State Quarter Guide
The 50 State Quarters Program has nearly run its course, but it has reinvigorated the hobby of coin collecting with a generation of new collectors. Under the program, circulating commemorative coins were issued from 1999 to 2008 featuring each of the 50 United States.
Both new and old collectors have enjoyed ten years of collecting newly designed quarters for their coin collections. The program has also inspired the broader redesign of several other denominations of US coinage.
50 State Quarters Program
The State Quarter Program was authorized by the 50 States Commemorative Coin Program Act (Public Law 105-124) signed into law on December 1, 1997 by President Clinton. The Act provided for the redesign and issuance of a quarter dollar commemorative coin for each of the 50 States beginning in 1999.
At the time this was an unprecedented program. It provided for a change in design five times per year for a 10 year period. It also marked the first change to the quarter’s design since 1987.
The purpose of the program was to ‘honor the unique Federal Republic of 50 States that comprise the United States; and to promote the diffusion of knowledge among the youth of the United States about the individual states, their history and geography, and the rich diversity of the national heritage…” and to encourage “young people and their families to collect memorable tokens of all of the States for the face value of the coins.”
State Quarter Designs
The obverse of each State Quarter bears a consistent design featuring a portrait of George Washington. The design is similar to the prior design of the Washington Quarter series. It bears inscriptions normally found on the quarter’s reverse- “United States of America,” “Liberty,” “In God We Trust,” and “Quarter Dollar.”
The reverse carries single state designs with each design emblematic of one of the 50 States. Under the Act, each quarter must bear a dignified design of which the citizens of the United States can be proud. No frivolous or inappropriate designs should be selected. In addition, the reverse design cannot use a head and shoulders portrait or bust of any person living or dead. No living person may be included in a design.
Reverse designs are selected by the Secretary of the Treasury after consultation with the Governor of the state being commemorated and the Commission of Fine Arts. In addition, each design is reviewed by the Citizens Commemorative Coin Advisory Committee.
Learn about the State Quarter Design Process.
State Quarter Releases
State Quarters have been released during the ten year period beginning with 1999 and concluding in 2008. Five different reverse designs have been released per year. Each state is commemorated in the order it ratified the Constitution or was admitted into the Union.
The Act also provides that if any additional State is admitted into the Union during the ten year period of the program, the Secretary of the Treasury may issue a State Quarter commemorating the new state. This quarter would be issued in any one year in addition to the five originally scheduled coins.
View the full State Quarter Release Schedule.
After the 50 State Quarters
The 50 State Quarters Program was initially scheduled to end in 2008 with the 50th State of Hawaii. However, under a provision to the 2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act, six newly designed quarters will be issued in 2009 honoring the District of Columbia and the five United States Territories. The familiar obverse design from the State Quarters Program will be used. This separate program is known as the District of Columbia and US Territories Quarter Program.
For 2010 quarters, another program featuring rotating reverse designs have recently been proposed. A bill which has already been passed in the US House of Representatives would call for the creation of National Park Quarters. Under the program each state would select a national park of other national site to be commemorated. Five different reverse designs would be issued each year for at least 11 years. In order to become law the bill must pass the Senate and be signed into law by the President.