making process when a working die receives two slightly misaligned impressions from the hub. Each impression stamps the design into the die face, but if the second impression is rotated or shifted even fractionally, the resulting die produces coins with visibly doubled design elements. On 2008 quarters, the most common doubling locations are Washington's portrait, the word "LIBERTY," and the motto "IN GOD WE TRUST."
Under a 10× loupe, doubled die coins show a distinct doubled contour on lettering, date, or design elements — a separation between the two impressions that is mechanical and precise, not the soft blurring of a weak strike or die deterioration doubling. The doubling on strong DDO examples appears as a clean, separated secondary image running parallel to the primary design element.
The 2008-D Oklahoma DDO is among the most documented examples in the series, with a confirmed MS65 example showing both obverse and reverse die doubling. Such examples have sold in the $520 range. Minor DDO examples with subtle doubling typically bring $20–$150 on the open market, while dramatically doubled premium specimens command the highest prices among State Quarter collectors.
An off-center strike results when the coin planchet is not correctly seated within the collar of the coining press at the moment of striking. If the planchet shifts before or during the strike, the dies contact the metal at an off-center position, producing a coin where the design elements are misaligned toward one edge and a blank crescent-shaped area appears on the opposite edge. The percentage of the off-center strike correlates directly with premium — a 10% off-center brings modest value, while a 50% off-center that retains a readable date commands top dollar.
Visual identification is immediate: the obverse will show Washington's portrait noticeably shifted from the center, and the reverse state design will be correspondingly offset. The blank area is a flat, undesigned crescent of metal. Collectors prize examples where the date and mint mark remain fully visible despite the dramatic shift, as these are the most commercially desirable off-center strikes.
A die clash error on a 2008 Hawaii D-mint quarter in MS61 fetched $730 at Great Collection in 2022, illustrating the upper end of the market for dramatic mint errors on 2008 state quarters. Off-center strikes across the 2008 series are broadly valued based on percentage of shift and grade. The 2008-D Arizona in MS66 with a dramatic off-center configuration is among the finest documented off-center examples for the series.
🎯 Think you've spotted one of these errors on your coin? Get an instant dollar estimate using the calculator — pick your state, condition, and check the matching error box.
Calculate Error Value →The table below covers all ten regular-strike 2008 quarter issues across four condition tiers. For a fully illustrated walkthrough of how to distinguish each grade, see this complete 2008 quarter identification and value breakdown guide with comparison photos. Highlighted rows indicate the most valuable issues for each tier.
| Issue | Worn (G–F) | Circulated (VF–AU) | Uncirculated (MS60–65) | Gem MS (MS66+) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-P Oklahoma | $0.25 | $0.70 – $1 | $2 – $40 | $40 – $2,200+ |
| 2008-D Oklahoma | $0.25 | $0.70 – $1 | $2 – $25 | $25 – $250 |
| 2008-P New Mexico | $0.25 | $0.70 – $1 | $2 – $15 | $15 – $120 |
| 2008-D New Mexico | $0.25 | $0.70 – $1 | $2 – $30 | $30 – $1,050 |
| 2008-P Arizona | $0.25 | $0.70 – $1 | $2 – $30 | $30 – $1,330 |
| 2008-D Arizona | $0.25 | $0.70 – $1 | $2 – $25 | $25 – $1,190 |
| 2008-P Alaska | $0.25 | $0.70 – $1 | $2 – $10 | $10 – $69 |
| 2008-D Alaska | $0.25 | $0.70 – $1 | $2 – $20 | $20 – $710 |
| 2008-P Hawaii | $0.25 | $0.70 – $1 | $2 – $10 | $10 – $55 |
| 2008-D Hawaii | $0.25 | $0.70 – $1 | $2 – $15 | $15 – $82 |
| 2008-S Clad Proofs (any state) | — | — | — | $4 – $64 DCAM |
| 2008-S Silver Proofs (any state) | — | — | — | $14 – $120 DCAM |
⭐ = Signature variety (highest gem value) | Red highlight = rarest/highest silver proof value | Source: PCGS, CoinValueApp, CoinWorld (2026 edition)
📱 CoinKnow lets you scan your 2008 quarter in seconds to get an instant value estimate on the go — a coin identifier and value app.
The 2008 series closed the 10-year 50 State Quarters Program with production totaling over 2.4 billion circulating coins. Oklahoma received the lowest single-issue mintage of the year with 194.6 million Denver-mint strikes — the scarcest of all ten 2008 regular-strike issues, which partially explains its premium values in gem grades.
| Issue | Mint | Mintage | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 Oklahoma | Philadelphia (P) | 222,000,000 | Business Strike |
| 2008 Oklahoma | Denver (D) | 194,600,000 | Business Strike |
| 2008 New Mexico | Philadelphia (P) | 244,200,000 | Business Strike |
| 2008 New Mexico | Denver (D) | 244,400,000 | Business Strike |
| 2008 Arizona | Philadelphia (P) | 244,600,000 | Business Strike |
| 2008 Arizona | Denver (D) | 265,000,000 | Business Strike |
| 2008 Alaska | Philadelphia (P) | 251,800,000 | Business Strike |
| 2008 Alaska | Denver (D) | 254,000,000 | Business Strike |
| 2008 Hawaii | Philadelphia (P) | 254,000,000 | Business Strike |
| 2008 Hawaii | Denver (D) | 263,600,000 | Business Strike |
| 2008 All States | San Francisco (S) — Clad | ~2,078,112 per state | Proof DCAM |
| 2008 All States | San Francisco (S) — Silver | ~1,192,908 per state | Silver Proof DCAM |
| Total Circulation Strikes | 2,438,200,000 | All five states combined | |
The difference between a $0.25 coin and a $500+ coin on the same 2008 quarter is almost entirely in the grade. Here's what each tier looks like in practice.
Washington's cheek and hairline are flat. The scissor-tailed flycatcher (Oklahoma), Grand Canyon layers (Arizona), or other state details are smooth and indistinct. Worth $0.25 — face value only. These circulated coins sat in pockets for years.
High points show some wear but state-specific reverse details remain mostly clear. Washington's hairline above the ear shows slight flattening. Any mint luster is gone or only traces remain in protected areas. Worth $0.70 to $1 for most issues.
No wear, but contact marks from bag handling are visible on Washington's cheek and in the open fields. Full mint luster present — the cartwheel effect spins across the coin when tilted. Most 2008 quarters pulled from rolls or mint sets fall here. Worth $2–$30 depending on state and mark count.
Virtually mark-free surfaces with blazing, original luster. Washington's cheek shows zero detracting marks. Full design strike with sharp cactus arms (Arizona), individual tail feathers (Oklahoma flycatcher), or crisp star positions (Alaska). Worth $25–$2,200+ depending on the specific state and mint. PCGS/NGC certification required for premium sales.
🔎 CoinKnow helps you match your coin's surface quality against graded reference examples by comparing photos from your phone — a coin identifier and value app.
The right venue depends on your coin's value tier. A $1 circulated coin belongs in a different place than a $500 gem MS specimen.
Best for certified gem MS examples worth $100+, especially Oklahoma, Arizona, or New Mexico P-mint coins in MS67 or higher. Heritage's numismatic auctions reach the widest collector base and typically realize the strongest prices for registry-quality pieces. Reserve minimums apply, and the process takes weeks, but the competition drives up hammer prices significantly for top-tier coins.
Ideal for mid-range coins worth $5–$150. Browse recent sold listings and actual prices for 2008-P Oklahoma quarters on the market to set a competitive price before listing. "Buy It Now" works best for common-grade examples; auction format generates more competition for attractive error coins. Always photograph both sides in good light.
Convenient for immediate cash on circulated examples, but expect 50–70% of retail value — dealers need their margin. Bring your coin in a protective flip or 2×2 holder. Best for lots of circulated state quarters you want to move quickly. Ask for a written offer before committing; the first offer is rarely the best offer.
The r/coins and r/coincollecting subreddits have active communities who can give free second opinions on errors and varieties before you pay for grading. The r/PMsforsale subreddit allows direct peer-to-peer sales for lower-value items. Great for getting confirmation on whether that Arizona Extra Cactus or Alaska Sixth Claw is real before investing in professional grading.
The most common questions about 2008 quarter values, answered with specific data.
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