Oklahoma State Quarters (Buy on eBay) were released on January 28, 2008 as the forty-sixth coin in the State Quarter series. This was the first release in the series for the year 2008. Oklahoma’s original Statehood date was November 16, 1907.
The Oklahoma Quarter reverse design features the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. The inscriptions include the State name, Statehood date, mintage date, “E Pluribus Unum.” The coin’s reverse was designed by Susan Gamble and engraved by Phebe Hemphill.
The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher is Oklahoma’s state bird. The design depicts the bird with its distinctive tail feathers spread. Beneath the bird, there is also the state wildflower called the Indian Blanket in a field of wildflowers.
Citizens of Oklahoma submitted over 1,000 narratives as design concepts for the new quarter. This was narrowed to five, which were sent to the United States Mint for the development of artistic design renderings. The governor chose the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher design due to overwhelming support of the citizen votes. The US Treasury Department later gave final approval. Other design concepts considered for the Oklahoma Quarter included depictions of a pioneer woman with a windmill and oil derrick, state outline and oil derrick, and state outline and calumet.
The Philadelphia mint produced 222,000,000 coins. The Denver mint produced 194,600,000 coins. The Oklahoma Quarter has the lowest overall mintage for the entire State Quarter series.
Oklahoma Quarter Mintages
- 2008-P Oklahoma Quarter: 222,000,000
- 2008-D Oklahoma Quarter: 194,600,000
- 2008-S Proof Oklahoma Quarter: 2,078,112
- 2008-S Silver Proof Oklahoma Quarter: 1,192,908
Oklahoma Quarter Specifications
- Designers: William Cousins after John Flanagan (obverse), Susan Gamble (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
