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The Illinois State Quarter Central to the design is a young Abraham Lincoln superimposed on an outline of the state of Illinois. This is Abraham Lincoln's third appearance on United States coinage. An older Lincoln is depicted on the U.S. penny and on the 1918 Illinois Centennial Half Dollar. Abraham Lincoln, centered on the quarter, is based on a statue, "The Resolute Lincoln," by Avard Fairbanks that depicts Lincoln at a pivotal time in his development. It is meant to reflect a turning point in Lincoln’s career and the changes that Lincoln went through during the six years he spent in New Salem, where he resolves to put down the ax and pick up the book. The statue is located in New Salem State Historic Site. The “Land of Lincoln” slogan was adopted in 1955 by the General Assembly. In that same year, the U.S. Congress passed a special act granting to the State of Illinois a copyright for exclusive use of the “Land of Lincoln” insignia. The inscription “21st State/Century” describes Illinois’ historical role as the 21st state to ratify the Constitution and the state’s present and future role in the Union. An Illinois farm scene lies to the left of Mr. Lincoln, celebrating Illinois' rich agricultural tradition and the state's current leadership role. To the right, the Chicago skyline is depicted representing Illinois' industrial leadership, business and financial climate, and the state's role as a major hub of international commerce. Twenty-one stars and the date that Illinois was admitted to the Union round out the Illinois Commemorative Quarter. Back in January, 2001, in an announcement of the first stage of the Commemorative Quarter design selection process, Governor George H. Ryan proclaimed, "I would like to make our design selection process educational and fun for kids of all ages in Illinois. I am completely open to any good idea, and I encourage everyone to take part in this exciting program." Of the nearly 6,000 design submissions that were received by the Governor's office during the first stage of the selection process, over 5,500 were from students. To review the 6,000 design submissions, Governor Ryan announced a 14-member Commemorative Coin Committee consisting of educators, state agency personnel, and private citizens. In addition, Mrs. Ryan, chair of "Futures for Kids" Initiative, invited 14 teenagers to serve as a "Futures for Kids" panel to review submissions and recognize exemplary ideas from the Governor's Classroom Contest. On April 24, 2001, Governor Ryan announced three official design themes that would be submitted to the U.S. Mint for consideration. These design themes were represented by five drawings. Source: United States Mint, http://www.usmint.gov, January 15, 2003. |
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The Illinois state Quarter was released to the Federal Reserve Bank by the U.S.
Mint on January 2, 2003. It was the 21st quarter to be released in the U.S. Mint's 50 State
Quarters™ Program and the first to be released in 2003. It's jam-packed with symbolism. Its design was
inspired by the original artwork of Thom Cicchelli of Chicago.
Illinois History (Rural, Lincoln, and Urban) The theme of Illinois History
highlighted the rural, urban, and political history of Illinois. This idea included a traditional farm
setting, a city skyline, and a portrait of a young Abraham Lincoln in an outline of the State of Illinois.
A drawing by Thom Cicchelli of Chicago was submitted to the Mint with this theme.
Illinois Agriculture and Industry The second more modern theme of Agriculture
and Industry exemplified Illinois' dual role as a leader in agriculture and industry.
As Chicago is also a transportation hub for the world, a variety of transportation symbols were included
in this theme. A drawing by Lute Wassman of Wilmette and a drawing by Daniel Wilson of Williamsville were
submitted to the Mint with this theme.
State Symbols of Illinois The third and final theme of State Symbols included the
official bird, flower, insect, tree, and animal (the cardinal, violet, monarch butterfly, white oak,
and white tailed deer, respectively).
Students from all across Illinois expressed the pride they feel for these
symbols and the respect they have for Illinois' natural beauty. This design theme could include Illinois'
nickname, The Prairie State. A drawing by Martina Barnat of Burbank and a drawing by Marcie Oakes of Bartlett
were submitted to the Mint with this theme.
In the fall of 2002, four designs, based on the original three design themes, and
a fifth design, originated by the U.S. Mint, were returned to Governor Ryan for his consideration. The
design originated by the mint is shown to the right. Governor Ryan announced his final decision on October 8,
2002.