$5000 in free "Iowa Quarters" to be handed out September 3

The director of the U-S Mint will come to Iowa next month for the official “launch” of the Iowa State Quarter. US Mint director Henrietta Holsman Fore will speak at events on September 3rd. The first event will occur on the steps of the statehouse in Des Moines at 10 o’clock that Friday morning. State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald was on the commission that chose the design for the Iowa State Quarter and he’ll be there, too. Fitzgerald says on that day, for 10 dollars, you can get a roll of Iowa Quarters and the Mint will be passing out about $5000 worth of free quarters to any takers. Fitzgerald says kids and others who have an interest in the State Quarter will want to be at the state capitol that morning, or in Mount Pleasant that afternoon at three for a State Quarter ceremony on the Old Thresher’s Reunion grounds. Fitzgerald says at each event, folks will be able to buy Iowa Commemorative Quarter Sets which will have one quarter from the Denver Mint and another Iowa Quarter from the Philadelphia Mint. Neither coin will have been in general circulation. Fitzgerald says the Mint will quit printing the Iowa Quarter in two months, and the value of pristine state quarters will go up over the years. Fitzgerald was on hand last month when the U-S Mint in Denver struck the first Iowa Quarter in a test run. Fitzgerald says it was an honor to have a piece of Iowa history in his hand. It’ll cost five bucks to buy the packaged set with two Iowa quarters, and the proceeds from the sale of those sets will go to the Terrace Hill Foundation which finances improvements to the Governor’s mansion. For details on the September 3rd events or to see the Iowa quarter design, check out www.iowaquarter.com on the Internet.