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Release date of WV State Quarter: October 14,
2005.
The fifth and final quarter to be released in 2005 commemorates the State of
West Virginia. On June 20, 1863, the "Mountain State" became the 35th
state to be admitted into the Union, making this the 35th coin to be issued in
the United States Mint’s popular 50 State Quarters® Program. This coin
captures the scenic beauty of the State with its depiction of the New River and
the New River Gorge Bridge. The coin bears the inscription "New River
Gorge."
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The scenic beauty of the New River featuring the
New River Gorge Bridge graces the West Virginia State Quarter.
United States Mint image |
Prior to gaining statehood, the area that is now West Virginia formed the
western part of Virginia. Settlers in the western part of the "Old Dominion"
began their efforts to join the federal Union when Virginia announced its
secession in 1861. In the western part of the State, the Restored
Government of Virginia in Wheeling drafted a state constitution in 1862.
The new state called West Virginia applied to Congress for admission into the
Union. Congress approved the request with one condition, that the new state
abolish slavery. President Lincoln signed the West Virginia statehood bill and
on June 20, 1863, West Virginia officially became the 35th state to be admitted
into the Union.
The design chosen to represent West Virginia is one that combines the natural
physical beauty of the State and the triumph of the human intellect exemplified
by the engineering wonder that is the New River Gorge Bridge. At 3,030
feet long and 69 feet wide, the bridge is the world’s largest steel span and the
second highest bridge in the United States, rising 876 feet above the New River
Gorge in southern West Virginia. In 1978, 53 miles of the New River was
added to the National Park System as the New River Gorge National River.
For years, crossing the New River Gorge meant long detours along narrow, winding
mountain roads. The completion of the bridge in 1977 reduced this
dangerous 40-minute trip to a smooth and scenic one-minute drive.
On March 31, 2004, West Virginia Governor Bob Wise announced his selection of
the New River Gorge as the design he would submit to Treasury for final
approval. The Department of Treasury approved the design on May 4, 2004.
More than 1,800 design concepts were submitted from around the State, and
students from the Governor’s School for the Arts narrowed the field to five
finalists. Other designs considered included "Appalachian Warmth," "Bridge
Day / New River Gorge," "River Rafters," and "Mother’s Day / Anna Jarvis."
Purchase a
West Virginia State Quarter
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