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Release date of Arizona State Quarter: Early
Summer,
2008.
The third commemorative quarter-dollar coin released in 2008 honors Arizona,
and is the 48th coin in the United States Mint’s 50 State Quarters® Program.
Arizona was admitted into the Union on February 14, 1912, becoming our Nation’s
48th state, and the last in the continental United States.
The Arizona quarter features an image of the Grand Canyon with a Saguaro
cactus in the foreground. A banner reading "Grand Canyon State" separates the
two images to signify that the Saguaro cactus does not grow in the Grand Canyon.
The coin also bears the inscriptions "Arizona" and "1912."
One of the seven natural wonders of the world, the Grand Canyon covers more than
1.2 million acres in northwestern Arizona. The Canyon, sculpted by the mighty
Colorado River, is 6,000 feet deep at its deepest point and 18 miles at its
widest. It is home to numerous rare and threatened plant and animal species. The
Grand Canyon joined the National Park system in 1919 and is visited by more than
four million tourists a year.
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Grand Canyon with a Saguaro cactus, Arizona’s
state flower, in the foreground. A banner reading “Grand Canyon State” separates
the two images to signify that the Saguaro cactus does not grow in the Grand
Canyon. The coin also bears the inscriptions “Arizona” and “1912.”
United
States Mint image |
The Arizona Quarter Commission, appointed by Governor Janet Napolitano,
solicited design suggestions from across the State. The Commission narrowed down
more than 4,200 ideas to five narratives, which were sent to the United States
Mint for consideration. The final artistic renderings, developed by
Sculptor-Engravers of the United States Mint and artists in the United States
Mint’s Artistic Infusion Program, were then proposed to Arizona, and a statewide
online vote was conducted. On May 1, 2007, Governor Napolitano announced her
recommendation of the "Grand Canyon with Saguaro Cactus" design, based on the
results of the online poll.
The Department of the Treasury approved the design on May 25, 2007. The other
design concepts considered during the final selection process were "Grand
Canyon," featuring an overview of the Grand Canyon; "Grand Canyon with Saguaro
Cacti," featuring the Saguaro cactus as the central design with the Grand Canyon
in the background; "Powell’s Grand Canyon Expedition," depicting the John Wesley
Powell expedition in a boat going through rapids; and "Navajo Code Talkers,"
depicting two Navajo Code Talkers using World War II field communication
equipment. Purchase an
Arizona State Quarter
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