Louisiana 50 State Quarter

50 State Quarter of Louisiana

Designed by John Mercanti

Released May 30, 2002

Louisiana is a southeastern U. state on the Gulf of Mexico. Its history as a melting pot of French, African and American cultures is reflected in its spicy cuisine, French dialect and bluesy zydeco. Louisiana became the 18th state on April 30, 1812. It joined the Confederacy on January 26, 1861 and re-entered the Union after the Civil War. With certain boundary changes, had been the Territory of Orleans.

Mintage: 764,204,000

The Louisiana quarter, the third quarter of 2002 and eighteenth in the series. The 50 State Quarter of Louisiana was released on May 30, 2002 and featuring a pelican, Louisiana's state bird, a trumpet with musical notes, and the outline of the Louisiana Purchase territory. Although Louisiana's official nickname is "The Pelican State," pelicans had disappeared from the Louisiana coast by the mid-1960s driven away by pesticides. However, after a successful repopulation effort there are now about 40,000 of the birds living in the state. The Louisiana Purchase of 1803 was a pivotal moment in the history of the United States, nearly doubling its size and making it one of the largest countries in the world. The trumpet and musical note are a tribute to the state's association with jazz music heritage. Inscription: Louisiana Purchase.

Louisiana 50 State Quarter

The Louisiana quarter, the third quarter of 2002 and eighteenth in the series, displays the image of Louisiana's state bird - the pelican, a trumpet with musical notes, and the outline of the Louisiana Purchase territory, along with the inscription "Louisiana Purchase."

Thomas Jefferson bought the Louisiana Territory from Napoleon Bonaparte in 1803 for $15 million. Dubbed the "greatest real estate deal in history" the Louisiana Purchase added thirteen new states to the Union, nearly doubling its size and making it one of the largest countries in the world.

The trumpet on the coin is a tribute to the state's heritage of jazz music, a genre heard and played by millions of enthusiasts around the globe. Jazz was born in New Orleans over a hundred years ago, a combination of elements from blues, ragtime, and marching band music. A multitude of musicians propelled jazz from New Orleans' French Quarter onto the world stage, making the style a dominant force in 20th Century music.

Governor Mike Foster, Jr., established the Louisiana Commemorative Coin Advisory Commission which solicited design suggestions from all Louisiana residents. From the 1,193 submissions the Commission received (80% of which came from schoolchildren), Governor Foster submitted five design concepts to the United States Mint. From the five candidate designs the Mint developed, Governor Foster selected the final design.  

Source: United States Mint's 50 State Quarters Program