The District of Columbia and United States Territories Quarter Program
Arizona Coin Collector
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/80271
American Chronicle
Thursday, November 6, 2008
The District of Columbia and United States
Territories Quarter Program
Michael Zielinski
After this week's release of the final coin of
the 50 State Quarters Program honoring Hawaii,
many coin collectors are asking, what's next?
Starting in 2009, the US Mint will begin a
separate program known as the District of
Columbia and United States Territories Quarter
Program. Under the program circulation
commemorative quarter dollar coins will be
issued to honor the remaining U.S.
jurisdictions that are not states. Quarters
will be issued for the District of Columbia,
the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam,
American Samoa, the United States Virgin
Islands, and the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands.
Similar to the preceding State Quarters
series, each coin will feature a distinct
reverse design. Each design will contain
images and themes which are emblematic of
the District of Columbia and each U.S.
Territory. The design selection process
includes consultation with the chief
executive of D.C. and each Territory,
consultation with the Commission of Fine
Arts, and review by the Citizens Coinage
Advisory Committee. The Secretary of the
Treasury has final approval for each design.
The design selection process usually includes
several candidate designs before the final
selections are decided.
The Puerto Rico quarter proposed designs
include a depiction of the Governor's
residence, a fortress parapet with the
national flower, or the Arecibo Observatory.
American Samoa's proposed designs include
depiction of a man holding a dried coconut
cup used in the ava ceremony, a collection
of items representative of American Samoa,
and some of the same items with the
coastline in the background.
Some quarter designs have already been
selected by residents or other responsible
figures. The Secretary of the Treasury does
have final approval over all designs,
however he will usually agree with the
design recommendation reached through the
selection process.
Washington, D.C.'s candidate designs
included depictions of Frederick Douglas,
Benjamin Banneker, and Duke Ellington. By
popular vote. D.C. residents selected the
Duke Ellington design. Guam's design was
also chosen by popular vote includes an
outline of the island, a Flying Proa, and
a stone Latte. The design for the U.S.
Virgin Islands quarter features the
Banana Quit, Yellow Cedar flower, and an
outline of the islands. The design for the
Northern Mariana Islands features a stone
Lattte, coconut trees, a sailing vessel,
and native plants and birds.
The new quarters will be issued for
circulation starting in 2009, released
in equal intervals throughout the year.
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