A Quarter for Every State

Final five designs for commemorative quarters unveiled

• PRINT
• EMAIL

Final five designs for commemorative quarters from the United States Mint's 50 State Quarters® Program. (Composite. Images courtesy United States Mint)

The United States Mint unveiled the designs for its final five commemorative quarters Tuesday, which complete the country's most popular coin collection program ever. The new quarters will be released throughout 2008.

"The American people have made the 50 state quarters the most successful coins in United States history," said Mint Director Edmund C. Moy. "[The quarters] also have educated our children, teaching them geography, history, art, and tradition."

Hot Coins

The first five commemorative quarters made their debut in 1999 and sold well instantly. Nearly nine years later, more than 140 million Americans are collecting the coins.

The quarters are issued chronologically, according to when each state was granted statehood. The very first state coin in the collection to be minted was that of Delaware, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut.

While George Washington's profile graces the front of every quarter, the back of each coin features a design that reflects unique aspects of individual states.

The Final Five

The class of 2008 honors Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, Alaska, and Hawaii—the final five territories to be granted statehood. The Oklahoma coin displays the state bird, the Scissortail Flycatcher, flying above the state wildflower, the Indian Blanket. The New Mexico quarter features a sun symbol on its reverse side.

Arizona's quarter showcases an engraving of the world-famous Grand Canyon. The beloved American landmark shares space with Arizona's state flower, the blossom of the Saguaro cactus. The reverse side of the Alaskan coin features a grizzly bear with a salmon in its mouth.

The 50th and final quarter in the collection pays tribute to Hawaii, which became a state on August 21, 1959. The coin shows an image of King Kamehameha I pointing to Hawaii's eight islands.

While the state quarter program will come to an end in 2008, a bill to release six more coins has been passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. If the U.S. Senate approves a similar bill and President George W. Bush signs it, coins paying tribute to the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands could be issued in 2009.

See the Quarters for all 50 states at the United States Mint Web site.

CRITICAL THINKING QUESTION

Read today’s story and answer the following question.

Karen Fanning is a contributing writer for Scholastic News Online.

• Teacher Store
• 

  The Teacher Store
  	Welcome Books™ - Money Matters: Quarters This exciting series of emergent reader nonfiction is thoroughly reviewed and approved by a distinguished reading advisory board. full-color photographs, predictable text patterns, and concepts of high interest make this series ideal for young readers. $4.95 Paperback Book | Grades K-2

  
  Welcome Books™ - Money Matters: Quarters
  Grades K-2 $4.95
  
• Teacher Store
• 

  The Teacher Store

  Decisions, Decisions: The Cold War The Cold War defined world events for a generation, from the division of Europe, to the war in Vietnam, to the nuclear arms race. Decisions, Decisions: The Cold War puts students at the center of these issues. By understanding the critical themes of the era, students begin to understand the world today. The simulation sparks discussions on terrorism, political ideologies, and more! Topics covered: 20th Century History U.S. Foreign Policy World Events International Politi $149.00 CD-ROM | Grades 5-10

  
  Decisions, Decisions: The Cold War
  Grades 5-10 $149.00
  

Teens Speak Out
New York City students share their eyewitness accounts of the attack on the World Trade Center.

Election 2008: How Hollywood Does It
Fred Thompson makes his bid for President official on September 5, 2007.

Election 2008: Leader of the Pack
Whatever type of puppy Sasha and Malia Obama pick, it will be a part of a long tradition of White House pets. Everything from snakes and badgers to ponies and bears have taken up residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue alongside the President of the United States and his family.