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Mint issues Wisconsin quarter
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The cow has finally made its long-awaited first appearance on the country’s coinage.
In a celebration in West Allis Monday, Gov. Jim Doyle officially introduced Wisconsin’s commemorative 25-cent piece, which bears an agricultural-themed design on the reverse side as part of the U.S. Mint’s 50 State Quarters program.
The quarter is the fifth design to be released in 2004 and 30th overall since the mint began the program in 1999.
The coin features engravings of a cow, cheese and an ear of corn above a banner displaying Wisconsin’s state motto, “Forward.” Kathryn Carlson, executive assistant at the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, expects the public to embrace the new design.
“We had a great turnout [in West Allis], and once the public sees how great the design looks on the quarter, I think they’ll be very happy,” Carlson said.
U.S. Mint Director Henrietta Holsman Fore was in attendance as the public got its hands on the new coins for the first time. Carlson said approximately 3,200 special souvenir sets and 70,000 total coins were distributed.
The commemorative coin will now start trickling into circulation in banks during the next few weeks, Carlson said. An official at Milwaukee-based M&I Bank, which helped sponsor Monday’s ceremony, said the public will also be able to obtain the quarters at any M&I location starting next week.
The coins are also available in two-roll sets at the U.S. Mint’s website, one each from the Philadelphia and Denver mints.
The quarter’s agricultural design emerged from more than 9,000 entries submitted to the Wisconsin Commemorative Quarter Council appointed by then-Gov. Scott McCallum in 2001. The council picked six finalists, which were later narrowed down to three in a statewide vote. Another statewide vote led to the selection of the farming design, which Doyle submitted to the U.S. Treasury in 2003.
Total production numbers for the Wisconsin quarter have yet to be announced, but figures for the first three quarters released this year, Michigan, Florida and Texas, indicate a circulation between 400 and 500 million.
These numbers are down from earlier coins in the 10-year commemorative program, which U.S. Mint spokesman Jim LaFemina said is a function of the nature of coins and consumer demand.
“Coinage in general stays in circulation longer than currency, so each year, numbers are down, with some fluctuation the size of the state and coin collecting population,” LaFemina said. “And the public has gotten used to seeing new quarters, and the mint is more correctly predicting consumer demand.”
Still, LaFemina said the quarters program has reinvigorated interest in coin collecting. The mint estimates 130 million people throughout the country actively collect the quarter series.
“Coins from the first year of the program, such as Delaware and Pennsylvania, are hard to find in circulation,” LaFemina said. “The program honors the states and has really shown us that the American people want to see changes to coins, which we are seeing now in new legislation to change other coins.”
Among the new coins to materialize potentially in the next few years include a coin bearing the late Ronald Reagan and a dollar coin presidential series, he said.
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Cows, cheese and corn: such a perfect way to represent Wisconsin to the rest of the country and world; “Foward” - How oxymoronic…
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This cow coin is bullshit. There should be something related to beer on this quarter. And what the hell do you need a cow AND cheese on the coin for? And a badger, there should be a badger god dammit!!! Go to hell Doyle, you crappy-coin endorsing fool!!
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They’re missing the “We’re #2 Banner.” Wisconsin was passed on dairy production by California a few years ago.
Too Funny, Conservative With A Sense Of Humor
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What the hell?? A Cow!!!! What was he thinking ???- I love Wisconsin how can he makes us look like fools? Cheese and a Cow!!!I am surronded by flatlanders here in California on all sides and they think it is so funny—I already have to put up with people asking all kinds of dumb questions like Have you ever been to a city before? did your family have cows? thanks you creep
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LOOKING FOR PICTURE OF MISS CAST WISCONSIN 25 CENT PIECE,SOMETHING ABOUT EAR OF CORN……