|
The Arkansas quarter is the fifth and final quarter of 2003, and the 25th in
the 50 State Quarters® Program. Arkansas was admitted into the Union on June 15,
1836. Arkansas was acquired through the Louisiana Purchase and later became the
Arkansas Territory before gaining statehood. The Arkansas quarter design bears
the image of rice stalks, a diamond and a mallard gracefully flying above a
lake.
It is fitting that the "Natural State," Arkansas's official nickname, chose
images of natural resources. Arkansas has an abundance of clear streams, rivers
and lakes. In fact, Arkansas has more than 600,000 acres of natural lakes.
Arkansas is also known for its sportsmanship and boasts mallard hunting as a
main attraction for hunters across the nation.
|
 |
|
The Arkansas quarter
depicts the image of rice stalks, a diamond and a mallard gracefully flying
above a lake.
United States Mint image |
Visitors to Arkansas can search Crater of Diamonds State Park for precious
gems including, of course, diamonds. The mine at Crater of Diamonds State Park
reportedly is the oldest diamond mine in North America, and the only one in the
United States open to the public-visitors get to keep what they find. Visitors
can also experience "Rice Fever" in Arkansas-just the way W.H. Fuller did when
he grew the first commercially successful rice crop in Arkansas. Soon after,
thousands of acres of the Grand Prairie were changed to cultivate rice, and
Arkansas became the leading producer of the grain in the United States.
In January 2001, Governor Mike Huckabee announced the Arkansas Quarter Challenge
as a statewide competition. A two-week media tour promoting the Challenge
resulted in 9,320 entries. After several rounds of elimination, the Governor
forwarded three concepts to the United States Mint, including Arkansas' natural
resources and the State Capitol building. The United States Mint provided four
candidate designs based on the concepts to the Governor from which he chose the
natural resources design.
Purchase an
Arkansas State Quarter
|
