Minnesota state quarter released

The April 12 launch of the Minnesota state quarter drew thousands to the State Capitol in St. Paul.

State celebrities and politicians, including Gov. Tim Pawlenty, joined with U.S. Mint Director Henrietta Holsman Fore in the celebration.

“The images on your quarter beckon us to Minnesota,” Fore told the crowd. “We see a loon gliding on a tree-lined lake as two friends fish nearby. This is the first of the 50 state quarters that celebrates fishing, and many of us would like to be in that little boat, baiting our hooks, listening to the haunting call of the loon.”

After the launch, coin collectors of all ages exchanged paper bills for rolls of Minnesota quarters.

School children were treated to programs on history, science, math and reading-oriented learning activities, as well as a play about the importance of saving money.

A coin collectors forum was held on the eve of the launch. Fore discussed with attendees what could be done to improve America’s coinage.

The quarter celebrates the state’s nickname, “The Land of 10,000 Lakes.”

Gov. Pawlenty chose the design recommended to him by the Minnesota Quarter Dollar Commission. Other designs under consideration were the “State with Symbols” design, which included a snowflake, a loon and a plow, and the “Mississippi River Headwaters” and the “Fisherman/Lake Recreation” themes.

(via collect.com