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The Connecticut quarter, the last 50 State Quarters® Program coin issued in
1999, features "The Charter Oak": an integral part of Connecticut's heritage and
existence. If not for the famed "Charter Oak", Connecticut - and this country in
general - might be a very different place than it is today!
On the night of October 31, 1687, Connecticut's Charter was put to a test. A
British representative for King James II, challenged Connecticut's government
structure and demanded its surrender. In the middle of the heated discussion,
with the Charter on the table between the opposing parties, the candles were
mysteriously snuffed out, darkening the room. When visibility was reestablished,
the Connecticut Charter had vanished. Heroic Captain Joseph Wadsworth saved the
Charter from the hands of the British and concealed it in the safest place he
could find - in a majestic white oak. This famous tree, "The Charter Oak,"
finally fell during a great storm on August 21, 1856.
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The Connecticut quarter celebrates "The Charter
Oak" tree, which proved to be a good hiding place for the state's original
Constitution.
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In a press release issued February 3, 1998, Governor John G. Rowland
announced the Connecticut Coin Design Competition. More than 112 citizens
ranging from ages six to 87 from 46 cities and towns submitted design concept
entries to the Connecticut Commission on the Arts. Nineteen entrants submitted
renditions of the Charter Oak and five of those were selected and forwarded to
the United States Mint. Following the required review and approval process,
three designs were returned to Governor Rowland for consideration. The
Connecticut Commemorative Coin Design Competition Review Committee, with the
governor's approval, unanimously selected the Connecticut circulating quarter
design. Twenty-three people from 18 towns received honorable mentions for their
design concepts.
Purchase a
Connecticut State Quarter
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