state quarters life crisis

[statequarterslifecrisis]

Maryland, come on.

Hello world.

So, we graduated five days ago. If you hadn't noticed, we did not make the original goal of collecting all 50 state quarters before graduation. On the internet, this can sometimes be described with one word: FAIL. Well, I say forget that. Saying "Fail" in response to anything makes you sound like you have a terrible sense of humor and that you're probably stupid. Also, our failure was voluntary, sort of. In the whirlwind of our final finals and graduation and saying goodbye to people we may never see again, collecting quarters became unimportant. Don't get me wrong, we kept an eye out and even found some, but devoting time to writing a post instead of making the most out of the short amount time with our friends that we had left just didn't make sense. So, I guess I'm back to get this going again as we're not far off from finishing. Some time last week, I picked up this quarter. I think it was at a Nathan's in Atlantic City. For those of you unfamiliar with Atlantic City, never go there. For those of you who have, I hope you have sympathy for me, for I sympathize with you.

The only thing worse than Atlantic City may be this quarter. The images on the quarter are pretty basic, nothing too exciting or experimental. Let's dissect each part of the quarter and see if there's anything good going on.

First, the center image on the quarter is the Maryland Statehouse, which features America's largest dome made out of wood without nails. That's interesting and all, except that this quarter is made out of metal, so you can't see that the dome is wood. Also, if the best thing your state has is a wooden dome, then that state needs to make some improvements. 

Next, the slogan, "The Old Line State," has an ambiguous history. Some attribute it to the Maryland Line, a set of troops during the Revolutionary war who had a good reputation. They were a successful regiment. They didn't do anything great, and they didn't screw anything up. If that doesn't deserve a state slogan then I don't know what does. The other possibility is that Maryland state border was the line originally proposed for the Mason-Dixon line, but that is unlikely. Either way, so far there is nothing interesting about the quarter.

Finally, there are leaves that frame the slogan and the statehouse. They're leaves from the state tree, the White Oak. 

That's all folks. It's official, the Maryland State quarter has nothing interesting on it.

So long,

Kevin S

P.S. Here's what the dome actually looks like:

Still not that interesting.

[statequarterslifecrisis]

If I had already been there once, I'd definitely be going back to Cali

There are certain things you expect to be free. Air, for instance. This was not the case at my local Sunoco when I stopped to fill up a tire. I'm not going to lose sleep over a dollar (for three minutes), but still, at that price someone earning minimum wage would asphyxiate in half an hour even if they bought nothing but air. And, they'd have to get paid in quarters. 

But anyway, and fortunately, after three straight South Carolina's, I fished this gem from my car.

I've never been to California, so maybe I have no credibility in saying this, but they got it right. More than any other state, California seems just too large and complex to be boiled down to one circle. So, rather than trying to cram incredibly different cultures together in a cramped space (I think that's what goes on in LA) the designers of the quarter chose to feature the land itself. And what a land.

This quarter does everything right that North Dakota's did wrong. It's comfortable with white space because the detail of what is there is so stunning. Consider the evergreen on the left. Even Bob Ross couldn't compete with that. 

Some might have issues with this coin. California's a large place, and John Muir is probably not the first person to come to anyone's mind when they think of the state. But he was a preservationist and philosopher, kind of like a less selfish and more activist Thoreau before these ideas were cool and attracted attention from girls in thick glasses and bright scarves at coffeeshops.

Another thorn could be the California Condor depicted following the well-documented trend of freakishly large birds, especially compared to Yosemite's legendary Half Dome:

But to me, the bird deserves the size to show its detail and because of its significance. As I said, Muir was a preservationist and transcendentalist. He believed in the spiritual power of nature. And anyone who's allowed themselves to be quiet in an idyllic, bucolic setting knows that a bird can seem that large, a mountain can seem that small.

-drkstmp

[statequarterslifecrisis]

[Not a] Great Lakes State Quarter

"You better lose yourself in the music, the moment You own it, you better never let it go You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow." - Eminem

Well, they blew it alright.  This quarter is just plain bad.  I'm never going to Michigan.  Ever.  According to this quarter, all that Michigan has to offer is a land mass and some water.  I don't care if it's the largest fresh water source in the world.  I don't.

I received this disgrace of a quarter on my way back to school from Easter break.  After purchasing a double quarter pounder with cheese from Mack Donny's (McDonald's), I was handed the quarter.  When I saw that it was a state quarter, I first grew excited.  Then, I spun the coin around to see the state.  Boy, was I let down.  The burger was a let down too, in case you were wondering.

We all know that important events have occurred in Michigan.  Detroit is packed with musical and automotive history.  Motown, Eminem, Ford, Kid Rock.  Not one of these historic figures/events is important enough to appear on the quarter?  I mean, can't you imagine seeing Kid Rock's hype man, Joe C.(R.I.P.) on the quarter?  I can.  And in my mind, it looks a whole lot more interesting than an outline of the state.

They could have even just put a picture of the city skyline.  I bet that would have been alright.  But maybe this is a joke or something.  Yeah.  Maybe the artist had beef with someone he knew from Michigan.  That changes everything.  What a great way to get back at someone - making their state quarter look boring.  I might have to use that one the next time someone leaves his dirty dishes on the kitchen table.  Watch out, roommates.

Anyways, I think this is the worst one yet.  We'll see.

Will C.

[statequarterslifecrisis]

Puttin' the Ill in Illinois

The Dunkin Donuts by my apartment is run by an Indian family. They all speak in broken English and run the place with the utmost efficiency. Upon making an order for a coffee, whoever is taking the order shouts back "CREAM AND SUGAR."   Their accent, however, makes this phrase sound like "CUH-REEM AND SHOO-KER?" I usually say, "No, just black," and they respond back with, "JUST BUH-LACK." On the last "Lack" another family member pours the coffee, handing it off to another, who brings it to me, while the person I ordered from handles the monetary transaction. Some people mistake this for rudeness, but I take it for supreme customer service and efficiency. The last time I got a coffee, I got this little chip-chip: 

"Land of Lincoln." Abe Lincoln may be my favorite president. Not for what he did with the slaves, but for just being a cool dude. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for not having slaves and stuff, but the guy was pretty awesome regardless, as shown by the image in the quarter. To those from Illinois, Abe is literally as big as the state itself. I know Abe was tall, but I didn't know he was that tall. What I also appreciate about this image is that Abe appears to be beardless. My grandma has a sketch of Abe Lincoln without a beard, and supposedly it is not a print. It looks something like this: 

There's a decent chance this picture is authentic, which would make my family pretty rich, I think. I really like this quarter. They use some classic quarter clichés, like the state outline, but make up for it with putting a giant Abe Lincoln in the center. The images to the left and to the right are of the Chicago skyline and some farms. I drove through Illinois once, and there are most definitely a lot of farms. I have not been to Chicago but want to go some time. 

The quarter screwed up bigtime in one area though. The "21st State/Century" inscription. Illinois was the 21st state, and the quarter was released in the 21st century, but the combining of these two phrases into one was really dumb. Perhaps the designer was trying to start a new trend. Anytime something happens for the 21st time in the 21st century, you are supposed to acknowledge that coincidence. He now makes birthday cards.

Sayonara

-Kevin S

[statequarterslifecrisis]

Gateway to the West?

When I was a child, I played a fun game with my little cousins. It was called 'Who is My Favorite Cousin.' I had a whole point system figured out, and whoever did the most favors for me would get points. This went on for a couple of years until they all stopped being dumb and realized I was using my superior charm and intellect to exploit them. 

Well, a couple of days ago my cousin Sofi came to visit me, and although she's done playing the game she still likes to do favors for me every once in a while. When I told her about this blog she saw it as the perfect opportunity to gain some points and gave me this little piece:

The quarter shows Lewis and Clark returning to St. Louis after exploring the uncharted territory of Louisiana (in all honesty they were probably hungover after a night of boozing on Burbon St.). There are three people in the picture, but the third one is not named. I presume it is an insignificant Native American - during those times they were still considered savages. In the picture they are floating under the Gateway Arch, but everyone knows that is impossible. 1) The Arch wasn't built during that time, and 2) the Arch is on land; it is the Gateway to the West not the Bridge over the Mississippi.

I feel like the artists flip-flopped between reality and fantasy. They should've picked one and stuck to it. Why not put Huck and Tom riding a speedboat with Jim? That way they could have two famous people, one forgotten man, and a messed up monument. 

- Goose

[statequarterslifecrisis]

Battle of Warns

This past week, I took a trip to Hanover, NH to visit one of my best friends.  He’s a student at Dartmouth College, and I had never been to visit him at school.  While visiting Dartmouth, I was exposed to fraternity life as I’ve never seen it before.  I played legitimate beer pong (with paddles) and made a few friends.  New Hampshire is a beautiful, laid-back state, and I thoroughly enjoyed the few days I spent there.  While I was there, I picked up this bad boy:

Here is a timeline:

In 1805, a surveying crew consisting of Francis Whitcomb and Luke Brooks were traveling near Cannon Mountain in New Hampshire when they discovered a series of 5 cliff ledges that would thereafter be referred to as "The Old Man of the Mountain."

In 1809, New Hampshire’s most famous Revolutionary War soldier, General John Stark, wrote “Live free or die: Death is not the worst of evils.”  He was writing to decline an invitation to a dinner party that was being held to celebrate a battle from the war.

In 1945, New Hampshire took Stark’s phrase, shortened it, and made it their state motto.  It is, in this author’s opinion, the best state motto.

In 1957, the NH state legislature passed a $25,000 appropriation bill to repair fissures that threatened to cause the collapse of The Old Man of the Mountain.

In 2000, our friends at the United States Mint released the New Hampshire state quarter.  It features The Old Man of the Mountain as well as “Live Free or Die.”

On May 3, 2003 at around 2 a.m., The Old Man of the Mountain collapsed.  Granite Staters went absolutely nuts - one man proposed including The Old Man’s profile on the state flag while another considered building a life-size copper replica of the rock formation.

I get it, New Hampshire.  Really, I do.  It’s cool that the mountain looked like a face in the same way that it’s cool that the moon looks like a face.  But $25,000 in 1957 looks more like $200,000 in 2011.  All of that money went to fixing a bunch of rocks and it still ended up collapsing?  Shame.

- Brian

[statequarterslifecrisis]

Still better than Dakota Fanning.

I have a few unfortunate tendencies in grocery stores. For example, after grabbing my cart, I suddenly care about math for the first time since it stopped making sense in high school. This cheapness plays directly into Tendency #2 - my avoidance of snack foods that I would very much enjoy eating. Trying to save money this way almost always backfires, and it is how I found myself in a WaWa one recent Saturday purchasing a cheesy fix (Smartfood popcorn, for the curious/vicarious).

But, slightly delaying gratification has its benefits. Exhibit ND:

BOOM. BISON. BUTTES. BADLANDS. Literally everything North Dakota has to offer, in rather stunning detail. Is it possible that the least-visited state in the union pulled off the best-looking quarter? Donna Weaver, you've done it again - wait, what is that? It almost looks like, but you couldn't have -

It is. It's the most childish sun I've seen that isn't wearing sunglasses. I understand there's no possibility of colors on these canvases and the limitations that imposes, but why would the sun ever be the exact same vacant color as the sky around it? Just a little bit of shading, just a touch of irregularity among the rays, and it wouldn't make my head hurt.

Instead, the whole illusion of this (mostly) lovely scene falls apart for me. If the sun is a blank disc, what can I expect of gravity and the basic laws of physics? This quarter can't hide the crushing naiveté from which it was conceived. Sure, every state quarter is an idealized image, like someone's Facebook picture, but most aren't so transparent about it.

If Teddy Roosevelt were alive and in his National Memorial Park you see on this quarter today, you can bet he'd have a gun. And it'd be pointed at a buffalo. Because he loved killing large animals. And this is what we call a conservationist in America.

I've got nothing against TR. Or ND. I just think it's time we recognize our violent and exploitative past and cut the self-serving narratives. Besides, try and tell me this isn't the first thing you think of when you hear North Dakota:

And, you know Steve Buscemi deserves to be immortalized as much as anyone.

-drkstmp

[statequarterslifecrisis]

From A to X to Z

Hey there, reader!  When you think of Arizona, what comes to mind?  Look to the left.  I bet that's it.  And that's how it should be.  This quarter truly represents what its state is known for - The Grand Canyon.  That thing is ILL.  I've never actually visited it, but I can only imagine its grandeur.   

My acquisition of the AZ quarter has an interesting story behind it.  About a week ago, I was in Elevation Burger and while I was waiting for my Elevation Burgers to be ready, I witnessed an adolescent boy fumbling with this jacket.  Now, I don't usually spend my time watching adolescent boys, but this one caught my attention.  While he was swinging his jacket every which way and finally over his shoulder, his personal belongings were spilling all over the floor.  A wallet here, some glasses there, and finally, change.  The change is what caught my eye.  For I am stingy.  To my delight, one quarter came rolling slowly towards me, and the lad didn't even notice.  Being stingy, and on a hunt to collect every state quarter I can, I snatched up the quarter and took a peek at it.

As I said before, I've never seen the canyon. But on that day, I visited it in my mind.  The quarter looks magnificent.  It has a cactus, the canyon, some plants, and the sun.  Add that up and you got Arizona.  Nice.

I apologize for the long post, but I also want to add a bit about one of the finalists for the quarter design.  I personally agree with the final decision, but I think this runner up is real cool.  Especially being an X-Files fan.  This alternative design features two soldiers who are Navajo Code Talkers.  In the X-Files, the government's secret files were written in this language.  It was just about the only code the Japanese couldn't crack during WWII.  It's cool that these talkers were almost on the state quarter.

Well, I'm done.  Go watch X-Files.  It's on Netflix and you won't regret it.

Will C.

X-Files Promotional Representative

[statequarterslifecrisis]

Maine Man

I've been to Maine once, and to be honest, I didn't like it. I thought I would. Being that it's the home of L.L. Bean, I figured everyone in Maine would be driving Subaru Outbacks. This has nothing to do with the state quarter or my expecations for the quarter or anything else related to this post. 

When others think of Maine, I assume they think of L.L. Bean and Subaru and lobster. The designers of the quarter decided to abandon all of these common ideas related to Maine and go for this image. At first glance, it seems like a "nice" picture, and if anyone knows anything about me, I do not like "nice." I think of nice as the absence of any other desireable qualities while also lacking any negative qualities either. Niceness breeds indifference. 

However, this quarter has some pretty awesome subtleties. There is a tree chillin' just on the left, which is a White Pine. The White Pine is the state tree, and it is considered to be the largest conifer in North America. The ship depicted is a schooner, described as a "large sailing vessel." The lighthouse is well, a lighthouse. I've went on many a class trip to lighthouses on Long Island. Whatever. 

This image is pretty cool. I like it a lot, but I'd much rather see something related to L.L. Bean and the famous lobster thriving in its waters.

C'est la vie

Kevin S

[statequarterslifecrisis]

Home of Arbor Day

Here is the Nebraska state quarter.  What do you think?

Well, I think Chimney Rock is pretty awesome.  I sincerely wish to visit there, possibly this summer if I can fund a road trip out West.  I’m not so thrilled with the actual illustration of Chimney Rock, though.  It looks more like an old finger than a national treasure.  

If the coin’s depiction of Chimney Rock wasn’t enough to bring you back to your Oregon Trail days, the coin’s designers chose to include a covered wagon on the coin.  That way, there is no possible way for you to look at the Nebraska quarter and not think, “I need to avoid cholera at all costs.”  Or, even better, there is no way for you to look at this coin and not think, “I’m going to ask my Native American friend just how deep that river is before I fjord it.” 

The illustration of the sun on this quarter, though, is one of the best I’ve seen in our collection.  The beams look radiant and life-bearing, and I’d like to set up a chair out on Chimney Rock and crack open a bottle of suds while taking in some Vitamin D.

Nebraska’s state motto is “Equality Before the Law” and their state fossil is the Mammoth.  Did they forget about that cool stuff when they decided to just go the Oregon Trail route?  I think so, and it’s a shame.

- Brian

[statequarterslifecrisis]

Fish like there is no tomorrow

It is fitting that I would get this quarter after buying a pound of USA wild caught cod. 

My grandfather was a sucker for clichés. Camping, fishing, hunting, hiking, he loved them all as long as it was a sunny day in the wilderness and girls weren't around. Don't get me wrong - my grandpa wasn't into guys - he was just a proud Mexican and very much a product of Machismo culture. I don't think he even took the time to learn my sister's name. Years of partying caught up with the old man and he is no longer with us. Grandpa wasn't buried; he believed that gravestones are for egotistical sissies who aren't ready to die. If you need to leave behind a gravestone to remind people of your existence, then you probably weren't that memorable of a guy to begin with. He was cremated and his ashes were thrown into a river in southern Mexico. He would rather pollute a river than pollute the ground. And he did choose a beautiful river - here it is. I've never been to Minnesota but I imagine it is beautiful for a couple of months a year. You know, that time in between the 10 months of freezing snow and ice and the one month of unbearable heat and humidity. It is a proud and humble Midwestern state. The quarter reads "Land of 10,000 Lakes," but there are actually more than 15,000 of them. Minnesota has a bigger coastline than California, Florida and Hawaii... COMBINED. My grandfather would've loved the Minnesota state quarter: a father and a son fishing on a big lake. Just them, a random duck, and a lake full of fish. Next time you go fishing think of me, my grandpa, and this beautiful quarter.

- Goose 

[statequarterslifecrisis]

Hall and Oaks

Whether you’ve noticed it or not, I haven’t written a post for a few weeks now.  So, when I received two of the same quarter in the same night (one from a cheese steak, one from a movie theater), I knew it was time for a comeback.   And what better way to do it than with Connecticut?  I find myself there just about every 6 weeks or so dropping off my good friend Lauren on my way home.

The Connecticut quarter was the second most minted state quarter of them all.  This explains why I found two in one night and why I find about one of these quarters a week.  The artwork is a picture of a large white oak tree called The Charter Oak.  The detail is just magnificent.  Observe.

The Oak has a pretty interesting story behind it about how the British tried to steal the Connecticut Charter and it was hidden from them in the tree.  “They done good” with this one.  There’s a cool story behind the picture AND it just looks nice. 

 I’m glad the quarter looks the way it does.  If it were up to me, I probably wouldn’t have known what to draw.   One of the only facts I know about Connecticut is that it holds the headquarters for ESPN.  For that reason, I might have tried to incorporate a nice portrait of Stuart Scott and his infamous lazy eye.  It would have been in good taste.

                                                 Check out the Connecticut quarter the next time you stumble across one.  You’ll appreciate the detail.

Will C.

[statequarterslifecrisis]

What's wrong with the old Mexico?

This blog requires a deviation from the formula, for a simple reason- I don’t remember how I came to be in possession of this:

But whatever happy circumstances brought it into my possession, I’m enchanted. This is a state quarter that is shockingly honest about what lies within- namely, lots of rocks. Outside of Albequerque, there’s no cities populations over 100,000.

So when I think of New Mexicans, the image is basically a more legit, sun-hardened John Wayne. People who don’t need the reassuring suburban sprawl, who can find energy without a Starbucks and entertainment without a Dave & Buster’s. Even the state fish is about as tough as a pisces can sound- the cut-throat trout probably bites back.

In case you’re not convinced, remember this is the land of atomic bombs and aliens. But I’m not saying these are bad things. I’m not a fear-monger, and I don’t want the legendary New Mexico Board of Tourism coming after me. So, on a friendlier note, during my extensive research I came across the New Mexico state question: “Red or green?”

This of course, refers to your chili pepper preference in New Mexican cuisine, and provides a tasty link to my last spiel on the N.M.

46% of the population is Hispanic, the highest proportion in the U.S. This leads me to believe that soon New Mexico will be the first state where white people are a minority. Pretty cool. So on that day I’d like to head to the gorgeous Southwest, because I think it would be an incredibly self-aware/conscious experience, and I mean that in the best way.  And really, what's more American than a new experience in a New Mexico?

-drkstmp

[statequarterslifecrisis]

WHAT THE FISH?

This quarter bears special significance to me because I love getting quarters with inordinately sized state-recognized animals on it.  On this quarter is a very large King Salmon leaping from water, ready to consume Mount Rainer. Because he's the King, this is totally fine with me. I'm not going to call this quarter ridiculous. Actually, I am quite impressed with the quarter's artwork. Mount Rainer is beautiful and deserves homage on American currency.

 Mount Rainer was named after English Rear Admiral Peter Rainer, as seen to the right of the text.   An additional factor contributing to my appreciation for this quarter is the lack of creative input by notoriously untalented engraver, John Mercante. Instead, Washington decided to go ahead with Charles Vickers. This guy is the real deal, everybody. Chuck joined the U.S. Mint in December 2003 and since then has added the following to his resume:

The Official Medal of The Ronald Reagan Library

The Four Pillars of Freedom set in the Ronald Reagan Library

The Official Christening Medal of The USS Ronald Reagan

The Official USS Ronald Reagan Captain's Medal

Pope John Paul II 25th Anniversary Medal

The guy's a human dynamo.

Here's to you, Chuck. You really know how to carve them quarters. Stay tuned. KD

[statequarterslifecrisis]

Fast Ponies and Loose Slots

If I had a quarter for ever Nevada State Quarter I had, I'd have exactly one quarter. Now if I had that Nevada State Quarter and I was actually in Nevada, I'd go to Vegas and turn that puppy into a fortune. Take everything you know about Nevada, think of the exact opposite and you get the image printed on this State Quarter.

Shouldn't the Nevada State Quarter have a fake Elvis getting hitched with a lady from the Bunny Ranch? Or maybe Siegfried & Roy making a killing in the penny slots? Well that isn't what the good people of Nevada had in mind. The three mustangs on the quarter are a celebration of the fact that more than half of all U.S. horses live in the Silver State. The snow-peaked mountains represent the state's divers typography and the sunset represents nothing about the state. But who can resist a majestic sunset?

I plan on going to Vegas this summer and I hope to see something like this. I don't care how many $5 steak and lobster buffets I need to eat, how many quarters I pump into a slot machine or how many drops of acid I will need to take but I am determined to see three mustangs behind a marvelous sunset galloping towards me.

Sin City  seems to dominate people's perceptions of the Silver State. Who blames them? Gambling and prostitutes seem to attract more attention than horses and sunsets. When you separate the quarter's image from any preconceived notions that you have of Nevada it is very difficult to deny its beauty. 

Cheers to a beautiful coin from a dirty state, 

-- Goose

[statequarterslifecrisis]

Flori-dull

I love space. I hate Florida. These two statements offer an interesting conflict in that Florida is home to the Kennedy Space Station, the launch pad for most of America's significant space explorations. I found this quarter after a modest purchase, and the first thing I noticed was the Shuttle, and I thought, "Hey maybe it's not so bad." I then noticed the rest of the quarter, which shows a Spanish galleon, a beach, and the caption, "Gateway to discovery."  First off, it's tough to tell in the picture above, but the images on the quarter are way too small. You can hardly tell what each image is, and there is too much negative space. Enough of the art criticism.

The Spanish reached Florida in the 1500's searching for the fountain of youth. They never found it. This caption doesn't make much sense to me because nobody discovers anything in Florida. In fact, I think Florida is the gateway to terribleness. When I think of Florida, I think of boring vacations.Vacations where you'd like to go somewhere warm, but also somewhere that isn't that cool with nothing interesting to offer.  I guess that's where the beach comes in. We get it Florida, you have beaches, so do twenty-three other states in the union.The designers wanted to boast the only cool thing they have, the space station, but rather than highlight the caption on the quarter, they've highlighted how bad Florida actually is. See these astronauts aren't trying to discover anything, they're trying to get out of Florida as fast as possible.

Salutations,

Kevin S

[statequarterslifecrisis]

Land of the Shining Quarters

The morning started with a downpour, and I drove too quickly along the slick Main Line streets towards campus.  I needed to get some coffee before my Meteorology class.

“I’ll have a medium coffee.  Please.”  I was already 4 minutes late for when I finally got to the Holy Grounds in Falvey.

“Medium,” the straggle-toothed barista hissed, “Do you mean the 12-ounce cup or the 16-ounce cup?”

“I mean the medium,” I said pointing to the bigger one.

“Well for future reference, it’ll help me if you call it grande,” she responded with an insincere blink.

“For future reference, it would help me if you just gave me my fucking coffee,” I didn’t actually say out loud.

My salty mood only lasted a couple of seconds after my encounter with this witch, as I was greatly rewarded via the $0.75 worth of change from my purchase.  Out of the three quarters I got back, two were from our collection - Iowa and Montana.  SQLC has yet to see either.  Montana is clearly the cooler of the two, so I’d like to talk to you about it.

The coin was released in 2007, which is personally significant for me because it was the year I graduated from high school.  I hated high school.  The quarter was designed by Don Everhart, whose brilliant work we’ve seen previously on the Idaho 25¢ piece.  The most prominent feature of the Montana coin is the skull of an American Bison, which is both ridiculously big and ridiculously cool.  It’s a symbol for the American experience - the natural majesty, the bust and boom, and the latent knowledge that death and decay is fast approaching.  This is a dark image; it is pregnant with mystery and doubt and draws on the human fascination with the end of life. 

 The Montana quarter's image of a bison skull stands in direct contrast with the image on one of the most famous pieces of American coinage, the famous Buffalo/Indian Head nickel.  I hope I’m not giving too much credit to the designers of the Montana quarter when I say that their purpose was to comment on how Americans' perception of themself changed during in the 20th.  The Buffalo nickel was produced between 1913 and 1938, during an period of time where American national confidence was growing.  The designers of the Buffalo nickel portrayed a large, virulent buffalo, whereas their contemporary counterparts chose the head of a dead one.  I think this is a comment on the way our country perceives itself.  We are the remains of the head of what used to be towering, magnificent, and robust, and the scavengers have already had their way with us.

The coin also features mountains and the Missouri river, complete with vegetation on the banks.  This part of the coin is on a smaller scale than the Bison skull, and it serves to accentuate the symbolism behind that image.  I can almost always do without text on my quarters, but the choice to include “BIG SKY COUNTRY,” the state’s nickname, to the skull’s left seems to be a nice cultural touch.

- Brian