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T
he
Massachusetts quarter, the first quarter of
the new millennium, features a design of
"The Minuteman," a famous statue that
stands guard at The Minuteman National
Historical Park in Concord,
Massachusetts.
The selected design captures a piece of the
Bay State's exceptional history. The
Minutemen played a big role in protecting
our nation, as they rallied together to
help defeat the British during the
Revolutionary War. These small, influential
forces consisting of regular farmers and
colonists, were always at-the-ready and
were trained to assemble and fight on just
a minute's notice-hence the term
'minutemen'.
In February
1998, Governor Paul Cellucci
initiated a unique contest
encouraging Massachusetts elementary
school students to submit designs for
the state's commemorative quarter -
and more than 100 did! A 10-member
advisory council then narrowed the
finalist field to five
proposals.
After receiving
final approval from former Treasury
Secretary Robert Rubin, Governor
Cellucci and Lt. Governor Jane Swift
announced the selected design concept
in June 1999. The Minuteman design
concept was submitted by a sixth
grader and a seventh grader. So far,
Massachusetts remains the only state
to limit its design contest to
children.
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