District of Columbia and United States Territories quarters facts for kids
| United States | |
| Value | 0.25 U.S. Dollar |
|---|---|
| Mass | 6.25(Ag); 5.67 (Cu-Ni) g |
| Diameter | 24.26 mm (0.955 in) |
| Thickness | 1.75 mm (0.069 in) |
| Edge | 119 reeds |
| Composition | 91.67% Cu 8.33% Ni (standard) 90% Ag 10% Cu (proof only) |
| Years of minting | 2009 |
| Mint marks | P, D, S (proof only) |
| Obverse | |
 |
|
| Design | George Washington |
| Designer | John Flanagan (1932 version) from a 1786 bust by Houdon / William Cousins (modification to Flanagan's design) |
| Design date | 1999 |
| Reverse | |
 |
|
| Design | various; six designs (latest shown) |
| Designer | various |
| Design date | 2009 |
The District of Columbia and United States Territories quarters were a series of quarters minted by the United States Mint in 2009 to honor the District of Columbia and the unincorporated United States insular areas of Puerto Rico, Guam, the United States Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands. The islands commonly grouped together as the United States Minor Outlying Islands were not featured, as the law defined the word "territory" as being limited to the areas mentioned above. They followed the completion of the 50 State Quarters Program. The coins used the same George Washington obverse as with the quarters of the previous 10 years. The reverse of the quarters featured a design selected by the Mint depicting the federal district and each territory. Unlike on the 50 State quarters, the motto "E Pluribus Unum" preceded and was the same size as the mint date on the reverse.
Legislation
Although the statehood program was, by legislation, originally intended to include only the 50 states, legislation (District of Columbia and United States Territories Circulating Quarter Dollar Program Act) was signed into law in late 2007 to include the remaining jurisdictions of the nation. A bill had been introduced five times in the United States Congress to extend the 50 State Quarters program an additional year to include the District of Columbia; the commonwealths of Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands; and the U.S. territories of Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa. During the 106th, 107th, 108th, 109th, and 110th Congresses, these bills had passed through the House of Representatives, and even had 34 Senate sponsors for the Senate bill during the 108th; however, none of these bills were passed by the Senate. H.R. 3885, the version in the 109th Congress, passed the House by voice vote in the early hours of December 9, 2006, just before it adjourned sine die; but the Senate adjourned sine die shortly thereafter without considering the bill. The 110th Congress version of the bill, H.R. 392 was introduced on January 10, 2007 by the Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) and was passed by the House of Representatives on January 23, 2007.
On December 10, 2007, Puerto Rico-born Rep. José Serrano, D-NY, attached H.R. 392's language to the Omnibus Spending Bill (H.R. 2764) that the House passed. The bill passed in the Senate on September 6; President George W. Bush signed the bill on December 26. The additional six coins to be minted in 2009 were expected to generate renewed interest in the series, generate over $400 million in additional revenue to the Treasury, and lead many publishers to produce new products to accommodate the additional six coins. H.R. 2764 also moved the "In God We Trust" from the edge to the obverse or reverse of the Presidential $1 Coin Program.
The 1997 act that authorized the statehood quarter program had originally provided that if the federal district, or any of the territories or commonwealths, became states before 2009, that new state would get a quarter.
Designs
| Federal district or Territory |
Release date (territory date) |
Mintage | Design | Elements depicted | Engraver | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver | Philadelphia | Total | |||||
 District of Columbia |
January 26, 2009 (July 16, 1790) |
88,800,000 | 83,600,000 | 172,400,000 |  |
Duke Ellington seated at a grand piano. Caption: "Duke Ellington" and "Justice for all" |
Don Everhart |
 Puerto Rico |
March 30, 2009 (December 10, 1898) |
86,000,000 | 53,200,000 | 139,200,000 |  |
A sentry box at Castillo San Felipe del Morro and a maga flower. Caption: "Isla del Encanto" (Island of enchantment) |
Joseph F. Menna |
 Guam |
May 26, 2009 (December 10, 1898) |
42,600,000 | 45,000,000 | 87,600,000 |  |
An outline of the island, a proa boat, and a latte stone. Caption: "Guahan I Tanó ManChamorro" (Guam, land of the Chamorro) |
Jim Licaretz |
 American Samoa |
July 27, 2009 (April 17, 1900) |
39,600,000 | 42,600,000 | 82,200,000 |  |
An ava bowl, whisk and staff in the foreground with a coconut tree on the shore in the background. Caption: "Samoa Muamua le Atua" (Samoa, God is first) |
Charles L. Vickers |
 U.S. Virgin Islands |
September 28, 2009 (March 31, 1917) |
41,000,000 | 41,000,000 | 82,000,000 |  |
An outline of the three major islands, the bananaquit, the yellow cedar or yellow elder, and a tyre palm tree. Caption: "United in Pride and Hope" |
Joseph F. Menna |
 Northern Mariana Islands |
November 30, 2009 (March 24, 1976) |
37,600,000 | 35,200,000 | 72,800,000 | |
Near the shore stand a large limestone latte, a canoe of the indigenous Carolinians, two white fairy terns, and a mwar (head lei). | Phebe Hemphill |
See also
In Spanish: Cuartos de dólar del Distrito de Columbia y de los Territorios de los Estados Unidos para niños
