The Delaware quarter shows Patriot Caesar Rodney on his 1776 historic ride.  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 after Caesar Rodney's historic ride, Delaware voted unanimously to ratify the United States Constitution.  It was the first state to do so.  Five years later, in 1792, Delaware adopted a new state constitution and changed its name from Delaware State to the State of Delaware.