The 2008 Alaska State Quarter is a Must-Have During Bear Necessities Month

September is Bear Necessities Month, a month-long holiday that recognizes the importance of protecting these beloved creatures. One way society can protect bears is through habitat conservation, and that’s where Bear Trust International comes in. The organization began operations in 1997 and inaugurated Bear Necessities Month in 2014. Their goal is to raise awareness on efforts and opportunities to protect bear populations in the United States and across the globe, while also celebrating their treasured place in cultures and mythology the world over.

Bears have more than earned their place on the coins of many nations, including the United States. It was on the 2008 Alaska entry of the 50 States Quarters that a grizzly bear made its appearance. It is seen emerging from the crisp Alaskan waters, a salmon in mouth, before the wooded bluffs of the Great Land’s natural terrain. The reverse of the 2008 Alaska Quarter was Charles L. Vickers. His design is paired with the 50 State Quarters’ common obverse visage of President George Washington as designed by John Flanagan and modified by William Cousins.

The 2008 Alaska State Quarter comes in a variety of finishes, including business strikes, satin, and proof. The business strikes were struck to the tune of more than a half billion, with 251,800,000 produced at the Philadelphia Mint and 254,000,000 hailing from the Denver Mint. Many can be readily found in circulation at face value, though nicer specimens that are graded by PCGS make fantastic candidates for inclusion in the PCGS Set Registry. The Philly and Denver Mint also produced satin strikes, which were sold in the 2008 U.S. Mint uncirculated set. The San Francisco Mint made proof sets in both clad and silver compositions, and these further round out the multitude of 2008 Alaska Quarters that collectors can add to their sets.