After fifty different State Quarter designs, there has to be a few turkeys in the bunch. In this case, I call a design a “turkey” when it just turns me off. A bland design, disturbing images, and trying to do too much on a coin all qualifies as a turkey of a design.

As I follow-up on my Best Quarters Designs, here is the count down to the ten worst 50 State Quarters designs from the 41st “best” designs.

#41 Montana
Engraver: Don Everhart
It is very disturbing to have the image of a dead animal on a coin. I do not care what it is supposed to mean to the people of Montana, putting the decomposed skull of a bison is just disturbing.

#42 Wisconsin
Engraver: Alfred Maletsky
Wisconsin deserves a better quarter design. This milquetoast design looks like someone was thinking about breakfast than Wisconsin. While the dairy from Wisconsin is necessary for a good breakfast, those who produce the dairy just deserve better.

#43 New York
Engraver: Alfred Maletsky
I love New York. I was born in New York. I still consider New York home. As a transplanted New Yorker, I hate the quarter’s design. I am not a fan of state outlines on the quarter because it really says nothing about the state other than “we’re here.” Then, the decision to put the Statue of Liberty on the quarter was made during a time that New York was arguing with New Jersey over ownership of the island making the decision for the design just dumb.

#44 Massachusetts
Engraver: Thomas D. Rogers
Another state map trying to masquerade as a design. While the image of the Minuteman does depict Massachusetts’ place in the founding of this country, it would have been more fitting to find a design more fitting of this great accomplishment.

#45 Maryland
Engraver: John Mercanti
When the Maryland quarter committee met, I was working on my Masters and taking care of a sick wife. But considering what could have been Maryland’s quarter design, the top of the capital is very lame. From the beauty of the Chesapeake Bay to the history of Fort McHenry, there is not a lack of good subjects. But the lame design was decided on by then Governor Paris Glendenning, who was Maryland’s worst governor since Spiro Agnew. Bad governor and a bad design.

#46 Indiana
Engraver: Donna Weaver
Another state outline and a trite reference to the one well known auto race in the state. There has to be something more to Indiana than fast cars. This would have been Indiana’s opportunity to teach us about their home. Instead, we get another state outline.

#47 Ohio
Engraver: Donna Weaver
This is another state outline with a twist: the hanging astronaut! With all due respect to Ohio, celebrating the “Birthplace of Aviation” with people whose accomplishment in Ohio is where they were born would be like calling Kentucky the Land of Lincoln. Further, poor John Glenn looks like he is hanging from Cleveland! He deserves better. Bad concept. Bad design.

#48 Texas
Engraver: Norman E. Nemeth
I will admit, I am not a fan of Texas. And I am not a fan of a former governor who‘se been living in public housing in Washington, DC for the past eight years. Maybe that is shading my view on the state and the obnoxious look of the star on yet another state outline. Did someone forget the Alamo?

#49 Florida
Engraver: T. James Ferrell
A jumbled mess of three untied images that had to have been decided by a committee because a fifth grader could have done better. I understand the concept to bring in the history of discovery that occurred in Florida. But even rough sketches with clouds and other elements did not work. They were better off sticking with oranges and alligators.

#50 Wyoming
Engraver: Norman E. Nemeth
My first impression of this design was “is this it or is this a cud?” Sure, the symbol is on the license plate, but maybe that is where this image should have stayed. Wyoming is the home of Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons and a cud is the best they can do?

I looked at the ten best and the ten worst. Next, I want to look at the ten quarters that either taught us something or reinforced something historic about the state.

The end of 2008 is upon us which means that the 50 State Quarters program comes to the end. With the end of this program comes time for a review. It was a unique program, never tried in this scale by any mint. Regardless of any measure, the program was a success. After the release of the Hawaii quarter, the US Mint issued at press release noted that the netted nearly $3 billion in extra seignorage from the increased demand for the quarters.

Another side effect of the State Quarters has been the increased interest in coin collecting. Although the mintage of the quarters dropped as time went on, many of the State Quarter collectibles saw sellouts at the Mint’s online catalog.

States used the program to get their citizens involved in the design of their quarter. Some states held design competitions while others appointed special commissions to find a representative design. After 50 different designs, there were some good designs, there were some bad designs, and then there were the designs that helped teach history. For the rest of this article, I will focus on what I felt were the ten best designs.

#10 Kansas
Engraver: Norman Nemeth
I have to admit I love the concept of buffaloes on coins. I am a fan of the Buffalo Nickel and I think it is a uniquely American animal that is more representative of this country than any other animal. I like the design used on this coin.

#9 North Dakota
Engraver: Donna Weaver
What’s better than one buffalo than a herd of buffaloes! Yes, two buffaloes make a heard. Donna Weaver treated us with a wonderful design that should be used somewhere else.

#8 Iowa
Engraver: John Mercanti
The adaptation of Grant Wood’s “Arbor Day’ to honor Iowa’s place in promoting education is an example of how states should have treated their quarter designs. Mercanti executed an excellent design that Iowans should be proud to carry.

#7 New Jersey
Engraver: Alfred Maletsky
George Washington crossing the Delaware River to attack the British is a powerful story and makes for a powerful image on the New Jersey quarter. The details of the engraving show well on such a small coin. It would be interesting to see how Maletsky would execute this on a larger surface.

#6 Maine
Engraver: Donna Weaver
If you have ever been to Maine, you would understand how the depiction of the Pemaquid Point Lighthouse with the schooner screams that it represents Maine. Weaver’s work reminds me of oil paintings of the area. There is a serene feeling of this image that is very appealing.

#5 Oregon
Engraver: Donna Weaver
Donna Weaver has to be one of the best landscape engraver at the Mint. Her take on Crater Lake, viewed from the south-southwest rim to include Wizard Island and Watchman and Hillman Peaks on the lake’s rim almost puts the us right at the lake on a calm sunny day.

#4 Utah
Engraver: Joseph Menna
When the program started, there were a few states whose themes could be easily guessed. Utah was one of those states. Utah chose a design based on the meeting of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads at Promontory to open the first transcontinental railroad. Even with the design’s predictability, the execution is very impressive. Maybe my bias towards history shows in this pick, but I really like the design of this coin.

#3 Alaska
Engraver: Charles Vickers
Animals are tough to ignore. Animals depicted in their natural habitat showing how the balance in nature works is also tough to ignore. Combine this with the skills of a master engraver and you have a wonderful work of art on a quarter. Vickers depiction of the grizzly bear catching the salmon is a phenomenal work of art and deserving of a Top-5 pick.

#2 Connecticut
Engraver: T. James Farrell
There are some coin designs that look better in hand than its picture. Then there are those designs that look great in hand and phenomenal under magnification. Farrell’s engraving of the Charter Oak, the hiding place of Connecticut’s first constitution, is an amazing work of art, both in hand under under magnification.

#1 Mississippi
Engraver: Donna Weaver
While it might be trite to use a magnolia for the Magnolia State, Donna Weaver produces yet another winner with her beautiful engraving of magnolia blossoms. Magnolias are beautiful flowers and this design does them justice. It is difficult not to smile and have pleasant thoughts when looking at this design.

As you scan my list, you will notice that four of the designs were engraved by Donna Weaver. Weaver was a Master Engraver at the Mint who in 2006 to pursue other ventures (see her website at www.waxportraits.com). She continues to be involved with coin design as a member of the Artistic Infusion Program. Keeping her involved with coin design will benefit future Mint issues.

Next, we will look at the the ten worst designs.