Mississippi State Quarters (Buy on eBay) were released on October 15, 2002 as the twentieth coin in the State Quarter series. Mississippi’s original Statehood date was December 10, 1817.
The reverse design features the state flower. The inscriptions include the State name, Statehood date, mintage date, “E Pluribus Unum,” and “The Magnolia State.” The coin’s reverse was designed and engraved by Donna Weaver.
The magnolia is the state flower of Mississippi. It can have white flowers as large as 15 inches across. It has unofficially been the state flower since 1900 and was officially adopted in 1952.
The governor of Mississippi had provided three design concepts to the United States Mint. These included the Magnolia design, a different Magnolia design with a branch, and a mockingbird. The governor selected the design featuring the Magnolia flower.
The Philadelphia mint produced 290,000,000 Mississippi Quarters and the Denver Mint produced 289,600,000. The San Francisco Mint produced clad proof and 90% silver proof coins for inclusion in government issued proof sets.
Mississippi Quarter Mintages
- 2002-P Mississippi Quarter: 290,000,000
- 2002-D Mississippi Quarter: 289,600,000
- 2002-S Proof Mississippi Quarter: 3,084,245
- 2002-S Silver Proof Mississippi Quarter: 892,229
Mississippi Quarter Specifications
- Designers: William Cousins after John Flanagan (obverse), Donna Weaver (reverse)
- Composition: 91.67% copper, 8.33% nickel (clad), 90% silver, 10% copper (silver proof)
- Diameter: 24.26 mm
- Weight: 5.67 grams
- Thickness: 1.75 mm
- Edge: Reeded
