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The Florida quarter is the second of 2004, and the 27th in the United States
Mint’s 50 State Quarters® Program. On March 3, 1845, Florida became the 27th
state to be admitted into the Union.
The design incorporates a 16th-century Spanish galleon, a space shuttle and the
inscription "Gateway to Discovery." A strip of land with Sabal palm trees is
also depicted.
On Easter in 1513, while searching for the legendary Fountain of Youth, Ponce de
Leon named the region "Pascua Florida," meaning "Flowery Easter." In 1539,
Hernando de Soto and other explorers continued the exploration of the New World
through the region.
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The Florida quarter incorporates a 16th-century
Spanish galleon, a space shuttle and the inscription "Gateway to Discovery." A
strip of land with Sabal palm trees is also depicted.
United States Mint image |
Florida, home to the Kennedy Space Center, has been the starting point for
most of the modern era’s most significant scientific space expeditions – from
Man’s first moon landing to the Voyager probe currently exploring deep space
outside our solar system. From 16th-century Spanish galleons to 21st-century
space exploration, Florida has played a continuing role in humanity’s quest for
knowledge and discovery. With the highest average temperature of any state, and
the second longest shoreline, Florida is one of the world’s most popular tourist
destinations.
On April 9, 2002, Governor Jeb Bush appointed a nine-person Florida
Commemorative Quarter Committee. In May 2002, the Committee reviewed over 1,500
design concepts and narrowed the candidates to 25. The Committee met again in
June 2002 and selected 10 candidate design concepts to forward to Governor Bush,
who selected five concepts – including "The Everglades," "Gateway to Discovery,"
"Fishing Capital of the World," "St. Augustine," and "America’s Spaceport." In a
three-week public vote, Floridians chose "Gateway to Discovery" as the winning
design.
Purchase a
Florida State Quarter
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