Oklahoma City, Oklahoma — As hundreds of school children cheered, the Oklahoma quarter, the 46th quarter of the popular 50 State Quarters Program, was ceremonially launched into circulation at the Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City. United States Mint Acting Deputy Director Dan Shaver joined Governor and Mrs. Brad Henry in hosting the festivities.
“2007 was an exciting year for the Sooner State, celebrating its centennial,” Acting Deputy Director Shaver told the crowd. “Today’s issuance of this beautiful Oklahoma quarter serves as an encore to the State’s centennial, and the coin itself will serve as a lasting, nationwide tribute to Oklahoma, its heritage, and its people.”
On the eve of the launch, Acting Deputy Director Shaver hosted a Coin Collectors Forum in the Chesapeake Room of the Oklahoma History Center, where he discussed United States Mint programs. Oklahomans told him what they would like to see on American coinage in the future.
The reverse (tails side) of the Oklahoma quarter was designed by Artistic Infusion Program Master Designer Susan Gamble and sculpted by United States Mint Medallic Sculptor Phebe Hemphill. The design depicts Oklahoma’s State bird–the Scissortail Flycatcher–in flight with its distinctive tail feathers spread. The bird soars above the State wildflower, the Indian Blanket, amid a field of similar wildflowers. Inscriptions on the reverse of the coin are “Oklahoma” and “1907,” the year Oklahoma was admitted into the Union.
For those who were unable to attend the Oklahoma quarter launch, the United States Mint is offering the Oklahoma quarter in two–roll sets (40 coins per roll) containing one roll each from the United States Mint facilities at Philadelphia and Denver, and in bags of 100 and 1,000 coins. To place an order, customers may visit the United States Mint web site at www.usmint.gov, or call 1–800–USA–MINT (872–6468). The two–roll sets are $32.95; bags of 100 coins are $32.95; and bags of 1,000 coins are $309.95.
Free United States Mint lesson plans about the Oklahoma quarter may be downloaded at www.usmint.gov/kids. For a digital image of the Oklahoma quarter, go to www.usmint.gov/pressroom/index.cfm?action=photo#50state.
A satellite feed that includes the Oklahoma Quarter Launch, sound bites of participants and production b–roll will be available on:
January 28, 3:30 p.m.–4 p.m. ET (2:30 p.m. CT), C Band, GA 26C, Transponder 5, Downlink 3800V
January 29, 10:30 a.m.–10:45 a. ET (9:30 a.m. CT), GA 3C, Tr. 11 DL 3920H
2:00 p.m.–2:15 p.m. ET (1:00 CT), GA 26C, Tr. 17 DL 4040V