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Release date of Missouri State Quarter:
August 04, 2003.
The Missouri quarter is the fourth quarter of
2003, and the 24th in the 50 State Quarters® Program. Missouri became
the 24th state on August 10, 1821, as a part of the Missouri
Compromise.
The Missouri quarter depicts Lewis and Clark’s historic return to St.
Louis down the Missouri River, with the Jefferson National Expansion
Memorial (Gateway Arch) in the background. The quarter is inscribed
"Corps of Discovery 1804-2004."
While much of the state’s history is tied to the mighty rivers that
flow through it, the "Show Me State" got its nickname because of the
devotion of its people to simple common sense. In 1899, Rep. Willard D.
Vandiver said, "Frothy eloquence neither convinces nor satisfies me.
I'm from Missouri. You've got to show me." It is easy to imagine
President Thomas Jefferson saying "show me" as he sent Lewis and Clark
forth on their trek into the uncharted Louisiana Purchase territory.
Their 8,000-mile journey westward and back, which some claim was the
greatest U.S. military expedition ever, began in St. Charles, Missouri
-- just 20 miles west of St. Louis -- in 1804 and ended when they
returned to St. Louis, Missouri in 1806.
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| The Missouri coin depicts
Lewis and Clark’s historic return to St. Louis down the Missouri River,
with the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (Gateway Arch) in the
background. The quarter is inscribed "Corps of Discovery 1804-2004." United
States Mint image. |
In February 2001, Governor Bob Holden announced
the selection of the
Missouri Commemorative Quarter Design Committee and requested statewide
design submissions. During the month of March, the state received more
than 3,000 concept submissions.
The Missouri Commemorative Design Committee, composed of a team of
experts, selected twelve finalists. The twelve finalists were presented
to the public, who chose five concepts to forward to the United States
Mint. The concepts included representations of the Pony Express, the
nation’s westward expansion, Lewis and Clark, and a riverboat. From the
candidate designs that the United States Mint returned to Governor
Holden, "Corps of Discovery 1804-2004" was chosen by an online vote.
Purchase a Missouri
State Quarter
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