The Arkansas state draw, designed by Dortha Scott of Mount Ida ( Montgomery County ), was issued in October 2003. The invention features a rhombus flanked by depictions of rice and a mallard hedge with a background of trees and a soundbox of water. The release of the Arkansas quarter was the culmination of a plan process that began in January 2001 with a statewide rival challenging Arkansans to submit propose designs for the mint .
Under guidelines provided by the U.S. Mint, Governor Mike Huckabee announced an loose statewide rival in which Arkansans were asked to submit their design concepts to the governor ’ randomness agency by March 31, 2001. The U.S. Mint allowed for the designs to depict natural and manmade state landmarks, landscapes, historic state of matter buildings, the draft of the state, country resources, state flowers, and state trees. The rules prohibited the use of state of matter flags and seals, ampere well as the delineation of any person, living or dead .
A total of 9,320 designs were submitted. After a committee narrowed these designs down to the crown 100, those entries were displayed at the State Capitol in Little Rock ( Pulaski County ). eleven judges who were selected by Huckabee from across the state reviewed those entries and chose what they believed to be the best twelve. The governor then chose three final designs to submit to the U.S. Mint for review.
The three artists whose designs were chosen as the finalists were Kathy Basler, a housewife of Berryville ( Carroll County ) ; Ariston Jacks, a scholar at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff ( UAPB ) ; and Dortha Scott of Mount Ida, who enjoyed drawing and sketching as a hobby. These artists received $ 1,000 prize for having their designs chosen as finalists .
Basler ’ s invention included an outline of the state of matter, a pine tree, apple blossoms, ducks in flight, mountains, and a streamer reading “ Natural State, ” while Jacks ’ s design featured the State Capitol with a mockingbird and pine branches in the foreground. Scott ’ s design included a diamond, ducks, lakes, mountains, and rice .
These final designs were modified by the U.S. Mint and returned to the governor, who made the final option. On October 7, 2002, Huckabee announced that Dortha Scott ’ s blueprint was the winner, and she was give at the official release of the coin on October 28, 2003, at Crater of Diamond south State Park near Murfreesboro ( Pike County ) .
The final modified blueprint featured a large diamond, which represented Crater of Diamonds State Park as the cardinal persona. Stalks of rice, representing Arkansas ’ second status as the leading rice producer in the United States, were to the left field of the diamond, and a mallard dip in trajectory above a body of water with a forest in the background represents Arkansas ’ s abundant natural resources and national repute for outdoor dissipated activities.
A total of 457,800,000 Arkansas state quarters were minted. No more will be produced .
For additional information:
Caillouet, Linda S. “ Designs for Two-Bit Coin Worth $ 1,000 to Three. ” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. April 18, 2001, p. 1A .
DeMillo, Andrew. “ Grandmother ’ s Design for Coin On the Money ; Duck, Diamond, Rice On Arkansas Quarter. ” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. October 8, 2002, p. 1A.
Governor Huckabee ’ s Press Release, October 13, 2003. hypertext transfer protocol : //www.arkansas.gov/governor/media/releases/press/10132003-1.html ( assess January 29, 2005 ) .
United States Mint 50 State Quarters® Program. hypertext transfer protocol : //www.usmint.gov/mint_programs/index.cfm ? action=50_state_quarters_program ( access January 29, 2005 ) .
Jeff Bailey
Arkansas State University
