The Alabama
state quarter, which is scheduled to be released this month, celebrates
the state's Spirit of Courage, and one of its native daughters who personified
that spirit, Helen Keller.
The quarter features an image of Helen Keller, who was deaf and blind, sitting in a chair reading a book in Braille. Helen's name appears on the coin in both English and Braille - the Alabama quarter is the first U.S. circulating coin to feature Braille. The depiction of Keller was inspired by a photograph provided by her great-great-niece, who describes it as a family favorite. Beneath Helen is a small banner with the words Spirit of Courage. The coin also features a wreath of camellias, Alabama's state flower, and a wreath of needles and cones from the Southern Longleaf Pine, Alabama's state tree.
"Spirit of Courage represents the strength, perseverance and positive
attitude of Alabamians who, from their earliest habitation, have shown
remarkable courage," said Alabama Governor Don Siegelman who unveiled the
design last October. "Embodying such courage in the face of overwhelming
challenges was Helen Keller, whose life and spirit continue to inspire
generations the world over."
Helen Keller was born in 1880 in Tuscumbia, Alabama, in a small
cottage called "Ivy Green." When she was 18 months old, she was struck
with an illness that left her deaf and blind, and shut off from the world
she once knew. In 1887, her life was re-born when 20-year-old Anne Sullivan
was hired to teach the wild, unruly child. The breakthrough came when Miss
Sullivan spelled "water" in sign language in Helen's hand while pumping
water over it. Helen finally understood that "w-a-t-e-r" was the word for
the cool, liquid substance.
Anne Sullivan's struggle to awaken Helen's mind to the world of
language and communication was the basis for William Gibson's play and
movie The Miracle Worker which starred Patty Duke as Helen and Anne
Bancroft as Miss Sullivan.
Despite her disabilities, Helen Keller learned to speak and read
using the raised and manual alphabets, as well as Braille. She also graduated
with honors from Radcliffe. She wrote many books, articles and essays,
and lived out her life addressing social issues for disabled persons and
women. Every year at "Ivy Green," a week-long celebration is held to commemorate
her lifetime of accomplishments and her Spirit of Courage.
The Alabama quarter is the second quarter of 2003, and the 22nd
in the 50 State Quarters® Program. Alabama became the 22nd state to
be admitted into the Union on December 14, 1819. Coins honoring Maine,
Missouri, and Arkansas will be issued later this year.
The Community Press