Final quarter designs on the way to the mint

The five designs chosen as finalists for the “State Quarter” were sent off to the U-S Mint Monday. Officials at the Mint will review the five designs and determine which are suitable for striking on the back of the State Quarter. Dozens of ideas were submitted, and a State Quarter Commission made their five choices final on Friday. The chosen designs are posted on the Internet, at iowaquarter.com. The Mint will send Governor Vilsack the designs it deigns suitable, and he’ll choose “the one” this December — but there could be more hurdles, as the state of Missouri, for example, had all of its initial designs rejected by the Mint. Iowa’s edition in the State Quarter series won’t be minted until December 2004.