Statehood quarters Collection The Statehood Quarter Designs

The Washington quarter obverse was modified in 1999 as part of the Statehood quarters program.

The quarter obverse was modified in 1999 as part of the Statehood quarters program.

In 1999, coin collecting changed forever. Under the Statehood quarters program, five new designs were issued per year for a total of ten years. Originally each state submitted artwork suggestions to the mint, with most final designs chosen by a vote of that state's residents. Beginning in 2005, individual states simply provided the mint with a written statement of desired concepts.

The goal of the program – and of each Statehood quarter design – was to spread awareness through the country about the heritage and diversity of America's 50 states. Starting with Delaware, each of the 50 states was honored in the order it joined the Union (or in the case of the 13 original colonies, in the order they ratified the Constitution). Coins were released at a rate of five per year until all 50 had been released. Each issue was unique and captured the essence of its state – from flora and fauna to historical figures and scenery.

For all the changes to the quarter, one thing remained the same – the portrait of America's first president, George Washington, still graced the coin's obverse. Though slight modifications were made in the design of his hair, the only major changes to the obverse were the addition of the inscriptions UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and QUARTER DOLLAR. LIBERTY and IN GOD WE TRUST remained on the obverse, although in new locations.

Since the release of the first Statehood quarter, rotating designs have appeared in other denominations – and two additional quarter series followed the wildly popular Statehood issues. These quarters truly changed the face of America's coinage!

Reverse Designs

1999

Delaware – In 1776, Caesar Rodney rode 80 miles to cast the tie-breaking vote at the Continental Congress
Pennsylvania – The Commonwealth statue, with ribbon-adorned staff, symbolizes mercy and justice
New Jersey – George Washington crossed the Delaware on Christmas night, 1776
Georgia – The Georgia peach is flanked by oak sprigs before an outline of the state
Connecticut – The Charter Oak hid the state's charter from British troops sent to seize it

2000

Massachusetts – The Minutemen defeated British troops at the Battles of Lexington and Concord
Maryland – Depicts the leaves of the White Oak and features the nation's oldest state house
South Carolina – The palmetto tree, the jessamine flower, and the Carolina wren are all state symbols
New Hampshire – The "Old Man of the Mountain" stood 1200 feet above Profile Lake in Franconia Notch
Virginia – Honors the 400th anniversary of the English settlement of Jamestown in 1607

2001

New York – Depicts the Statue of Liberty and the phrase, GATEWAY TO FREEDOM
North Carolina – The Wright Brothers' "First Flight" took place in Kitty Hawk
Rhode Island – A vintage sailboat glides through Narragansett Bay with the Pell Bridge in the background
Vermont – Camel's Hump Mountain is the backdrop for the traditional gathering of sap from maple trees
Kentucky – Federal Hill is the stately mansion where Stephen Foster wrote "My Old Kentucky Home"

2002

Tennessee – A trumpet, guitar, and fiddle each celebrate a different piece of musical heritage
Ohio – Both the Wright Brothers and John Glenn, the first American in space, hail from Ohio.
Louisiana – Honors the brown pelican, jazz music, and the Louisiana Purchase
Indiana – The Indianapolis 500, a famous sporting event , is called the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing"
Mississippi – The state flower, the magnolia, was chosen by school children in 1900

2003

Illinois – Abraham Lincoln served in the U.S. House of Representatives for Illinois
Alabama – Helen Keller, who was born in Tuscumbia, sits and reads; this is the first U.S. coin to feature Braille
Maine – The Pemaquid Point Light is one of the state's renowned lighthouses
Missouri – Three adventurers paddle a boat in honor of the Lewis and Clark expedition
Arkansas – Rice stalks, a mallard duck, and a cut diamond evoke the state's natural resources

2004

Michigan – Depicts an outline of the state and the surrounding Great Lakes
Florida – A Spanish galleon recalls the state's beginnings and a shuttle represents the space program
Texas – A lone star encircled by a rope design represents the state's motto
Iowa – The painting Arbor Day by Iowan Grant Wood shows classmates planting a tree
Wisconsin – A Holstein cow, wheel of cheese, and ear of corn emphasize the state's resources

2005

California – Naturalist John Muir and a California condor are seen in Yosemite National Park
Minnesota – A lake, fishermen, and a loon reflect the natural beauty of 55 state forests and 66 parks
Oregon – Crater Lake is America's deepest lake and is located in the nation's 5th oldest national forest
Kansas – A wild bison stands near a patch of native wild sunflowers
West Virginia – The New River is one of the continent's oldest waterways

2006

Nevada – Three wild horses gallop into the foreground with sagebrush, the state's flower
Nebraska – Chimney Rock rises majestically behind a pioneer family with their covered wagon
Colorado – Depicts a sweeping mountainous terrain along with the state nickname
North Dakota – Bison graze in front of the state's famed Badlands area
South Dakota – Mount Rushmore is flanked by ears of wheat and the ring-necked pheasant

2007

Montana – A bison skull hovers above a view of the diverse landscape
Washington – Mount Rainier overlooks a breaching salmon
Idaho – A peregrine falcon looks over an outline of Idaho
Wyoming – A determined cowboy rides a bucking bronco, along with the state's nickname
Utah – The "golden spike" ceremony joined East and West at Promontory, Utah in 1869

2008

Oklahoma – Depicts the scissor-tailed flycatcher and Indian blanket flower
New Mexico – The state nickname and Zia sun symbol adorn a topographical outline of the state
Arizona – Depicts a Saguaro cactus and the Grand Canyon
Alaska – Depicts a grizzly bear with a freshly-caught salmon to symbolize Alaska's beauty and abundance of wildlife
Hawaii – King Kamehameha unified Hawaii, and the motto reads "life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness"