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::: Important
Dates ::: |
Statehood
Date |
December 12, 1787 |
Release
Date |
March 8, 1999 |
|
::: Mintage Facts
::: |
|
Philadelphia |
349,000,000 |
|
Denver |
358,332,000 |
|
Total |
707,332,000 |
|
|
The Pennsylvania
quarter, the second coin in the 50 State Quarters® Program, depicts
the statue "Commonwealth," an outline of the state, the state motto,
and a keystone. This design was chosen to further help educate people
about the origins of our second state, founded on December 12, 1787.
The statue "Commonwealth," designed by New York sculptor Roland Hinton
Perry, is a bronze-gilded 14' 6" high female form that has topped
Pennsylvania's state capitol dome in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania since
May 25, 1905. Her right arm extends in kindness and her left arm
grasps a ribbon mace to symbolize justice. The image of the keystone
honors the states nickname, "The Keystone State." At a Jefferson
Republican victory rally in October 1802, Pennsylvania was toasted as
"the keystone in the federal union." The modern persistence of this
designation is justified in view of the key position of Pennsylvania
in the economic, social, and political development of the United
States.
Selections for the Pennsylvania circulating quarter began on January
30,1998. Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge issued a proclamation
establishing a Commemorative Quarter Committee to review possible
designs. The 14-member committee included representatives from major
cultural, conservation, travel, and tourism organizations; a teacher;
a high school student; the president of the state Numismatic Society;
and the state treasurer. The governor invited all Pennsylvanians to
submit design concepts to the committee - and received more than 5,300
ideas. The committee reached consensus on their recommendations, and
the governor forwarded five preferred concepts to the United States
Mint. Four of the designs were recommended by the Citizens
Commemorative Coin Advisory Committee and the Fine Arts Commission and
approved by the Secretary of the Treasury. From these final four
candidates, the governor chose the current design to represent
Pennsylvania in the 50 State Quarters® Program.
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