On April 7, 2008 at the Capitol Rotunda, in Santa Fe, State Capitol Building.

Governor Bill Richardson celebrated the launch of the official New Mexico quarter. 

The Governor was joined by Director of the United States Mint Ed C. Moy for the ceremonial launch at the State Capitol.

The final design for New Mexico's commemorative quarter has been approved by Gov. Bill Richardson.

The seven-member commission was created by a 2005 law, and the governor appointed its members.

Coin designs were developed using about 1,000 narrative suggestions from the public sector.

The commission selected four concepts incorporating elements from public suggestions and those went to the Mint, where

designers and engravers developed mock-ups.

Arif Khan, director of the commission, said the Zia was the most popular suggestion made to the commission by the public.

The Zia was adopted by New Mexico and put on the state flag in 1925. The symbol was copied from a ceremonial vase made by a Zia Pueblo member.

New Mexico faced a May 1 deadline for submitting its design to the Mint, which started issuing the commemorative quarters in 1999.

Five new quarters are minted each year, and states are honored in the order they joined the union. New Mexico, the 47th state, is among the final group of states.

The great influence of Native American cultures can be found throughout New Mexico.

The Zia Pueblo believe the sun symbol represents the giver of all good, who gave gifts in groups of four.

From the circle representing life and love without beginning or end, the four groups of four rays that emanate represent the four directions, the four seasons, the four phases of a day (sunrise, noon, evening, and night), and the four divisions of life

 (childhood, youth, middle years, and old age).

50 STATE QUARTERS

Delaware -- The Delaware state quarter shows Caesar Rodney on horseback. He made the 80 mile ride from Dover to Philadelphia on July 1-2, 1776 in order to break a 1-1 tie amongst the other delegates from Delaware in the vote for Independence.

Pennsylvania -- The Pennsylvania state quarter shows a keystone, the statue "Commonwealth" and the state outline along with the legend "Virtue, Liberty, Independence."

The statue "commonwealth was designed by Roland Hinton Perry and sits on the Pennsylvania state capitol dome.

New Jersey -- The New Jersey state quarter shows a depiction of the Washington crossing the Delaware river based on a painting by Emmanuel Leutze. Washington and his troops crossed into Trenton, New Jersey on Christmas night, 1776 and captured the city.

Georgia -- The Georgia state quarter shows a peach and sprigs of Live Oak above an outline of the state.

The coin also has the state motto "Wisdom, Justice, Moderation."

Connecticut -- The Connecticut state quarter depicts the Charter Oak.

Massachusetts -- The Massachusetts state quarter shows a minuteman over an outline of the state.

The minuteman is based on a statue located at the Minuteman National Historic Park in Concord, Massachusetts.

Maryland -- The Maryland state quarter shows the Maryland Statehouse.

This building was the national capital from 1783-1784.

Clusters of White Oak and the state nickname "The Old Line State" are also on the coin.

South Carolina -- The South Carolina state quarter contains a Palmetto tree, a Carolina Wren, and the Yellow Jessamine over an outline of the state.

The coin also has state motto "The Palmetto State" and a star near the state capitol of Columbia.

New Hampshire -- The New Hampshire state quarter shows the "Old Man of the Mountain." This natural granite rock formation was located on Mt. Cannon in Franconia Notch.

The formation was approximately 40 feet by 25 feet. It collapsed in the early morning hours of May 3, 2003.

Virginia -- The Virginia state quarter depicts three ships Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery to commemorate the 2007 quadracentennial of the founding of the Jamestown colony - the first permanent English settlement in the Americas.

The three ships left London on 20 December 1606 and landed on an island in the James River on 12 May 1607.

New York -- The New York state quarter shows the Statue of Liberty over an outline of the state.

The Legend "Gateway to freedom" and the Hudson River and Erie Canal are highlighted on the state.

North Carolina -- The North Carolina state quarter honors the first powered airplane flight by the Wright brothers in December 1903. The coin shows Wilbur watching as Orville flew 120 feet in 12 seconds.

This flight took place on Kill Devil Hill which is located on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Rhode Island -- The Rhode Island state quarter depicts a sailboat in Narragansett Bay with the Pell Bridge in the background

Vermont -- The Vermont state quarter shows a someone tapping a maple tree for sap to make syrup near Camel's Hump mountain in the Green Mountains.

Kentucky -- The Kentucky state quarter shows a thoroughbred racehorse in front of Federal Hill, commonly known as "My Old Kentucky Home." Churchill Downs is the home of the Kentucky Derby -- The first race of the Triple Crown.

Tennessee -- The Tennessee state quarter pays tribute to the musical heritage of the state.

Ohio -- The Ohio state quarter celebrates native sons who were pioneers in aviation. The coin shows a Wright Flier and an astronaut along with an outline of the state. It contains the legend "Birthplace of Aviation Pioneers." Famous aviation pioneers born in Ohio include the younger Wright brother Orville (who flew the Wright Flier at Kitty Hawk), John Glenn (first American to orbit the earth in Friendship 7 ), and Neil Armstrong (first man to walk on the moon in Apollo 11 ).

Louisiana -- The Louisiana state quarter celebrates the Louisiana Purchase. The territory highlighted on the coin was purchased for $15 million in 1803 from Napoleon. The trumpet on the coin refers to Jazz music and the pelican is the state bird.

Indiana -- The Indiana state quarter depicts an Indy car over the state outline.

Mississippi -- The Mississippi state quarter depicts a magnolia flower.

Illinois -- The Illinois state quarter has a depiction of Abraham Lincoln within an outline of the state. To the left of Lincoln, there is a farm and to the right, the skyline of Chicago.

It contains the legends "Land of Lincoln" and "21st State/Century"

Alabama -- The Alabama state quarter has a depiction of Helen Keller. The name "Helen Keller" is written in roman script as well as in Braille. To the left and right of Keller are a long leaf pine branch and magnolias. Below Helen Keller is the legend "Spirit of Courage" Helen Keller was born in Tuscumbia, Alabama in 1880.

Maine -- The Maine state quarter shows the Pemaquid Point lighthouse and a schooner. Pemaquid Point Light is located in New Harbor, and marks the entrance to Muscongus Bay and John Bay.

It was built in the 1830's.

Missouri -- The Missouri state quarter commemorates the 2004 bicentennial of the Corps of Discovery -- also known as the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

The design has three people in a boat paddling down a river.

An arch, reminiscint of the Gateway Arch in St Louis, spans the river.

Arkansas -- The Arkansas state quarter design contains a mallard duck flying above a lake, a diamond, and some rice stalks.

 The Crater of Diamonds State Park is located in Arkansas.

Michigan -- The Michigan state quarter design contains an outline of the state and the great lakes. It contains the legend "Great Lakes State."

Florida -- The Florida state quarter design includes a 16th century Spanish Galleon, a landing Space Shuttle, and several palm trees.

It contains the legend "Gateway to Discovery."

Texas -- The Texas state quarter will be released in May 2004. The design contains a Lone Star over an outline of the State.

It contains the legend "Lone Star State"

Iowa -- The Iowa state quarter design contains a depiction of the Grant Wood painting "Arbor Day." This painting shows people planting trees near a schoolhouse along with the legend "Foundation in Education."

Wisconsin -- The Wisconsin state quarter design contains an image of a cow, an ear of corn, a wheel of cheese, and a ribbon with the legend "Forward."

California -- The California state quarter design includes John Muir looking over Yosemite Valley.

Yosemite is located approximately 140 miles east of San Francisco.

Minnesota -- The Minnesota state quarter design includes a reference to being the "Land of 10,000 Lakes", a reference to it being home to the Headwaters of the Mississippi River, and fishing.

Oregon -- The Oregon state quarter design contains an image of Crater Lake.

 Crater lake is a collapsed volcanic cone in southwest Oregon.

Kansas -- The Kansas state quarter design contains a bison with sunflowers.

West Virginia -- The West Virginia state quarter design contains the New River Gorge Bridge.

This steel span is a 3030 foot long bridge that spans the River Gorge Bridge. near Fayetteville, West Virginia. It is the second highest bridge in the United States.

Nevada -- The Nevada state quarter design contains three horses in front of mountains with a ribbon with the legend "The Silver State".

Nebraska -- The Nebraska state quarter design a covered wagon near Chimney Rock.

Colorado -- The Colorado state quarter design contains a representation of the Rocky Mountains with the legend "Colorful Colorado".

South Dakota -- The South Dakota state quarter contains a representation of Mount Rushmore and a Pheasant.

North Dakota -- The North Dakota state quarter contains a representation of the Badlands with Bison.

Montana -- The Montana state quarter contains a skull with he legend "Big Sky Country".

Washington -- The Washington state quarter contains a representation of a mountain with a salmon with the legend "The Evergreen State.".

Idaho -- The Idaho state quarter contains a representation of a perigrine falcon with an outline of Idaho with the legend "Esto Perprtua.".

Wyoming -- The Wyoming state quarter contains the outline of a cowboy on a bucking horse with the legend "The Equality State." .

Utah -- The Utah state quarter contains a representation of the completion of the transcontinental railrad at Promintory Point with the legend "Crossroads of the west.".

Oklahoma -- The Oklahoma quarter features an image of the State bird, the Scissortail Flycatcher, in flight with its distinctive tail feathers spread. The bird is soaring over the State wildflower, the Indian Blanket, backed by a field of similar wildflowers.

New Mexico -- The New Mexico quarter features a Zia sun symbol over a topographical outline of the State with the inscription "Land of Enchantment."

The coin also bears the inscriptions "New Mexico" and "1912."

Arizona -- The Arizona quarter features an image of the Grand Canyon with a Saguaro cactus in the foreground. A banner reading "Grand Canyon State" separates the two images to signify that the Saguaro cactus does not grow in the Grand Canyon.

Alaska -- The Alaska quarter features a grizzly bear emerging from the waters clutching a salmon in its jaw. The coin’s design includes the North Star displayed above the inscription "The Great Land" and the inscriptions "Alaska" and "1959."

Hawaii -- The Hawaiian quarter features Hawaiian monarch King Kamehameha I stretching his hand toward the eight major Hawaiian Islands. Inscriptions are the state motto "UA MAU KE EA O KA ‘AINA I KA PONO" ("The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness"), "Hawaii" and "1959."

 

The District of Columbia and United States Territories

District of Columbia -- The District of Columbia Quarter, the reverse design features a depiction of famous jazz musician Duke Ellington, who was born and raised in Washington DC. The reverse was designed by Joel Iskowitz and sculpted by Don Everhart.

The inscriptions include "Justice For All," "Duke Ellington," "District of Columbia,"

 "E Pluribus Unum,"  and the date. 

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico -- The Puerto Rico Quarter, the reverse design features a view of the sea from a sentry box in Old San Juan. Pictured at right is the hibiscus. The reverse was designed and sculpted by Joseph Menna. The inscriptions read "Puerto Rico," "Isla del Encanto".

 (translated: Isle of Enchantment),  "E Pluribus Unum," and the date.