South Dakota State Quarters (Buy on eBay) were released on November 6, 2006 as the fortieth coin in the State Quarter series. This was the fifth and final release for the year 2006. South Dakota’s original Statehood date was November 2, 1889.
The reverse design of the South Dakota Quarter features Mount Rushmore. The inscriptions include the State name, Statehood date, mintage date, and “E Pluribus Unum.” The coin’s reverse was designed and engraved by John Mercanti.
Mount Rushmore National Monument features likenesses of four American Presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. The reverse design also includes the Chinese ring necked pheasant, which is the state bird of South Dakota. The entire design is bordered by wheat ears.
The South Dakota Quarter Advisory Committee accepted and reviewed ideas from the state’s citizens. Five possible design concepts were selected and forwarded to the United States Mint. The governor selected the Mount Rushmore and Pheasant design, and the US Treasury Department provided final approval. Other designs considered included a three-quarter view of Mount Rushmore, the America Bison, and the Chinese Ring-necked Pheasant.
The Philadelphia mint produced 245,000,000 coins. The Denver mint produced 265,800,000 coins. The South Dakota Quarter had the lowest mintage for all State Quarters released during 2006. The San Francisco Mint produced clad proof and 90% silver proof coins for inclusion in government issued proof sets.
South Dakota Quarter Mintages
- 2006-P South Dakota Quarter: 245,000,000
- 2006-D South Dakota Quarter: 265,800,000
- 2006-S Proof South Dakota Quarter: 2,882,428
- 2006-S Silver Proof South Dakota Quarter: 1,585,008
South Dakota Quarter Specifications
- Designers: William Cousins after John Flanagan (obverse), John Mercanti (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
