In 1993, Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen formed a commission to create the “State Quarter Program”, creating a commemorative quarter for each state over ten years. In 1997, the bill authorizing production was signed by President Clinton and the first five quarters were circulated in 1999. The purpose of the program was to honor “each of the nation's states” with something representative of the state and “have broad appeal to the citizens of the State”. Most were pretty good. Others sucked.
Here is my top Five Worst State Quarters:
Number 5: Idaho
It’s not a terrible design. The Hawk is nice. However, it almost looks like someone just cut and pasted two images. Alternative designs were better. I know Idaho doesn’t have a lot going for it besides Potatoes, so finding a design was tricky. However, compared to other submissions, this was too simple. I think someone took too long creating the hawk and ran out of time
Number 4: Delaware
Delaware=Boring. What is there in this state? It’s so small it only has three counties. So what could they possibly put on the quarter? An old man who rode through bad weather with a cold to vote for the Declaration of Independence. I admire someone’s dedication to voting and the democratic process, but really? That’s all this state has going for it? An old man who votes? That should be Florida’s design. Another submission looked better (but over the top). It was still better than the cock…
Number 3: Alabama
Helen Keller? Really? I know Alabama doesn't have the friendliest history that all Americans could embrace. They're not going to put a Klansmen with Governor Wallace shaking hands in front of a burning Cross, but, Helen Keller??? This is not at all what I think of when I think of ‘Alabama’. How about cotton??? The only thing that comes to mind when you think of Alabama is a blind, deaf, socialist?
Number 2: The District of Columbia
In 2009, the mint released six new quarters: Washington DC, Puerto Rico, Guam, Samoa, the Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands. I guess these people didn’t think it was fair that all of the states got a quarter but random islands that nobody can find or didn’t even know that we owned didn’t get their own quarter.
All the overseas territories have a nice design and I can’t criticize them for what they put on to represent their island. When nobody knows anything about them, you could put a giant chicken wrestling an alligator on the Guam quarter and it could pass with the average American citizen.
I agree D.C. deserves their own quarter, as they’ve been left out of the political process for so long. It took an Amendment to the Constitution in 1961 to allow them to vote in a presidential election, they currently have non-voting representation in Congress, and it wasn’t until 1973 they could elect a mayor.
This quarter has the same problem as Alabama. The design that was chosen does not represent the city in the minds of Americans. Duke Ellington. Duke Freaking Ellington. I didn’t even know he was from D.C. This is a terrible representation of our nation’s capital. It is the seat of the American government. WHY NOT REPRESENT THAT ON THE QUARTER!!!??? I know there is more to the city than just the government and monuments, but that is what embodies the city!!! This should have been an easy ‘A’ but instead it failed big time.
What do you expect from a city that has put Marion Barry, the crack using, prostitute visiting, pot smoking, tax evading, stalker, into and back into office many times?
Pictured: Leadership
Another candidate was Frederick Douglass. No No No! As a Rochestarian, you keep your hands off of him! He is ours, in a non-slave owning way. He is buried in our city and his abolitionist newspaper North Star was published in Rochester. No Douglass for you! NEXT!
Here we go. Number 1: Florida
Do I need to say anything? Just look at it. I Hate this thing. I thought Idaho was bad…but this takes the cake. I seriously think someone went to Microsoft Word and just used clipart, found some pictures and pasted it inside a circle. “Voila! A quarter design!” Look, I did this in 5 minutes:
Seriously. Five Minutes...
Again, other design submissions were better and do a good job representing the state. I’m seeing a pattern here. Better designs seem to be pushed aside for lamer ones.
Some runner ups: I found it hard to really put these in any kind of order. These would be tied for fifth with Idaho (blanket statement for all: alternatives were better):
Kansas: Buffalo not bad but North Dakota's design is better. Did we need two quarters with a Buffalo on it? Like Delaware, it is hard to find something that is "Kansas".
Maryland: Nice design, but the Statehouse is the only thing of interest in Maryland? Something Baltimore related? Fort McHenry and Star Spangled Banner???
Ohio: Too simple and they were really set on one design. Like Florida but it is better because of the State outline. Accomplishments of people on the quarter happened elsewhere. (Why were so many astronauts from Ohio???)
Pennsylvania: Too simple and bland. I hate PA.
Louisiana: It is a nice Quarter but representing the whole Louisiana Purchase was a mistake. The state only makes up a little bit of the purchase and it should have focused on just the state, not the vast territory with the same name.
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