According to an Associated Press report yesterday, the U.S. Mint has released the last five designs for the state quarter collection. The Mint's 50 State Quarters Program releases quarters in order of each state's admittance to the country, starting with Delaware's quarter in 1999. The effort kicked off a coin collecting craze unlike anything ever seen before in the coin world. Based on a 2005 survey, Mint officials estimate 147 million people have gotten involved in collecting the quarters with their constantly changing designs. "The American people have made the 50 state quarters the most successful coins in United States history," said Mint Director Ed Moy.
The next one to be put into circulation in late January honors Oklahoma, which entered the union on Jan. 6, 1912. It will feature the state bird, the scissortail flycatcher, and the state wildflower, the Indian blanket. That will be followed by a Zia sun symbol for New Mexico, which entered the union on Jan. 6, 1912. Arizona, admitted on Feb. 14, 1912, will be represented by the Grand Canyon and a saguaro cactus. Alaska's coin will feature a grizzly bear wading in a stream with a salmon in its mouth while the Hawaii coin depicts King Kamehameha. Alaska and Hawaii were the last states to join the union in 1959.
Through the first eight years of the program, the Mint produced 31.2 billion quarters. Moy said about 20 billion of those quarters were due to the popularity of the changing designs which attracted collectors in record numbers.
The quarters are scheduled to revert back to their pre-1999 designs after next year. George Washington will remain on the "heads" side of the coin, but the "tails" side where the state designs had been placed will once again feature an American eagle.
Collectors who are missing some states should not lose heart since the coins already produced should remain in circulation for about 30 years. Be sure to manage your collection of state quarters using iTaggit. Also check out who has extra quarters you might be missing.