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Changes Focus on Enhanced Communications with States and New Artistic Infusion Program

WASHINGTON – United States Mint Director Henrietta Holsman Fore today announced much-anticipated revisions to the 50 State Quarters® Program design evaluation process. The revisions will enhance the Pprogram’s educational value and promote the historical accuracy and artistic beauty of the designs. The recommended changes were approved by U.S. Treasury Secretary Snow on March 8, 2003, and will be implemented in the 2005 quarter design evaluation process.

“The responses to our recent outreach effort confirmed that the 50 State Quarters Program is strong, educational, and effective,selection” said Director Fore. “The responses also suggest that modest changes to this process can help strengthen the program by improving communications between the United States Mint and the states, as well as between the states and their citizens. In addition, we will add a new component, an Artistic Infusion Program.”

In late 2002, the United States Mint contacted the numismatic and artistic communities, state officials, historians, educators and the general public to solicit feedback on the current design process. This outreach effort sought to ensure that the design evaluation process remains true to the intent of the legislation, ensuring fairness, clarity, and wide acceptance.

Under the new process, the design evaluation period for the state quarters would begin 24 months before the year of issue, instead of the 18-month schedule currently used. The revised process also requires states to submit three to five design concepts in a narrative format, instead of illustrations or formal artistic renderings. This revision marks a return to the program’s original design evaluation process. Asking states to submit written concepts promotes the United States Mint’s artists’ and the artists’ comprehensive understanding of the emblematic significance and historical details of the states’ chosen concepts.

“In the near future, we will invite artists from across the nation to participate in a new Artistic Infusion Program, which will be a critical component of the 50 State Quarters Program design process,” said Director Fore. “We believe this effort will help further a renaissance in coin design by tapping in to the talent and creative energy of artists across the nation infusing new energy in to this historic program.”

Under the Artistic Infusion Program, artists from around the country will be invited to apply to participate under contract with the United States Mint to render the narrative descriptions provided by the states into coinable, appropriate, educational, historically accurate and aesthetically-pleasing quarter designs. The United States Mint will announce additional information about the Artistic Infusion Program later this spring.

A stage was added to the design evaluation process to improve communications with each governor’s office from the earliest stages of the design evaluation process.before designs are made public through the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts and the Citizen’s Commemorative Coin Advisory Committee. The United States Mint will use the Artistic Infusion Program to develop artwork, and the governors will have the’ opportunity to see the candidate designs under consideration. This process also allows each state to appoint an historian or other appropriate representatives to ensure that the designs appropriately reflect the heritage of the states and are suitable to the educational mandate of the authorizing legislation.

Launched in 1999, the United States Mint’s 50 State Quarters Program is a 10-year initiative that honors each of the states in the order that they were admitted into the Union. Each quarter is produced for about 10 weeks and will never be produced again. Surveys show that more than 130 million adults are collecting the quarters, of which five are released in any given year.

Created by Congress in 1792, the United States Mint is the manufacturer of legal tender coinage for the United States. In Fiscal Year 2002, the United States Mint manufactured approximately 15 billion coins and generated revenue of $1.8 billion. With facilities in five states and the District of Columbia, the United States Mint has customers in 54 countries and is the world’s 30th largest e-retailer.

Alabama Honors Helen Keller and Her ‘Spirit of Courage’

Tuscumbia, Alabama - United States Mint Director Henrietta Holsman Fore joined Governor Bob Riley today at “Ivy Green,” Helen Keller’s birthplace, to unveil the Alabama State commemorative quarter-dollar coin, the 22nd in the United States Mint’s 50 State Quarters® Program. Several noted Alabamians also gave remarks, including State Senator Bobby Denton; Bill Johnson, the great-nephew of Helen Keller; Scott McCall, Vice President, National Programs Group, American Foundation for the Blind, former United States Senator Howell Heflin; and Heather Whitestone McCallum, Miss America 1995 from Alabama. The U.S. Army National Guard Band from Montgomery provided music for the event.

“This new quarter honors a citizen of Alabama whose exceptional courage and commitment to education provide enduring inspiration to the world,” said Director Fore. “The design also reminds us of the extraordinary natural beauty of Alabama, celebrating the long-leaf pine and magnolia, two natural wonders of this great State.”

The Alabama quarter is the second to be released in 2003. Alabama became the 22nd state to be admitted into the Union on December 14, 1819. The Alabama quarter design features an image of Helen Keller with her name in English, and in a reduced-size version of braille. The Alabama quarter is the first U.S. circulating coin to feature braille. An Alabama long leaf pine branch and magnolias grace the sides of the design, and a “Spirit of Courage” banner underlines the central image.

Miss Keller was born at “Ivy Green” in Tuscumbia, Alabama, in 1880. When she was a small child, an illness destroyed her sight and hearing and, consequently, deprived her of the senses used in the development of speech. Despite her disabilities, she learned to speak and read using the raised and manual alphabets, as well as braille. Miss Keller also graduated with honors, receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree from Radcliffe. She went on to publish numerous books, articles and essays. Miss Keller lived out her life addressing social issues for disabled persons and women. Every year at “Ivy Green,” a weeklong celebration is held to commemorate her lifetime of accomplishments and her “Spirit of Courage.”

In January 2001, former Governor Don Siegelman announced a statewide competition for Alabama schools to submit concepts for the Alabama quarter. Of the thousands of concepts submitted, Governor Siegelman forwarded three to the United States Mint: Helen Keller, Alabama’s role in social movements, and Alabama’s social and economic history. The United States Mint returned five candidate designs to the Governor’s office where the final selection of “Spirit of Courage,” featuring Helen Keller, was made.

The United States Mint officially released the Alabama quarter to the Federal Reserve Bank on March 17, 2003.

The United State Mint’s collectible five-coin proof sets featuring all five state quarters for 2003 also go on sale today. These and other popular 50 State Quarters products are available on the website, www.usmint.gov, and by calling 1-800-USA-MINT.

Launched in 1999, the United States Mint’s 50 State Quarters Program is a 10-year initiative that honors each of the states in the order that they were admitted into the Union. Each quarter is produced for about 10 weeks and will never be produced again. Surveys show that over 130 million adults are collecting the quarters, of which five are released in any given year.

Created by Congress in 1792, the United States Mint is the manufacturer of legal tender coinage for the United States. In Fiscal Year 2002, the United States Mint manufactured approximately 15 billion coins and generated revenue of $1.8 billion. With facilities in five states and the District of Columbia, the United States Mint has customers in 54 countries and is the world’s 30th largest e-retailer.

For more information, please visit www.usmint.gov.

Washington, D.C. - The United States Mint today announced that the limited edition of 75,000 Alabama Official First Day Coin Covers will be available for sale online at www.usmint.gov beginning 12:00 Noon (E.D.T.) on April 7, 2003. The Alabama Official First Day Coin Cover, which is also available through the United States Mint’s subscription program, features two Alabama State commemorative quarters from February 24, 2003, the first day of mintage.

Priced at $19.95, the Alabama 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 “March 17, 2003, Tuscumbia, AL” indicates the day Alabama commemorative quarters were released to the Federal Reserve Bank and the public. The Alabama quarter is the 22nd in the 50 State Quartersâ 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.

Alabama was admitted into the Union on December 14, 1819. The Alabama quarter’s reverse (tails) design features an image of Helen Keller with her name in English, and in a reduced-size version of braille. The Alabama quarter is the first U.S. circulating coin to feature braille. An Alabama long leaf pine branch and magnolias grace the sides of the design, and a “Spirit of Courage” banner underlines the central image.

Customers can purchase the Alabama 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).

WASHINGTON - The United States Mint today announced that the 2003 United States Mint 50 State Quarters® Proof Set will be released March 24, 2003, at 12 noon (E.S.T.). The set features proof versions of the 2003 quarters issued under the 50 State Quarters® Program — Illinois, Alabama, Maine, Missouri and Arkansas — sealed in a presentation case. The set will sell for $13.95.

Proof coins are manufactured at the San Francisco Mint facility using specially prepared, highly polished dies. Bearing the “S” mint mark, each coin is struck at least twice to ensure the finest detail in a frosted cameo image on a bright, mirror-like background. The sealed cases containing the coins are inserted into a specially printed sleeve and are accompanied by an official United States Mint Certificate of Authenticity.

There is no household order limit. Customers may order as many sets as they desire while supplies last. This product is also available through the United States Mint’s subscription program. For more information about this convenient ordering method, please visit http://www.usmint.gov.

Customers can purchase the 2003 United States Mint 50 State Quarters Proof SetÔ online through the United States Mint’s secure website at http://www.usmint.gov, or by calling toll-free 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468). Also, orders may be mailed to United States Mint, P.O. Box 382601, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-8601. A shipping and handling fee of $3.95 per order will be added to all domestic orders. Hearing and speech impaired customers may order by calling 1-888-321-MINT (6468) (TTY). Please allow two to three weeks for delivery.

WASHINGTON - The United States Mint announced today that state quarters honoring Alabama, the second coin in the 50 State Quarters® Program to be released in 2003, will go on sale beginning March 17, 2003, at 12:00 noon (E.S.T.), and will be available for purchase during the 10-week release period. The Alabama quarters are available in two-roll sets (40 coins per roll), including one Philadelphia and one Denver mint mark coin roll each, and in bags of 100 and 1,000 coins. The Alabama quarters are also available as part of the United States Mint’s popular Subscription Program.

Alabama became the 22nd state to be admitted into the Union on December 14, 1819. The Alabama quarter design features an image of Helen Keller with her name in English, and in a reduced-size version of braille. The Alabama quarter is the first U.S. circulating coin to feature braille. An Alabama long leaf pine branch and magnolias grace the sides of the design, and a “Spirit of Courage” banner underlines the central image.

Each coin roll in the two-roll set 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, “AL” designating the State of Alabama, 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 two-roll sets 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 customers. There is no order limit on these products.

Customers can purchase the Alabama quarters in two-roll sets and bags by using the United States Mint’s secure website, www.usmint.gov, or by calling 1-800-USA-MINT. As an added convenience, customers can participate in a subscription-ordering program in which specific products, such as quarter sets and bags, are charged and shipped to the customer automatically as each new state quarter is released. For more information about this ordering method, please visit 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.