Countdown For Wyoming State Quarter Begins

In 50 days, Wyoming will be honored with a State Quarter.

Gov. Dave Freudenthal announced plans Wednesday to mark the coin's release with an official unveiling ceremony on Sept. 14.

The celebration will commemorate Wyoming's entry into the 50 State Quarters Program with a performance from the University of Wyoming's Western Thunder Marching Band and a presentation on the history behind the quarter's winning design.

The Governor's State Quarter Committee sifted through more than 3,200 suggestions to depict scenes such as Old Faithful and Devil's Tower, but the most popular choice turned out to be the bucking horse and rider.

Freudenthal said the decision probably came as no surprise.

"It seems like Wyoming is one of those states that is clearly identified with its logo," he said.

Just like Texas is known for being the Lone Star State, Wyoming is recognized for its horse and cowboy.

Freudenthal said he often hears comments about the logo whenever he travels. After all, some variation of the image known as "Steamboat" has been used by the State of Wyoming since 1918 and UW's Athletics Department since the early 1920s. And by 1936, the silhouette landed onto state license plates.

The symbol of Wyoming's wild Western heritage also shares space with another famous trademark: the inscription "The Equality State." The nickname marks the state as the first to grant women the right to vote, serve on juries and hold public office.

As the 44th state to join the Union, Wyoming's State Quarter also is the 44th coin in the series.

Milward Simpson, the director for the Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources, said the UW women's basketball team will be on hand to pass out quarters to children during the unveiling ceremony. Other participants include the Wyoming Congressional delegation, members of the Wyoming State Coin Advisory Committee, state legislators, tribal leaders, city and county officials.

Laramie County schoolchildren are invited to participate in a second quarter ceremony on the steps of the Capitol to coincide with the Wyoming Book Festival.

State residents who cannot attend either of these ceremonies can still locate a State Quarter and a commemorative coin card at any of the Wyoming Banking Association's member banks, Freudenthal said.

He added that when the design process began, he didn't fully appreciate the quarter program's impact. But as the release date for Wyoming's coin draws near, he plans to collect the entire series.

He said this is a program that only happens once and after a 10-week minting cycle, the final batch of Cowboy State coins go into circulation as the U.S. mint switches to Utah's quarter.