We are certainly living in the era of circulating thematic quarter dollar series. It began with the 50 States (plus Territories) Series (1999-2009), continued with the America the Beautiful program (2010-2021) and has recently been supplemented by the American Women series (2022-2025). These will soon be followed by the Youth Sports Series (2026-2031) - and likely others. The quarter dollar coin has become the "go to" denomination for circulating thematic coins, though the $1 coin has/is also being used (though current issues are not truly circulating).
As the conclusion of the 50 States program neared, a proposal was made for the implementation of a multi-year follow-up program "for circulating quarter dollar coins that are emblematic of prominent civil rights leaders and important events that have advanced civil rights in America." The coin proposal was introduced by Melvin L. Watt (D-NC) in the House of Representatives on July 31, 2008. Upon introduction, the bill was referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
Designs for the quarters were to be selected by the Secretary of the Treasury in consultation with the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, Secretary of the Interior and the Commission of Fine Arts.
Per the proposed legislation,
"Coins may depict individuals and events such as --
(I) Martin Luther King, Jr.;
(II) Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad;
(III) The Little Rock Nine;
(IV) Rosa Parks;
(V) Cesar Chávez;
(VI) Antonia Pantoja;
(VII) Dionisio (Dennis) Chávez;
(VIII) Patsy Mink;
(IX) Philip Vera Cruz; and
(X) Thurgood Marshall."The legislation specified that 40 civil rights leaders and events were to be selected for the program, with 32 of them to be selected within the first two years of enactment of the legislation. It allowed for the balance of the target number to be selected at a later date.
The bill also specified a "rate of 5 new designs during each year" for the program and that the program "shall continue in effect until each of the selected civil rights leaders and events have been honored with a coin." This suggests a program that was to be eight years in duration (40 leaders and/or events at a pace of five coins be year = eight years).
After the program concluded, the designs on the quarter dollar coin were to "revert to the same design containing an image of President Washington in effect for the quarter dollar before the institution of the 50-State quarter dollar program" and "the reverse of the quarter dollar shall contain an image of General Washington crossing the Delaware River prior to the Battle of Trenton."
The bill was not reported out of Committee or considered further by the House; no companion bill was introduced in the Senate. The "Crossing the Delaware" design specified in the bill was struck in 2021 (the design specification was also included in the America the Beautiful National Parks bill that became law in 2008.)
Note: Nearly all of the civil rights leaders/events specified in the 2008 bill were the subject of a previous/future coin or medal authorized by the US Congress and/or US President and struck by the US Mint:
- Martin Luther King, Jr. (Congressional medal - 2004)
- Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad (three-coin commemorative program - 2024)
- The Little Rock Nine (medal in 1998, silver dollar in 2007)
- Rosa Parks (Congressional medal - 1996, Presidential Medal of Freedom - 1996)
- Cesar Chávez (Presidential Medal of Freedom, 1994)
- Antonia Pantoja (Presidential Medal of Freedom, 1996)
- Patsy Mink (Presidential Medal of Freedom, 2014), and
- Thurgood Marshall (Presidential Medal of Freedom, 1993. For more of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, including other What If? stories, see:
Commems Collection.
Posted 11/14/2024 1:58 pm
