NGC Special Designations and Labels for the New 2021 Washington Quarters

The US Mint has announced that the highly anticipated new Washington Quarter design, which memorializes George Washington's historic crossing of the Delaware River on the reverse, will debut in the 2021 Proof Set, available on March 5, 2021. The circulation version should begin appearing in everyday commerce in April.

To capture the excitement of the new look for the Washington Quarter, Numismatic Guaranty Corporation® (NGC®) is offering a special label to highlight these coins. The NGC Washington Crossing the Delaware Label, offered by default for no additional charge, is the perfect complement to the new quarters as it displays a vibrant portrayal of the famous endeavor. The popular NGC Early Releases and First Releases designations and labels are also available.

A Mint State 2021 Quarter with the NGC Washington Crossing the Delaware Label (left) and a Proof 2021 Quarter with the NGC First Releases Designation and Label (right) both holdered reverse up. Click images to enlarge.

The new reverse shows a striking image of Washington commanding his troops to cross the icy Delaware River — a daring strategic move that would change the course of the Revolutionary War. Benjamin Sowards, a member of the US Mint Artistic Infusion Program (AIP), created the design, and US Mint engraver Michael Gaudioso sculpted it. Both Sowards and Gaudioso sign certification labels exclusively for NGC as part of the NGC Signature Labels program.

This is the first time in nearly 25 years that a common reverse is slated to be used for the Washington Quarter. The wildly successful State Quarters Program that began in 1999 helped reinvigorate interest in collecting coins from circulation with 56 reverse designs, one from each US state, populated territory and the District of Columbia. Its successor, the American the Beautiful Program, just reached its conclusion.

The 2021 quarters also restore John Flanagan’s classic bust of Washington on the observe. It was used from 1932 to 1999, and then reduced in size for the State Quarters and America the Beautiful Programs.

Submission Instructions

• Submit the coins under the Modern grading tier or higher.
• The coins do not need to be submitted in the US Mint packaging.

The following designations are available for these coins (if applicable):

The following labels are available for these coins:

Label options	Fee	Directions
Washington Crossing the Delaware #430	Free	By default (Enter Washington Crossing the Delaware #430 on your submission form. Early Releases and First Releases designations are available with this label for an additional $12 fee, if applicable.)
Early Releases #378	Included with fee for Early Releases designation (+$12)	Select Early Releases and enter Early Releases #378 on your submission form. Otherwise, Washington Crossing the Delaware Label #430 will be used.
First Releases #379	Included with fee for First Releases designation (+$12)	Select First Releases and enter First Releases #379 on your submission form. Otherwise, Washington Crossing the Delaware Label #430 will be used.
Standard Brown #377	Free	By request. (Enter Standard Brown Label #377 on your submission form.)

Questions? Contact NGC Customer Service at service@NGCcoin.com or 1-800-NGC-COIN (1-800-642-2646).

NGC Collectors Society paid members can submit their coins directly to NGC. Not an NGC Collectors Society member? Paid memberships start at just $25/year. Join today!

Bulk Submissions

NGC’s First Day of Issue designation and labels are available for select bulk submissions only. To qualify for First Day of Issue, coins must be purchased within one day of the first day that a mint makes a new coin issue available for sale and must be received by NGC or an NGC-approved depository within one week of the release date. NGC will require that the submitter provide adequate evidence (including purchase receipts) to demonstrate the date when the coins were purchased.

For bulk submissions, contact Scott Heller at Sheller@NGCcoin.com or 941-360-3990 or Miles Standish at Miles@NGCcoin.com or 949-922-0515.

Related links

NGC Special Labels
NGC Releases Designations
2021 US First and Early Releases Cutoff Dates