Whatever design is chosen for Iowa’s 25-cent piece, the state quarter will not feature the famous Sullivan brothers from Waterloo.
All men from the same family were in the Navy, all were serving on the destroyer U.S.S. Juneau, and all were lost when the ship was sunk in 1942. Matt Paul, a spokesman for the governor’s office, says the U.S. Mint told the governor’s office the rules state no person living or dead shall be pictured on the back of the coin.
Paul says the governor’s office understood the hurdle the Sullivan-brothers’ design faced, but submitted it anyway because public interest was strong. He says the governor heard from many Iowans about the importance of the Sullivan Brothers to Iowa. He says the mint says they understand the sacrifice, but says they were unwilling to change the legislation that Congress passed.
Two remaining options are pictures from the paintings of Grant Wood, and the other three portray Iowa’s farming roots with images of corn and livestock.In the meantime, the Citizens Coinage Advisory Commission meets today in Washington to consider the other five designs proposed for Iowa’s quarter.