State-Quarter.com

‘Magnolia State’ Honored On Final State Quarter of 2002

Jackson, Miss., Oct. 22, 2002 - Governor Ronnie Musgrove today joined United States Mint Director Henrietta Holsman Fore at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science to unveil the 20th state quarter in the 50 State Quarters® Program, honoring the Magnolia State’s famous flora. Former Mississippi Governor William Winter, State Treasurer Marshall Bennett and Darrell Beeson, President of the Mississippi Numismatic Association, also gave remarks at the event.

“More than 100 years ago, it was the children of Mississippi who selected the magnolia as their favorite flower,” said Director Fore. “Today, we celebrate the splendor of the South and the emblem of your great state on America’s coinage.”

The Mississippi quarter, the fifth and last quarter of 2002 and the 20th in the series, showcases the beauty and elegance of the state flower, combining the blossoms and leaves of two magnolias with the inscription “The Magnolia State.”

The magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), named for the French botanist Pierre Magnol, is strongly associated with the South where the flower became enormously popular after it was introduced from Asia. This association became strong enough that Mississippi adopted it as the state flower in 1952.

“This is an exciting and historic day for Mississippi. This coin showcases the beauty throughout our state and symbolizes our southern heritage,” said Governor Musgrove. “We are pleased that so many Mississippi school children and our citizens participated in today’s historical event. For years to come, Mississippians can be proud of this coin and its unique design.”

The release of the Mississippi state quarter marked the end of production of the Indiana state quarter, released in August 2002. The quarters are manufactured at the Philadelphia and Denver Mints, which produce all U.S. circulating coins, and ship them to the Federal Reserve for distribution to the nation’s banks.

Launched in 1999, the United States Mint’s 50 State Quarters Program is a 10-year initiative that honors each of the nation’s states in the order that they ratified the Constitution or were admitted into the Union. Each quarter is produced for about 10 weeks and will never be produced again. Surveys show that over 139 million adults are collecting the quarters.

The 50 State Quarters products, including the popular collectible proof sets featuring the five state quarters of each year, are adding to the collecting fun. These products and more information about the 50 State Quarters Program are available through the United States Mint’s website at www.usmint.gov or by calling 1-800-USA-MINT.

Created by Congress in 1792, the Mint is a manufacturing and international marketing enterprise with about 2,300 employees. In FY 2001, the United States Mint produced approximately 23.6 billion coins, fulfilling its primary mission to produce an adequate supply of circulating coinage for the nation’s commerce. For more information, please visit www.usmint.gov.

Washington, D.C., October 21, 2002 - The United States Mint today announced that the limited edition of 75,000 Mississippi Official First Day Coin Covers will be available online at www.usmint.gov beginning 12:00 noon (E.S.T.) on November 4, 2002. The Mississippi Official First Day Coin Cover, which also is available in the United States Mint’s annual catalog, features two Mississippi quarters from September 30, the first day of mintage.

Priced at $19.95, the Mississippi Official First Day Coin Cover includes quarters from both the Philadelphia and Denver Mint facilities on a handsome display card with a 37-cent United States Flag postage stamp.

The postmark of “October 15, 2002, Magnolia, MS 39652” indicates the day Mississippi quarters were released to the Federal Reserve Bank and the public. The Mississippi quarter is the 20th in the 50 State Quarters® Program, which honors each of the states in the order that it ratified the Constitution or was admitted into the Union. Five state designs will be issued each year through 2008 at approximately 10-week intervals.

The Mississippi quarter’s reverse design showcases the beauty and elegance of the state flower. It combines the blossoms and leaves of two magnolias with the inscription “The Magnolia State.”

Customers can purchase the Mississippi Official First Day Coin Covers by using the United States Mint’s secure website, www.usmint.gov, or by calling 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468). As an added convenience, customers can participate in a subscription-ordering program in which specific products, such as Official First Day Coin Covers, are charged and shipped to the customer automatically as each new state quarter is released. A shipping and handling fee of $3.95 per order will be added to all orders. Hearing and speech-impaired customers may order by calling 1-888-321-MINT (6468) (TTY). Please allow approximately 3 to 4 weeks for delivery.

Washington - The United States Mint announced today that state quarters honoring Mississippi, the fifth and last coin in the 50 State Quarters® Program to be struck for the year 2002, will go on sale beginning October 15, 2002, at 12:00 noon (E.D.T.), and will be available for purchase the entire 10-week release period. The Mississippi quarters are available in two-roll sets (40 coins per roll), including one Philadelphia and Denver Mintmark coin roll each, and in bags of 100 and 1,000 coins. The Mississippi quarters are also available as part of the United States Mint’s popular Subscription Program.

Mississippi joined the Union on December 10, 1817, becoming the 20th state. The Mississippi quarter’s reverse design showcases the beauty and elegance of the state flower, the magnolia, combining the blossoms and leaves of two magnolias with the inscription “The Magnolia State.” The magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), named for the French botanist Pierre Magnol, is strongly associated with the South, where the flower became enormously popular after it was introduced from Asia. Mississippi officially adopted the magnolia as the state tree in 1938 and state flower in 1952.

Each coin roll is wrapped in a specially designed United States Mint paper coin wrap that prominently displays the 50 State Quarters® Program logo, a “P” or “D” representing the roll’s mint of origin, “MS” designating the state of Mississippi, and “$10” representing its dollar value. Each bag is marked with the mint of origin and the dollar value of its contents ($25 or $250). Two-roll sets will sell for $32.00, bags of 100 coins for $35.50, and bags of 1,000 coins for $300.

These rolls and bags, featuring quarters used in regular transactions and struck on our main production floors at the Philadelphia and Denver Mint facilities, will be shipped directly to you from the United States Mint. There are no order limits on these products.

Customers can purchase the Mississippi bags and two roll sets by using the United States Mint’s secure website http://www.usmint.gov, or by calling 1-800-USA-MINT. As an added convenience, customers may order future 50 State Quarters bags and two roll sets online through the United States Mint’s Subscription Program. For more information about this convenient ordering method, please visit http://www.usmint.gov.

Hearing and speech-impaired customers may order by calling 1-888-321-MINT (6468). A shipping and handling fee of $3.95 per order will be added to all domestic orders. Please allow approximately 2-3 weeks for delivery.