# Who Designed The State Quarters? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 5, 2007, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-designed-the-state-quarters/391000 "2007-02-05T23:28:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-designed-the-state-quarters/391000/1 "2007-02-05T23:28:33Z")
I find most of the state stuff on the backs of the quarters pretty bizarre! Take Georgia-a peach? And Nebraska-it shows Chimney Rock-which is a landmark people trying to LEAVE the state looked for. Or New Hampshire-the “Old Man of the Mountains” doesn’t exist any more (it collapsed a few years ago). Vermont-maple syrup? C’mon-couldn’t they come up with something better? ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-designed-the-state-quarters/391000/2 "2007-02-05T23:32:48Z")
Some of them are downright lame. However, [this one](http://www.danamongden.net/archives/2005/02/louisiana_state.html) is right on the money. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2007, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-designed-the-state-quarters/391000/3 "2007-02-06T00:03:53Z")
IIRC, each state had a contest to pick their design. Some [opinions](http://www.bookofratings.com/quarters6.html). And [more.](http://www.bookofratings.com/morequarters.html) ---
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2007, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-designed-the-state-quarters/391000/4 "2007-02-06T00:04:35Z")
In Hawaii, the State set up a commission. They had 5 finalists, all of which got rejected by the mint as being too detailed. Pretty much all the designs had the seven major islands on them. Apparently, it’s back to the drawing board. The news story concluded with “The governor has the final say”. ---
**Author:** ![Cowboy8467](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5e925/32.png) [@Cowboy8467](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cowboy8467)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2007, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-designed-the-state-quarters/391000/5 "2007-02-06T03:32:00Z")
[QUOTE=Beware of Doug] Some of them are downright lame. However, [this one](http://www.danamongden.net/archives/2005/02/louisiana_state.html) is right on the money. [/QUOTE] Ha ha that is awesome. If only we really did have that quarter ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2007, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-designed-the-state-quarters/391000/6 "2007-02-06T04:45:52Z")
[QUOTE=ralph124c] Or New Hampshire-the “Old Man of the Mountains” doesn’t exist any more (it collapsed a few years ago). [/QUOTE] Um, it was there when the quarter came out. The states did a pretty good job, IMO, most of the quarters look pretty good. I like the maple syrup with Camel’s Hump in the background for VT. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2007, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-designed-the-state-quarters/391000/7 "2007-02-06T17:36:57Z")
I’m not from South Carolina but I like it’s quarter, the wren is pretty. ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2007, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-designed-the-state-quarters/391000/8 "2007-02-06T17:47:44Z")
[QUOTE=Beware of Doug] Some of them are downright lame. However, [this one](http://www.danamongden.net/archives/2005/02/louisiana_state.html) is right on the money. [/QUOTE] Can somebody describe this? I can’t view it at work. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2007, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-designed-the-state-quarters/391000/9 "2007-02-06T18:11:16Z")
The usual Mardi Gras street scene: an amply endowed young female raising her shirt for beads, with the motto underneath “Show Us Your Tits!” The perfect design, really. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2007, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-designed-the-state-quarters/391000/10 "2007-02-06T18:47:28Z")
Anybody else noticed that quarters minted more than 2-3 years previous are very hard to find? I guess people are hoarding them. ---
**Author:** ![Tikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Tikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikki)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2007, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-designed-the-state-quarters/391000/11 "2007-02-06T18:52:56Z")
The [Washington state quarter](http://www.governor.wa.gov/quarter/default.htm) will be of a salmon with Mount Rainier in the background (shown at the bottom of the link). I like it. Good detail, yet uncluttered. We had a contest where we could vote online for our favorite design. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2007, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-designed-the-state-quarters/391000/12 "2007-02-06T18:57:38Z")
I was under the impression they were supposed to be about the state’s history. Most of them look like they’re tourist promotions, a la license plates. Louisiana’s _real_ quarter is right on the money, I think. 😉 It depicts the Louisiana Purchase. Kentucky’s is stupid – a horse and a boxy depiction of Federal Hill, or “My Old Kentucky Home,” a real mansion where Stephen Collins Foster may or may not have penned the song. :rolleyes: for historical accuracy. Hm, I just looked at the state parks web site, and they’re now saying Federal Hill was the _inspiration_ for Foster’s song. And the horse? Um, yeah, we got 'em. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2007, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-designed-the-state-quarters/391000/13 "2007-02-06T19:01:34Z")
Hm. From Mint’s site on the state quarters program [design criteria](http://www.usmint.gov/mint_programs/50sq_program/index.cfm?action=criteria) page: > [@](#): > > Suitable subject matter for designs include state landmarks (natural and man-made), landscapes, historically significant buildings, symbols of state resources or industries, official state flora and fauna, state icons (e.g.. Texas Lone Star, Wyoming bronco, etc.), and outlines of the state. So it _can_ be historic, but need not be. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2007, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-designed-the-state-quarters/391000/14 "2007-02-06T20:05:48Z")
I like this one for Massachusetts: [New State Quarters](http://www.nbc.com/Late_Night_with_Conan_O'Brien/fan_favorites/quarters/quarters_2283_5.shtml#main) ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2007, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-designed-the-state-quarters/391000/15 "2007-02-07T15:11:03Z")
Wisconsin should have went for a busty maiden serving a big mug of beer. It gives you booze and big tits all for only two bits.