The quarter shows Caesar Rodney on his historic ride in 1776. Rodney made the 80-mile ride through terrible heat and thunderstorms to cast his vote in favor of Delaware signing the Declaration of Independence. Rodney’s vote turned out to be the tie-breaker.
In 1787, 11 years later, Delaware voted unanimously to ratify the United States Constitution. It was the first state to do so.
Delaware Facts
Nickname: The First State
Capital: Dover
Statehood: December 7, 1787
The obverse (heads) design features the familiar image of George Washington by John Flanagan, used on the quarter since 1932.
The reverse (tails) design shows Caesar Rodney's historic horseback ride in 1776 to cast his vote in favor of Delaware signing the Declaration of Independence.