Introduction

Talked about since the inception of the State Quarters Program in 1999, the amendment to the legislation specifying a commemorative quarter for Washington, D.C. and the United States territories is now a reality.

To begin without interruption when the last of the 50 states (Hawaii) has been issued in 2008, the amended program will contain 6 coins as follows:

     District of Columbia

     Commonwealth of Puerto Rico

     Guam

     American Samoa

     United States Virgin Islands

     Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

The minting of all six issues will completed in 2009.

Legislation

Since the 50 States Quarters Program was initiated, several bills have been introduced in congress specifying an extension to include Washington, D.C. and the U.S. territories.  All prior attempts expired without passing.

Success was finally achieved on December 19, 2007, by a provision contained in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008 (H.R. 2764), a consolidated spending bill.  For anyone wishing to verify the measure, see page 401 (Title VI, Division D, Section 622) of H.R. 2764.

Design Particulars

The obverse of 2009 quarters will be the same as the state quarters in years past.  The design of the reverse of these coins has not been considered as yet, although the design and approval process will be the same as for the preceding state quarters.

Conclusion

In 2009 we can look forward to a new quarter approximately every 60 days.  Availability, sources of supply, and other collecting details should be the same for the territorial quarters as for the preceeding state quarters.

(Note:  If new coinage excites the masses, then the year 2009 is going to the stuff that frenzies are made of.  If everything goes according to plan, 15 entirely new business strike commemorative coins will enter general circulation that year:  4 Presidential Dollars, 4 Lincoln Cents, 1 Sacagawea Native American Dollar, the District of Columbia Quarter, and 5 territorial quarters.  That amounts to 1 new coin approximately every 24 days.  Nothing like this has ever been seen before, and its equal will probably be some time in coming.)

Don Mesler