Florida 50 State Quarter

50 State Quarter of Florida

Designed by T. James Ferrell

Released March 29, 2004.

Peninsular Florida is the southeasternmost US state, with the Atlantic on one side and the Gulf of Mexico on the other, and to the south by the Straits of Florida and the sovereign state of Cuba. Florida became a state on March 3, 1845, a move delayed by the reluctance of Congress to admit another slave state, and it joined the Confederacy on January 10, 1861, re-entering the Union at war's end.

Mintage: 481,800,000

The Florida quarter is the second of 2004, and the 27th in the United States Mint's 50 State Quarters® Program. The 50 State Quarter of Florida was released on March 29, 2004; and featuring a Spanish gallon, symbolizing discoveries of the past; a Space Shuttle representing the discoveries of the future; and Sable palms, Florida's state tree. The choice of imagery highlights Florida's history a focal point for discovery, from the 16th century explorations of Ponce de Leon and Hernando de Soto to its central role in the space program of modern times. Inscription: Gateway to Discovery.

Florida 50 State Quarter

The Florida quarter is the second of 2004, and the 27th in the United States Mint's 50 State Quarters® Program. On March 3, 1845, Florida became the 27th state to be admitted into the Union.

The design incorporates a 16th-century Spanish galleon, a space shuttle and the inscription "Gateway to Discovery." A strip of land with Sabal palm trees is also depicted.

On Easter in 1513, while searching for the legendary Fountain of Youth, Ponce de Leon named the region "Pascua Florida," meaning "Flowery Easter." In 1539, Hernando de Soto and other explorers continued the exploration of the New World through the region.

Florida, home to the Kennedy Space Center, has been the starting point for most of the modern era's most significant scientific space expeditions - from Man's first moon landing to the Voyager probe currently exploring deep space outside our solar system. From 16th-century Spanish galleons to 21st century space exploration, Florida has played a continuing role in humanity's quest for knowledge and discovery. With the highest average temperature of any state, and the second longest shoreline, Florida is one of the world's most popular tourist destinations.

On April 9, 2002, Governor Jeb Bush appointed a nine-person Florida Commemorative Quarter Committee. In May 2002, the Committee reviewed over 1,500 design concepts and narrowed the candidates to 25. The Committee met again in June 2002 and selected 10 candidate design concepts to forward to Governor Bush, who selected five concepts - including "The Everglades," "Gateway to Discovery," "Fishing Capital of the World," "St. Augustine," and "America's Spaceport." In a three week public vote, Floridians chose "Gateway to Discovery" as the winning design.

Source: United States Mint's 50 State Quarters Program