2004-S Florida, Silver Proof

2026-02-19, The 2004-S Florida Silver Proof was struck at San Francisco to a mintage of 1,175,934, distributed exclusively through the year's Silver Proof Set. Florida's reverse layers four centuries of state identity into a single composition: a sixteenth-century Spanish galleon under full sail in the foreground, the Space Shuttle climbing skyward in the upper field, and a stand of sabal palms framing the right margin. The motto "Gateway to Discovery" connects the conquistador past to the spaceflight present. On the silver planchet, the rigging lines of the galleon and the heat tile detail of the orbiter both gain a precision that the clad strike cannot match, the bright white metal giving the entire scene a depth and contrast unique to the silver tier.

Authentication of a genuine 2004-S Florida Silver Proof begins at the scale. A silver example weighs 6.25 grams; the clad proof weighs 5.67 grams. That 0.58-gram difference is the most efficient diagnostic available and rules out altered or counterfeit pieces with a single measurement. The 90% silver, 10% copper alloy produces a silvery-white reflective surface that contrasts visibly with the slightly grayer cast of copper-nickel clad, and viewing the 24.3mm edge straight on reveals a solid silver color rather than the copper-cored sandwich stripe characteristic of clad coinage. Squared, sharp rims and heavily frosted Cameo or Deep Cameo devices set against deeply mirrored fields provide the final visual confirmation. The galleon's masts and the shuttle's wing edges should display heavy frost under angled light.

None of the 2004 Florida silver proofs entered circulation; all were sold in collector packaging, and survival rates remain very high in pristine grades. Modern market value reflects both the silver content and the proof finish, with Deep Cameo and PR70 examples carrying the strongest premiums. For more on the program that turned the quarter into a fifty-state design canvas, see the 50 State Quarters series history.