2004-S Iowa Proof

The 2004-S Iowa proof represents the fourth release of the 2004 calendar year in the 50 State Quarters Program, struck at the San Francisco Mint to a clad-proof mintage of 2,740,684 coins. Iowa entered the Union on December 28, 1846 as the 29th state, and John Mercanti's reverse design is unusual in the series for being an explicit adaptation of fine art rather than a fresh composition. The scene takes its cue from Grant Wood's 1932 painting "Arbor Day," showing a one-room schoolhouse on the right with a teacher and a small group of students planting a young tree in the foreground. The legend "Foundation in Education" runs below. Wood was an Iowa native and one of the leading figures in American Regionalism, so the reference doubles as a state landmark in its own right. On a proof strike the composition rewards close attention, because the human figures and the architectural detail of the schoolhouse pick up the proof finish in ways a plain business strike never matches.

Authenticating a 2004-S Iowa proof depends on the surface characteristics produced only by the San Francisco Mint's proof process. The fields should show deep, mirrored, watery reflectivity when tilted under directional light, and the rims should be squared and sharp from the close-collar proof dies rather than slightly rounded as on circulation strikes. The frosted devices in the figural group and the schoolhouse, set against the reflective fields, are exactly where Cameo and Deep Cameo designations are earned, and those grades carry a real premium over plain brilliant proofs. Specifications run cupronickel clad, 5.67 grams, 24.3 millimeters, with a reeded edge. Examine the proof under a 10x loupe and expect to see faint die-polish lines in the open fields, which are normal and characteristic of proof striking rather than a defect. The clear distinction between a true proof and a prooflike business strike comes from looking for radial flow lines: any fine lines running outward from the center toward the rim mark the coin as a circulation strike, no matter how reflective the fields look.

For collectors who want to keep going, see the 50 State Quarters series history.