State Quarters are an Accidental Lesson in History

By Teresa Ambord

Even amateur coin collectors and those who never collected anything in their lives have enjoyed the state quarter program since the first quarter appeared in 1999. Starting a state quarter collection is easy and cheap. People of all ages and incomes have begun searching through their pocket change for the newest quarter to hit the mint.

Who Designed the Quarters?

The federal government announced the state quarter program in 1997. Each state has been allowed to pick the designs that appear on their backs. The designs can depict tourist activities, history, or flora and fauna of the state. Nine states also include an outline of the shape of the state. Illinois chose to portray their famous skyline.

One thing seems to be a common factor: there is a lot of competition in the various states for just what design would adorn the quarter's back. Many states put out a call for submissions, narrowed down the choices, and then held a popular vote to determine the winner. Instead of a popular vote, Wisconsin let an advisory board decide. Whatever the process, the selection has created quite a stir in the various states.

The First Quarter, The First State

Beginning with the Delaware quarter in 1999, the quarters are being released in the order that the states joined the Union. Five new quarters per year will appear in your change through 2008, concluding with the final two states to join the union, Alaska and Hawaii.

As each coin is minted, kids can learn something special about that state, and they can find out where the coin was minted. They'll learn something without even realizing it.

Uncirculated State Quarters

If you want to get serious about collecting the state quarters, you can buy uncirculated coins directly from the mint. Or, you may be able to get a package of two of the latest uncirculated state quarters at your bank teller window. They cost more than fifty cents, but their uncirculated condition makes them a true collector's item.

Have You Heard Of The Curse Of The State Quarters?

Of course there is no curse, but an interesting and unfortunate series of events have followed the selection of a huge number of the subjects of state quarters. Here are a few examples:

  • New Hampshire: the distinctive rock formation known as the Old Man of the Mountain that appears on the back of the new Hampshire quarter crumbled to dust.
  • Maryland's quarter depicts the statehouse in Annapolis. This by the way is American's oldest legislative building still in use as a capitol. In August 2002 the cupola of the building was struck by lightening, which started a small fire.
  • New Jersey's quarter features Washington's crossing of the Delaware, an event that is re-enacted annually. But in Dec 2002 the event had to be cancelled due to severe winds, snow and ice.

Here's a state quarter quiz question for coin collecting buffs:

Which two states feature the same historical event, and why? To see if you were RIGHT, skip to the bottom of the page.





For More Information:

Answer: Ohio and North Carolina each feature the Wright Brothers first flight. Both states lay claim to this phenomenal aspect of history.