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The Indiana quarter, the fourth
quarter of 2002 and nineteenth in the
series, represents the state pride in
the famous Indianapolis 500 race. The
design features the image of a
racecar superimposed on an outline of
the state with the inscription
"Crossroads of America." The design
also includes 19 stars signifying
Indiana as the 19th state admitted
into the Union.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a 2.5
mile track built in 1909 for automotive
research purposes. While the track was and
is used for research, it is best known for
hosting auto races, most famously, the Indy
500. The oldest auto race in the world, the
Indy 500 has been run every year since
1911, except during the two World Wars. The
winner of the first Indy 500 was Ray
Harroun whose car, the Marmon Wasp, is
thought to have been the first to have a
single seat and to use a rearview mirror.
In the time since Harroun's victory, the
Indy 500 has become an international event,
synonymous with auto racing.
The First Lady
of Indiana, Judy O'Bannon, requested
design concept submissions for the
Indiana quarter at the Indiana State
Fair on August 17, 1999. From the
3,736 submissions it received, the
Indiana Quarter Design Committee
narrowed the field to 17
semi-finalists and asked Indiana
residents to vote for their
favorites. The Committee received
nearly 160,000 votes and submitted
four candidate concepts to the United
States Mint, including sports icons,
state symbols and Chief Little
Turtle, generally considered the last
chief of the Miami Indians.
The Mint sent Governor O'Bannon four
candidate designs on June 26, 2001. Through
a July 18, 2001, letter, Governor O'Bannon
indicated his selection of the "Crossroads
of America."
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The Indiana quarter depicts
the image of a racecar superimposed
on an outline of the state with the
inscription "Crossroads of America."
The design also includes 19 stars
signifying Indiana as the 19th state
admitted into the
Union.
United States Mint
image
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To
learn even more about the
State Quarters Program, please
visit,
The United States
Mint
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