Press Releases

For Immediate Release
September 30, 2003	Contact: Cheryl Weiss (608) 264-7868

Governor Doyle has announced Wisconsin's New Quarter

(Madison) Wisconsin, the thirtieth state to enter the Union, will be recognized in October 2004 through the minting of its State Quarter. By vote of the public, the quarter design will feature Wisconsin's agricultural heritage.

The Governor thanks the Commemorative Quarter Advisory Council for all of their hard work in narrowing down the initial 9,663 design submissions to the final three that the public voted on. With a total of 347,662 votes submitted last week, Agriculture was the winner. According to the U.S. Mint, Wisconsin will be the first state to feature an agricultural design on its Commemorative Quarter. The Governor did not take a position on which design should be selected, but instead forwarded to the U.S. Mint the design selected by the public vote.

The official tally of the public vote is:
Agriculture -137,745
Early Exploration - 112,907
Scenic Wisconsin - 97,010

This has been a long process for everyone involved and the Commemorative Quarter Council appreciates the support that the citizens of Wisconsin have shown throughout it.

DFI would like to acknowledge the members of the Commemorative Quarter Council, who have led this process since the beginning of this program in 2001:

John F. "Jack" Kundert of Monroe
Jack Voight of Madison
Nora Weber of Madison
Michael Stevens of Madison
Ron Rasmussen of Reedsburg
Lisa Kvernen of Reedsburg
Clifford Mishler of Iola
Mark Mueller of Germantown
Frank DeGuire of Milwaukee
Connie Loden of Hurley
Justin Perrault of La Crosse
Lee Ellis of River Falls
Dean Amhaus of Milwaukee
Lawrence Barish of Madison
Gloria Cobb of Lac du Flambeau
John Reinemann of Madison
Reuben Harpole of Milwaukee
Laura Davis of Madison
Roger Hillebrand of Belleville
Dr. Leon Saryan of Greenfield
Douglas Stener of Janesville
Trent Jay of Wauwatosa
Margarita Tamez of Evansville

The 50 State Quarters Program celebrates the history and heritage of the 50 United States in the order which they ratified the Constitution and joined the Union. Wisconsin will be the last quarter honored in 2004. It will follow the release of Michigan, Florida, Texas, and Iowa all to be released in 2004.

More information about the 50 State Quarters Program is available through the U.S. Mint's web site at www.usmint.gov or by calling 1-800-USA MINT. To find out more about Wisconsin's Commemorative Quarter, visit DFI's web site at www.wdfi.org