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.

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