50 State quarters facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
50 State quarter

United States
Value	0.25 US 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	1999–2008
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; five designs per year (latest shown)
Designer	various
Design date	2008

The 50 State quarters were a special series of quarters made by the United States Mint. These coins were released from 1999 to 2008. Each quarter had a unique design on its back side, celebrating one of the 50 US states.

This program was created to get more people, especially young people, interested in collecting coins. It became super popular! About half of all Americans collected these coins. The US government also made an extra $3 billion because so many people kept the coins instead of spending them.

After the 50 State Quarters, the US Mint started a new program in 2009. This program featured quarters for the District of Columbia and other US territories like Puerto Rico and Guam.

How the Quarters Started

The idea for the 50 State Quarters came from a group called the Citizens Commemorative Coin Advisory Committee. This group was led by Philip N. Diehl, who was in charge of the US Mint.

One member, David Ganz, really pushed for the idea of quarters for each state. In 1995, the committee agreed. They then got help from Representative Mike Castle, a politician from Delaware.

At first, the US Treasury Department wasn't sure about the idea. They worried about how special coins had been handled in the past. But the Mint showed that the program could make a lot of money for the government. This money would come from people collecting the coins and taking them out of circulation.

With this information, the idea moved forward. In 1997, Congress passed a law called the 50 States Commemorative Coin Program Act. President Bill Clinton signed it into law on December 1, 1997. This meant the program was officially happening!

The 50 State Quarters Program

The US Mint released five new state quarters each year. They came out about every ten weeks. The order of release was based on when each state joined the Union or approved the Constitution.

Each quarter's back side showed a design that represented that state's history, traditions, or symbols. There were some rules for the designs. For example, they couldn't show state flags, living people, or close-up pictures of people who had passed away.

Each state played a big part in choosing its quarter's design. Most states asked their citizens to send in ideas. Then, a special group would pick a few top designs. These designs were sent to the Secretary of the Treasury for approval.

Once approved, the designs went back to the states for a final choice. In many states, the governor made the final decision. But in 17 states, citizens got to vote for their favorite design online, by phone, or by mail. Artists at the US Mint then created the final coin designs.

This program was the most popular special coin program in United States history. The US Mint believes that 147 million Americans collected these quarters. Also, 3.5 million people helped choose the designs!

By the end of 2008, all 50 state quarters had been made. The US Mint produced over 34.7 billion of these coins. Some states, like Virginia, had many more quarters made (over 1.5 billion) than others, like Oklahoma (around 416 million).

Designs of the Quarters

Year	No.	State	Release date (statehood date)	Mintage	Design	Elements depicted	Engraver
1999	1	Delaware	January 4, 1999 (December 7, 1787)	774,824,000		Caesar Rodney on horseback Captions: "The First State", "Caesar Rodney"	William Cousins
	2	Pennsylvania	March 8, 1999 (December 12, 1787)	707,332,000		Commonwealth statue, state outline, keystone Caption: "Virtue, Liberty, Independence"	John Mercanti
	3	New Jersey	May 17, 1999 (December 18, 1787)	662,228,000		Washington Crossing the Delaware, which includes George Washington (standing) and James Monroe (holding the flag) Caption: "Crossroads of the Revolution"	Alfred Maletsky
	4	Georgia	July 19, 1999 (January 2, 1788)	939,932,000		Peach, live oak (state tree) sprigs, state outline Banner with text: "Wisdom, Justice, Moderation" (the state motto)	T. James Ferrell
	5	Connecticut	October 12, 1999 (January 9, 1788)	1,346,624,000		Charter Oak Caption: "The Charter Oak"	T. James Ferrell
2000	6	Massachusetts	January 3, 2000 (February 6, 1788)	1,163,784,000		The Minute Man statue, state outline Caption: "The Bay State"	Thomas D. Rodgers
	7	Maryland	March 13, 2000 (April 28, 1788)	1,234,732,000		Dome of the Maryland State House, white oak (state tree) clusters Caption: "The Old Line State"	Thomas D. Rodgers
	8	South Carolina	May 22, 2000 (May 23, 1788)	1,308,784,000		Carolina wren (state bird), yellow jessamine (state flower), cabbage palmetto (state tree), state outline Caption: "The Palmetto State"	Thomas D. Rodgers
	9	New Hampshire	August 7, 2000 (June 21, 1788)	1,169,016,000		Old Man of the Mountain, nine stars Captions: "Old Man of the Mountain", "Live Free or Die"	William Cousins
	10	Virginia	October 16, 2000 (June 25, 1788)	1,594,616,000		Ships Susan Constant, Godspeed, Discovery Captions: "Jamestown, 1607–2007", "Quadricentennial"	Edgar Z. Steever
2001	11	New York	January 2, 2001 (July 26, 1788)	1,275,040,000		Statue of Liberty, 11 stars, state outline with line tracing Hudson River and Erie Canal Caption: "Gateway to Freedom"	Alfred Maletsky
	12	North Carolina	March 12, 2001 (November 21, 1789)	1,055,476,000		Wright Flyer, John T. Daniels's iconic photo of the Wright brothers Caption: "First Flight"	John Mercanti
	13	Rhode Island	May 21, 2001 (May 29, 1790)	870,100,000		America's Cup yacht Reliance on Narragansett Bay, Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge Caption: "The Ocean State"	Thomas D. Rodgers
	14	Vermont	August 6, 2001 (March 4, 1791)	882,804,000		Maple trees with sap buckets, Camel's Hump Mountain Caption: "Freedom and Unity"	T. James Ferrell
	15	Kentucky	October 15, 2001 (June 1, 1792)	723,564,000		Thoroughbred racehorse behind fence, Bardstown mansion, Federal Hill Caption: "My Old Kentucky Home"	T. James Ferrell
2002	16	Tennessee	January 2, 2002 (June 1, 1796)	648,068,000		Fiddle, trumpet, guitar, musical score, three stars Banner with text: "Musical Heritage"	Donna Weaver
	17	Ohio	March 11, 2002 (March 1, 1803)	632,032,000		Wright Flyer III (built by the Wright Brothers who were from Dayton); astronaut (Neil Armstrong, a native of Wapakoneta); state outline Caption: "Birthplace of Aviation Pioneers"	Donna Weaver
	18	Louisiana	May 20, 2002 (April 30, 1812)	764,204,000		Brown pelican (state bird); trumpet with musical notes, outline of Louisiana Purchase on map of US Caption: "Louisiana Purchase"	John Mercanti
	19	Indiana	August 2, 2002 (December 11, 1816)	689,800,000		IndyCar, state outline, 19 stars Caption: "Crossroads of America"	Donna Weaver
	20	Mississippi	October 15, 2002 (December 10, 1817)	579,600,000		Two magnolia blossoms (state flower) Caption: "The Magnolia State"	Donna Weaver
2003	21	Illinois	January 2, 2003 (December 3, 1818)	463,200,000		Young Abraham Lincoln; farm scene; Chicago skyline; state outline; 21 stars, 11 on left edge and 10 on right Captions: "Land of Lincoln;" "21st state/century"	Donna Weaver
	22	Alabama	March 17, 2003 (December 14, 1819)	457,400,000		Helen Keller, seated, longleaf pine (state tree) branch, magnolia blossoms Banner with text: "Spirit of Courage" Caption: "Helen Keller" in standard print and Braille	Norman E. Nemeth
	23	Maine	June 2, 2003 (March 15, 1820)	448,800,000		Pemaquid Point Lighthouse; the schooner Victory Chimes at sea	Donna Weaver
	24	Missouri	August 4, 2003 (August 10, 1821)	453,200,000		Gateway Arch, Lewis and Clark and York returning down Missouri River Caption: "Corps of Discovery 1804–2004"	Alfred Maletsky
	25	Arkansas	October 20, 2003 (June 15, 1836)	457,800,000		Diamond (state gem), rice stalks, mallard flying above a lake	John Mercanti
2004	26	Michigan	January 26, 2004 (January 26, 1837)	459,600,000		State outline, outline of Great Lakes system Caption: "Great Lakes State"	Donna Weaver
	27	Florida	March 29, 2004 (March 3, 1845)	481,800,000		Spanish galleon, Sabal palmetto (state tree), Space Shuttle Caption: "Gateway to Discovery"	T. James Ferrell
	28	Texas	June 1, 2004 (December 29, 1845)	541,800,000		State outline, star, lariat Caption: "The Lone Star State"	Norman E. Nemeth
	29	Iowa	August 30, 2004 (December 28, 1846)	465,200,000		Schoolhouse, teacher and students planting a tree; based on the Grant Wood painting Arbor Day Captions: "Foundation in Education", "Grant Wood"	John Mercanti
	30	Wisconsin	October 25, 2004 (May 29, 1848)	453,200,000		Head of a cow, round of cheese and ear of corn (state grain). Banner with text: "Forward"	Alfred Maletsky
2005	31	California	January 31, 2005 (September 9, 1850)	520,400,000		John Muir, California condor, Half Dome Captions: "John Muir," "Yosemite Valley"	Don Everhart
	32	Minnesota	April 4, 2005 (May 11, 1858)	488,000,000		Common loon (state bird), fishing, state outline Caption: "Land of 10,000 Lakes"	Charles L. Vickers
	33	Oregon	June 6, 2005 (February 14, 1859)	720,200,000		Crater Lake National Park Caption: "Crater Lake"	Donna Weaver
	34	Kansas	August 29, 2005 (January 29, 1861)	563,400,000		American bison (state mammal), sunflowers (state flower)	Norman E. Nemeth
	35	West Virginia	October 14, 2005 (June 20, 1863)	721,600,000		New River Gorge Bridge Caption: "New River Gorge"	John Mercanti
2006	36	Nevada	January 31, 2006 (October 31, 1864)	589,800,000		Mustangs, mountains, rising sun, sagebrush (state flower) Banner with text: "The Silver State"	Don Everhart
	37	Nebraska	April 3, 2006 (March 1, 1867)	594,400,000		Chimney Rock National Historic Site, Conestoga wagon Caption: "Chimney Rock"	Charles L. Vickers
	38	Colorado	June 14, 2006 (August 1, 1876)	569,000,000		Longs Peak Banner with text: "Colorful Colorado"	Norman E. Nemeth
	39	North Dakota	August 28, 2006 (November 2, 1889)	664,800,000		American bison, badlands	Donna Weaver
	40	South Dakota	November 6, 2006 (November 2, 1889)	510,800,000		Mount Rushmore, ring-necked pheasant (state bird), wheat (state grass)	John Mercanti
2007	41	Montana	January 29, 2007 (November 8, 1889)	513,240,000		American bison skull in the center with mountains and the Missouri River in the background. Caption: "Big Sky Country"	Don Everhart
	42	Washington	April 2, 2007 (November 11, 1889)	545,200,000		Salmon leaping in front of Mount Rainier Caption: "The Evergreen State"	Charles L. Vickers
	43	Idaho	June 4, 2007 (July 3, 1890)	581,400,000		Peregrine falcon, state outline with star indicating location of state capital Boise, Idaho Caption: "Esto Perpetua"	Don Everhart
	44	Wyoming	September 4, 2007 (July 10, 1890)	564,400,000		Bucking Horse and Rider Caption: "The Equality State"	Norman E. Nemeth
	45	Utah	November 5, 2007 (January 4, 1896)	508,200,000		Golden spike, Locomotives Jupiter, No. 119, and the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad Caption: "Crossroads of the West"	Joseph F. Menna
2008	46	Oklahoma	January 28, 2008 (November 16, 1907)	416,600,000		Scissor-tailed flycatcher (state bird), with Indian blankets (state wildflower) in background	Phebe Hemphill
	47	New Mexico	April 7, 2008 (January 6, 1912)	488,600,000		State outline with relief, Zia sun symbol from flag Caption: "Land of Enchantment"	Don Everhart
	48	Arizona	June 2, 2008 (February 14, 1912)	509,600,000		Grand Canyon, saguaro cactus closeup. Banner with text: "Grand Canyon State"	Joseph F. Menna
	49	Alaska	August 25, 2008 (January 3, 1959)	505,800,000		Grizzly bear with salmon (state fish) and North Star Caption: "The Great Land"	Charles L. Vickers
	50	Hawaii	November 3, 2008 (August 21, 1959)	517,600,000		Statue of Kamehameha I with state outline and motto Caption: "Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono"	Don Everhart

Quarters for US Territories

After the 50 State Quarters, the US Mint released a new series in 2009. These quarters honored the District of Columbia and six US territories. These territories include Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the United States Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

Map of Quarter Release Years

This map shows the years each state, federal district, or territory quarter was released.

Are They Valuable?

A quarter with a partially rubbed off "In God We Trust" motto.

The 50 State Quarters program was made to teach young people about the states. It also encouraged them to collect coins just for fun.

Even though some states had fewer quarters made than others, most of these coins are not super rare or valuable. You can still find them in circulation.

However, some quarters have interesting mistakes, called "die errors." These errors happened during the coin-making process.

For example, some Wisconsin quarters from 2005 have different designs for a small leaf near the corn. Some have no leaf, some have a leaf pointing up, and some have it bending down. These error coins can be worth more to collectors.

Another mistake happened with some early Delaware quarters. They were a bit heavier than normal, which caused problems in vending machines. Some of these quarters even had a missing letter, saying "THE FIRST STAT" instead of "THE FIRST STATE."

In 2000, a big mistake happened when a quarter was made with the front of a state quarter and the back of a Sacagawea dollar. These rare coins are called "mules." Only a few of them are known to exist.

Other quarters with errors include some 2005 Minnesota quarters with extra trees or a "double die" effect. Some 2005 Kansas quarters also have a "humpback bison" due to a die break. You might even find Kansas quarters that say "IN GOD WE RUST" instead of "IN GOD WE TRUST"!

The program made many more people interested in collecting coins. You could see lots of ads and products related to state quarters during those years.

Images for kids

• North Dakota quarter, reverse side, 2006

  North Dakota quarter

• South Dakota quarter, reverse side, 2006

  South Dakota quarter

• Wyoming quarter, reverse side, 2007

  Wyoming quarter

See also

In Spanish: Cuartos de dólar de los 50 estados para niños