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State unveils four designs for Minnesota quarter
February 19, 2004

Quarter design 1. (Image courtesy of the Minnesota Quarter Dollar Commission)

St. Paul, Minn. — Members of Minnesota's Quarter Dollar Commission have unveiled four draft designs for the state quarter.

One design features an outline of the state surrounded by a plow, a snowflake and a loon. Two designs depict the state's natural resources, including lakes, trees and loons. The fourth shows the Mississippi River. The U.S. Mint vetoed a fifth design -- featuring a star-like snowflake -- as too frivolous.

Education Commissioner Cheri Pierson Yecke, who chairs the panel, says the commission gave the U.S. Mint descriptions of the coins, and artists came up with the designs. She says in some of the original drafts, the loons looked like ducks.

"They had different artists do these different coins. So often times we would say, 'Please take the trees from artist X and the loon from artist Y.' We're continuing to work with them, because we want to make sure that it's historically and scientifically accurate."

Yecke says once the final designs are completed, the public will have a chance to weigh in on the matter. Gov. Pawlenty will make the final decision in May.

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