Article Published: Saturday, February 18, 2006
Commission seeks advice from Alaskans on coin of the realm
By Dermot Cole
POCKET CHANGE: My two bits on this subject are as follows: It's time to get those designs in for the new
State Quarter.
A aesthetic sense is required, but artistic talent is optional.
The Alaska Commemorative Coin Commission is looking for a description of what the coin should contain and why. If you think the flipside of the Alaska quarter should contain an image of Denali and a grizzly bear, accented by South Cushman Street, just write it down and send it in. The deadline for submitting a proposed design is Feb. 28.
So far, the state has 239 proposed designs in hand. About three dozen are from Fairbanks and most of those from fourth-graders at University Park Elementary School.
The United States Mint began the 50-state quarter program in 1999, issuing
State Quarters in order of admission to the union. Alaska is 49th on the list and its quarter is due to become part of America's loose change in the late summer of 2008.
The design of the Alaska quarter is supposed to contain the date of admission to the union, the words "E Pluribus Unum" and the year 2008.
The design can not contain the "head or shoulders portrait or bust of any person" and no portrait of a living person, according to the federal law. That's because a two-headed quarter would lead to chaos among those who flip coins to make important decisions.
The law also states that a "frivolous design" is prohibited and we can't use the state seal, state flag or a commercial logo. We also can't use a snowflake, a design that was proposed and rejected in other states. The main feature must specifically represent the state and it must be something that will fit on the back of quarter...
full story:
http://www.news-miner.com/Stories/0...3279,00.html
Posted 02/23/2006 3:11 pm
