The Quarters are Coming! The Quarters are Coming!

This month, Pennsylvania's commemorative quarter joins Delaware's state quarter in circulation around the country.

The quarters are the first of 50 re-designed quarters to be issued by the United States Treasury as part of a 10-year celebration of the country called "50 State Quarters Program." Every 10 weeks from 1999 through 2008, the quarter's reverse (tails) design will change, with each design celebrating one of the 50 states.

The coins will be issued in the same sequence as the states' admission to the Union. The five state quarters issued in 1999 honor the first five states: Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut. New York was the 11th state to enter the union; it's quarter is scheduled to appear in 2001.

The obverse (heads) of the quarter will still display the familiar profile of George Washington. To accommodate state designs on the reverse (tails) side, the words "United States of America," "Quarter Dollar," "Liberty," and "In God We Trust" have been moved from the reverse to the obverse.

The Delaware quarter, which is circulating in this area, depicts Caesar Rodney on his historic 80-mile ride in July 1776 to break the tie among Delaware's delegates by signing the Declaration of Independence.

The reverse of the Pennsylvania quarter features the "Commonwealth," the statue which is atop the state's capitol dome, an outline of the state, the state's motto ("Liberty, Independence, Virtue"), and a keystone. This design was chosen because it will educate people about the founding principles of Pennsylvania.

Governor Tom Ridge of Pennsylvania invited all Pennsylvanians to submit design concepts for the quarter. Through Internet technology, petitions, classroom projects and the U.S. mail, more than 5,300 Pennsylvanians answered the call for ideas.

The most nominated concepts included the keystone, the state seal, an Amish horse and buggy, the Liberty Bell, the State Capitol's Commonwealth statue, the Ruffed Grouse as the state bird, the Mountain Laurel as the state flower, Independence Hall in Philadelphia, the Capitol Building and the nation's first oil drilling at Drake Well in Titusville. Many entries suggested multiple concepts, and many entrants suggested similar concepts.

A 14-member committee selected five designs, four of which were approved by the U. S. Mint. The Governor then selected the final design recommendation of "Commonwealth."

An estimated 600 to 700 million of the copper/nickel-based Pennsylvania Commemorative Quarters will be put into circulation. The Mint will issue 2.5 to 3.5 billion total Commemorative coins of all the states based on demand and need from 1999 to 2009.

A study commissioned by the Treasury Department found that the government would earn between $2.6 billion and $5.1 billion because many people will save the quarters, which cost the government only a few cents to make.

Rep. Michael Castle (R), Del., chairman of the House monetary policy subcommittee, commented, "They're educational. When you get change at toll gates, kids will scramble to look at the coins. For $12.50 they can collect them all. You're going to teach kids something about history."

This program is the first change to the quarter since the Bicentennial quarter in 1975-76. The Mint will not produce the "Eagle" quarter until the 50 State Quarters program is over.

Delaware's quarter, which features Ceasar Rodney, is already in circulation.

Pennsylvania's quarter, which features the "Commonwealth" statue, is being issued this month