Program Time Periods
Each quarter was produced for a period of 10 weeks and after that would never be minted again. The quarters were produced in the order in which the states entered the union. Delaware was the first state quarter, minted in 1999, and its reverse design celebrated that it was the first state in the union. Hawaii was the 50th state admitted to the union and was the final state quarter, produced in 2008.
State Quarter Production
During the 10-year period of the popular States Quarter program, the U.S. Mint increased production of the quarters. Over the decade, 35 billion quarters were produced in response to heavy demand from collectors.
Quarter Design Selection
Congress allowed each state to determine the design for its quarter. All the quarters had the usual head of President George Washington on the face. On the back was a unique design for each of the fifty states, depicting something celebrating that state's culture, history or geography. In most states, thousands of citizens participated in suggesting and selecting the state design. In some states, the governor made the final selection of the design and in others, the citizens voted.
Quarter Launches
Each state had a public celebration when its quarter was released. In addition to the revenue provided by the sale of these quarters, their popularity has helped build further interest in the Mint and in commemorative coins and collectibles.