• About
  • Mortgage Basics
  • $40K Challenge
  • Aunt Doris
  • Grandfather Says
  • Privacy
  • Archives
  • 100 Words

Len Penzo dot Com

The offbeat personal finance blog for responsible people.

The 5 Worst US State Quarter Designs

By Len Penzo

It’s hard to believe, but ten years has passed since the US Mint’s very successful 50 State Quarters program ended. The program was a 10-year initiative that honored each of the nation’s states in the order that they ratified the US Constitution or were admitted into the Union. Each quarter was only minted for a brief 10-week period, and will never be produced again.

At the time, it seemed like everybody was collecting these quarters; I completed my collection not long after Hawaii’s was released in 2008.

Anyway, the other day I opened up my specially-designed album that holds all 50 quarters and marveled at the varied designs. Some quarters were quite beautiful. Others … well, not so much.

With that in mind, here are my nominations for the five worst US State Quarter designs. How do mine line up with yours?

wyomStquarCir_rev

5. Wyoming

God bless Wyoming. I’ve visited 45 of the 50 US states, and I think it’s among the most beautiful. Part of Wyoming’s charm is its sparse population; fewer than a half-million people live there, which probably explains why Wyoming was unable to find a creative artist for their quarter. Although most of Yellowstone National Park is in Wyoming, the designer decided against featuring it. Why? On the other hand, this would have been one of the best quarters if Wyoming’s state motto was “Beef. It’s what’s for dinner.”

idahoStquarCir_rev

4. Idaho

I’ll never forget the day I received my first Idaho quarter. Looking at it begged the obvious question: How could Idaho fail to go with a design centered around its famous potatoes? Then again, maybe they didn’t; my apologies if the state motto that graces the quarter, Esto Perpetua, is Spanish for “Pass the home fries.”

pennStquarUnc_rev

3. Pennsylvania

I realize Pennsylvania was the second state to join the union, which meant that they had less time than other states like, say, Alaska, to come up with their design — but come on. Frankly, I expected a lot more from the great state of Pennsylvania. The designer clearly put very little thought into this. Where’s the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall? As for centering the design around Miss Penn … Let’s just say the Quaker Oats guy — or even Ron Jaworski — would have been more interesting.

ohioStquarCir_rev

2. Ohio

My parents are from Ohio and I still have relatives who live there. That’s why it pains me to include the Buckeye State here. In Ohio’s defense, the final design isn’t really their fault. I know what they were trying to achieve. Even so, every time I see that space man, all I can think of is MTV.

michStquarCir_rev

1. Michigan

Kindergarten teachers: If you want to have some fun, then give the Michigan quarter to your kids and ask them what they see. Talk about a Rorschach test. Every clinical psychologist should carry one of these quarters with them — just in case they get an emergency call. After staring at this quarter, I see a collection of human organs: a liver in the upper left; pancreas in the lower right; even an inflamed gall bladder. And if you look really carefully, some people say you can see a male appendage too.

You know … on second thought, showing this quarter to the kids probably isn’t such a great idea after all.

Photo Credit: bradleygee (map); US Mint (coins)

***

(This is an updated version of an article originally posted on February 2, 2010.)

October 29, 2018

Comments

  1. 1

    Greg McFarlane says

    I’m pretty sure the “spaceman” is Wapakoneta, Ohio’s own Neil Armstrong – the most underpublicized man on Earth, relative to his accomplishments.

    • 2

      Ellis says

      Interestingly, 25 astronauts hail from Ohio, including Jim Lovell. John Glenn, and Judith Resnik (lost on the Challenger).

  2. 3

    Bob Nostrof says

    Len: John Glenn was the first American to orbit the earth but I think Alan Shepherd was the first American in space.

    I think Iowa quarter should be on the list.

  3. 4

    Ricky says

    I don’t think it is funny The iamge on reverse quarter is the actual image of Michigan. I don’t see any worse about Michigan. The quarters representing all 50 states are equally worse Period

  4. 5

    Eric says

    You can add Alabama to the list as well. It’s great to put Helen Keller on your quarter, but the attempt to put lots of detail in metal just left her looking like an amorphous blob of an old woman in a chair. “Alabama – Grandma’s welcome!”

  5. 6

    Jim says

    I just want to know, How the blue blazes did a Peregrine Falcon end up on the Idaho quarter? I’ve been to Idaho several times and camped in the sawtooth’s but I have NEVER seen a Peregrine Falcon there, now Colorado, that’s a different story.IMHO I think that Kentucky SHOULD have been represented, Idyllic pasture scene with a horse and My Old Kentucky Home, granted all reconizable, but it should have been more like a giant distillery pumping out gallons of alcohol, and tended to by a overly obese man in overalls and 10 kids piling on wood to stoke the fire.

    • 7

      April says

      From what I read, the governor picked the peregrin falcon because they had some peregrin falcon sanctuary or something that was doing a lot for the peregrin falcon in Idaho. Which is still a stupid reason, you’d think they’d want to celebrate something historical.

  6. 8

    bob says

    How was it determined it was a male on the Wyoming quarter?

    • 9

      Gary says

      The main symbol in the bucking horse-It is based on a real horse name Steamboat that was know an the horse that couldn’t be ridden. He was ridden by and working cowboys, but later was in the rodeo circuit. He was born in 1896 on the M-Ranch outside of Chugwater, Wyoming and this symbol is on the Wyoming license plates. There is a plaque at The National Cowboy Hall of Fame in Steamboat’s honor. The cowboy is just a nameless cowboy doing his best to stay on.

      Wyoming’s motto “The Equality State” comes from the fact that Wyoming is the first place (a territory at the time) in the US to grant women the right to vote-in 1869. It also is the first state to allow women on a jury and it had the first woman governor.

      Both the image and the motto are historically correct and they can coexist with no problem.

      • 10

        JB says

        Well said Gary. I personally like the Steamboat symbol. It is simple and describes a lot about the culture that was and is Wyoming. I am from Florida but my wife and her family are all from Wyoming. I am fascinated by the culture every time we visit.

  7. 11

    Michael says

    They threw out my idea in my home state of Washington. A profile of George Washington. Wait you say, there already is a profile of George Washington on ALL quarters. hmmmmm.

  8. 12

    Yoda says

    Yeah, Michigan’s the “Great Lakes State” but Lake Ontario doesn’t even touch Michigan. They could’ve left it off and made the rest of the map that much bigger and more visible.

    Or at least had the St. Lawrence delta running off the side of the coin so that Lake Ontario doesn’t look so much like a foot.

  9. 13

    Jess says

    On a few of the coins the relationship between the art and the state is so obscure that the people in the state don’t even get it. The NY coin does have the Statue of Liberty, but then on the state shape you’re supposed to know that the squiggly lines on the state are the Hudson River and the Erie Canal. And how many people know the state grain of Wisconsin is corn? And I’m sorry, but the buffalo on the Kansas coin is just wrong.
    While Arizona has art that is representative of the land, New Mexico put their old license icon on theirs. Connecticut has the Charter Oak, (which I really like), but because the oak was destroyed in 1856, and what passes for history that’s being taught in our schools, few know why the tree is important.

    In the US, coins, like postage stamps, are chosen by strange and arcane methods. And sometimes the crap floats to the top and gets chosen, which is a shame because we have so many wonderful things in this country. In every state there is beauty and things the people KNOW and love. Add that to the artists and technology we employ in of our minting system and you begin to realize the options amazing.

    The reason the National Parks didn’t go on the “state” coins is probably because they have a set of National Parks Coins, as well as I think 6 Territory Coins.

    • 14

      Gary says

      I’m not sure why you would take issue with a buffalo on Kansas’ coin-There were thousands of buffalo there. I can understand maybe taking issue with them being pushed out and slaughtered.

    • 15

      Ellis says

      The New York coin depicts the Hudson River and the Erie Canal because both waterways are so important to the history of the development of the state and the US. The Hudson River played a key role in the early settlement and the original 13 colonies/Revolutionary War (West Point is on the Hudson), and the Erie Canal was a route West, connecting NY harbor via the Hudson River to the Great Lakes in 1825 when there was no other means of travel but horses.

      I guess you have to know a state’s history to appreciate many of the quarters.

  10. 16

    Nancy says

    I also live in Idaho and I believe the consensus among Idahoans is that the folks in charge of our quarter design really blew it. Rumor has it that the story behind the horrible design is this…Idaho’s Raptor Recovery Center played a role in helping to protect the bird from extinction. Which is great (although not a well-known story, even among we Idahoans). Our governor at the time, Dirk Kempthorne, chose the design. Several months later, he was appointed by George W. Bush as the Secretary of the Interior. Hmmm…interesting.

  11. 17

    20smoney says

    Gah, Michigan’s is garbage!

  12. 18

    Kyle C. says

    I think you did a good job with the list. When I see Ohio I think of three other states first because of the space man. Florida, Texas, and Alabama. Why is he on there anyway?

  13. 19

    Mrs. Money says

    I really enjoyed this! And I totally agree- Idaho is so ugly!

    But I really like Wyoming. 🙂

  14. 20

    connie says

    I always thought of Idaho as a picture of some kind of giant pre-historic bird that was several times the size of the entire state of Idaho.

  15. 21

    Darrell says

    I am a non-native of Wyoming, and have learned that the one college in the state has a mascot of the Cowboys. The cowboy seen on the quarter is the college logo. No excuses, ‘just is what it is.

    • 22

      R in NJ says

      That makes it even worse. They just copied and pasted it from an existing logo.

  16. 23

    Bill says

    The Idaho quarter is terrible, I live in Idaho and we could have done so much better, like a salmon, trout, mountain goat or the Sawtooth Mountains. GEEZ

    • 24

      Lol says

      Or sun valley skinhill

  17. 25

    Nicholas B says

    Hahaha, as a Wisconsinite all I see in MI’s quarter is WI.

    And a big mess.
    I know what the Great Lakes look like, and what MI looks like, but this is a big gross mess.

    We got our quarter right!

    • 26

      valdy fox says

      Yes… because nothing says “timeless, classy design” like a big old cow head next to a hunk of cheddar cheese. Good job, Wisconsin! If the Wisconsin quarter were scratch-&-sniff, I’d expect to smell cheese curds or manure. Wisconsin should have been in the top 5, along with:

      Florida – Nice montage; almost as classy as a 1980s arcade token with that space shuttle on there

      Iowa – A one room school, lifeless, flat and forgotten! Just like our entire state!

      Indiana – A NASCAR car!? And not from the Southern state? Finally, something to offend people with good taste AND rednecks alike…

  18. 27

    Krystal says

    It’s funny the things other people see that are so obvious when pointed out (like the person who only sees WI). I’ve lived in MI all my life and when I saw MI @ the bottom of the list I thought, “What’s wrong with our quarter (other than it being a little boring)?” Then after reading this I realize that I only see the image clearly because I’ve been looking at it all my life, and that it really does look like a Rorshach test. Maybe the people who made the quarters were similarly “blinded” by what these look like to outsiders, because they’re images they’ve seen all of their lives.

  19. 28

    Steve Jacobs (Starving Steve) says

    The Michigan quarter is actually very interesting:

    a.) It shows the adjoining Great Lakes i.e, Superior, Michigan, Huron, and Erie, with Lake Ontario to the North-east but not adjoining Michigan;

    b.) It shows the subtle low relief of Michigan, including the Gogebic Range in the western U.P, and the Porcupine Mountains in the U.P;

    c.) It shows the interesting geography of Michigan, with its Upper Peninsula and its Lower Michigan, also its Isle Royale (National Park) offshore of Thunder Bay, Ontario in Lake Superior.

  20. 29

    Karayray88 says

    In regards to the Wyoming quarter and the “cowboy” on the design. It is actually the State of Wyoming logo and is a registed trade mark. The University also uses it. Any why would a state that is know as forever west not have a cowboy featured on it? Just sayin!!!

  21. 30

    FireFox says

    Nevada quarter is the best.

  22. 31

    Derf says

    New Hampsire’s is pitiful. The old man on the mountain fell into the valley…the people of that state way overvested their emotional attachment to a rock that wouldn’t get a second look in most western states.

    Thumbs up to the states that resisted using an outline of their state in their motif.

    • 32

      Len Penzo says

      I agree; using the state’s outline in the design was pure laziness, Derf.

      The New Hampshire coin became kind of irrelevant after the Old Man collapsed into the valley. I remember when it happened and I immediately thought “Well, so much for NH’s state quarter!”

  23. 33

    Freddy Nash says

    Greetings from Los Angeles! Awesome blog, Len!

    • 34

      Len Penzo says

      Thanks, Freddy! Looks like we’re neighbors!

  24. 35

    Warren says

    The worst part of the Michigan quarter is that it includes part of Wisconsin and Late Ontario

    Michigan doesn’t border Lake Ontario … not even kinda!

  25. 36

    Deb in SD says

    I love the image of Steamboat on the Wyoming state quarter, and truthfully I would have been disappointed if they had used anything else.

  26. 37

    bagsATX says

    I have to whole-heartedly disagree with your opinion concerning the Wyoming state coin. I find the simplicity of the design to be outstanding. It may not be gorgeous like Connecticut or Mississippi but it will convey the correct message 2000 years from now. The dastardly Pennssluyvia coin design is the result of letting government bureaucrats pick the winning design.

    • 38

      Len Penzo says

      I agree with you on PA, bags.

Trackbacks

  1. 4 Good Reasons Why Some Quarters Are Painted Red – Len Penzo dot Com says:
    July 20, 2019 at 5:03 pm

    […] remember occasionally finding red-painted quarters in my change ever since I was a kid — and I’ve always wondered about their significance. How about […]

  2. Black Coffee: A Look Back at How We Got Into This Mess – Len Penzo dot Com says:
    June 6, 2020 at 6:08 am

    […] reading my opinion piece on the five worst US State Quarter designs, Valdy Fox had a few nominations of his own, including the coin from Wisconsin. […]

The Question of the Week:

Do you think credit unions are safer than traditional banks?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

Recent Posts

  • The Big Advantages of Natural Gas Appliances
  • Is a Master’s Degree in Education Worth It? 7 Key Questions to Ask
  • Comparing the Flat Tax, Fair Tax, and Progressive Tax Systems
  • Are Energy Efficient CFL Bulbs Worth Paying More For?
  • Black Coffee: Pushing the Panic Button
  • The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 10
  • 3 Ways That Make Credit Cards Vulnerable to Fraud
  • Common Financial Mistakes in Manufacturing (and How to Avoid Them)
  • Blind Taste Test: Does Bottled Water Really Taste Better Than Filtered Tap?
  • Black Coffee: Banking on the Future

Disclaimer

This site is for informational and entertainment purposes only, and the content herein should not be mistaken for professional financial advice. In fact, making investment decisions based on information published here, or any other website for that matter, is more than unwise; it is folly. This website accepts advertising in the form of monetary and other compensation; as such, topics of discussion are occasionally influenced by these advertisers. Sometimes, an article may also include affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, this blog earns a commission if you click through and make a purchase (for example, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases). Remember, you and you alone are responsible for the decisions you make in life, so please contact an independent financial professional for advice regarding your unique personal situation.

Sign up for the weekly Len Penzo dot Com newsletter
Len Penzo dot Com Delivered Weekly
Join more than 40,000 readers and fans who enjoy personal finance and macroeconomics with an offbeat twist!
Invalid email address
Thanks for subscribing!

Popular Now:

  1. 1. 18 Personal Finance Facts About US Presidents
  2. 2. Credit or Debit: Which One Is Actually Better?
  3. 3. Why Buying Gasoline in the Morning Can Save You Money
  4. 4. Why Paying Off the Mortgage Early May Be a Big Mistake
  5. 5. What Defines True Financial Success?
  6. 6. A Georgia Teacher Shows Why It Always Pays to Read the Fine Print
  7. 7. Debt Elimination: The Pros and Cons of Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps
  8. 8. Home Repair Scams: Here Are the 9 Biggest
  9. 9. Historical Gold & Silver Benchmarks for Wages and Commodities
  10. 10. 4 Good Reasons Why Some Quarters Are Painted Red

All-Time Most Popular:

  1. 1. 19 Things Your Millionaire Neighbor Won’t Tell You
  2. 2. Dear Friend: Here Are 41 Reasons Why I’m NOT Lending the Money
  3. 3. Why Your Expensive Luxury Car Doesn’t Impress Smart People
  4. 4. If You Can’t Live on $40,000 Annually It’s Your Own Fault
  5. 5. 21 Reasons Why Corner Lots Are for Suckers
  6. 6. 4 Smart Reasons Why College Isn’t for Everyone
  7. 7. 18 Fast Facts About Social Security Numbers
  8. 8. My Ketchup Taste Test: Upset! Guess Which Brand Topped Heinz
  9. 9. Why I Prefer a Spreadsheet to Track Expenses and Manage My Finances
  10. 10. Here’s a Simple Trick for Getting Credit Card Interest Charges Waived

Copyright © 2023 Len Penzo dot Com · All Rights Reserved · Designed by Nuts and Bolts Media

© Len Penzo dot Com 2008–2023