A 2005 State Quarter With An Extra Tree Could Be Worth More Money Than You Think

It's generally considered a bad thing if you can't see the forest for the trees, and this can be especially true when it comes to one 2005 quarter in particular. To use another applicable idiom, the devil is in the details — especially if you're a coin collector feasting your eyes on any valuable coins you might have lying around. With that said, sometimes the key to spotting valuable coins lies in just how hard you can squint, and you'll have to squint pretty hard to see this one distinguishing — and valuable — detail in the 2005 Minnesota state quarter.

While details are the name of the numismatic game, this can be particularly true when it comes to collecting "die error" coins. In doubled die error misprints, like the Minnesota state quarter in question, a 3D-like overlaying of letters and images is created. Doubled die versions of the 2005 Minnesota quarter contain an extra tree detail. However, it is so faint that it can be incredibly difficult to detect without magnification devices. Nonetheless, spotting this valuable specimen of a modern-era error coin could be worth the effort.

The 2005 Minnesota state quarter is part of the 50 States Quarters Program. From 1999 through 2009, the U.S. Mint commissioned designs inspired by American states. The series ignited widespread public interest in coin collecting. New coin designs were dropped roughly every ten weeks since the 1999 launch, with Minnesota making its State Quarters debut in 2005. The obverse, or heads, side of all coins in this series are the same standard obverse design that the quarter has had since 1932. It's the reverse side of the quarter where the magic (and the possibly valuable doubled die error) happens.

The reverse, or tails, side of the 2005 Minnesota state quarter features an outline of Minnesota state stamped with "Land of 10,000 lakes." This image is foregrounded by a loon paddling across one of those 10,000 lakes. Two fishermen in a canoe float in the middle of the lake, which is lined with a row of spruce trees. In coins with the doubled die error misprint, there is an extra spruce tree. It can be found to the right of the fourth spruce tree located in a grouping just to the right of the state outline. However, it can be difficult to see depending on the coin. If the doubling is extremely clear and pronounced, you may have a valuable coin on your hands. On the other hand, sometimes the doubling results only in a microscopic, partial, tree-like lump.

Back in 2005, early spotters of the Minnesota state extra tree error helped drum up nationwide excitement for the quirky quarter. However, as more error examples made themselves known, valuations tamed from their $500-and-up heyday. Still, finding clear examples of this extra tree, with appropriate grading by a trusted third party, can still swing sums in the $100-$200 range. Plus, the coin is a perennial favorite on collector forums and websites. Collection expert Ken Potter even has a webpage dedicated to the coin's many varieties.

There are at least 78 varieties of Minnesota state quarter doubled die error coins, making finding one with the truly valuable extra tree a lot like finding a needle in a haystack. All 2005 Minnesota state quarters with the extra tree were minted in Philadelphia, so each coin bears the "P" as their distinctive mint mark. Some of these doubled die varieties feature mere shadows of spooky spruces in the tree line, while others look like an entire additional small tree has been stamped onto the coin.

Coin authentication experts, PCGS, have designated the "FS-801 Doubled Tree DDR-001 (regular strike)" as the most desirable of the extra tree-bearing Minnesota state quarters, with most varieties selling at $40, and the finest grade selling at $275. With that said, one of these quarters sold for $150 on eBay in 2015, and another variety sold for $71 in 2025. While these amounts aren't exactly kingly sums, it's a pretty nice markup for a 25-cent piece.