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The
second quarter to be released in 2005
commemorates the State of Minnesota,
"Land of 10,000 Lakes." On May 11,
1858, Minnesota became the 32nd state
admitted into the Union, and as such,
it is the 32nd coin to be issued in
the United States Mint's popular 50
State Quarters® Program. The design
features a tree-lined lake with two
people fishing, a loon on the water,
and a textured outline of the State
surrounding its nickname, "Land of
10,000 Lakes."
The "Land of
10,000 Lakes" actually contains more
than 15,000 such bodies of water
whose total shoreline exceeds 90,000
miles - more than California, Hawaii
and Florida combined. Equally
renowned as the home of the
headwaters of the mighty Mississippi
River, the name Minnesota is derived
from the Dakota Sioux word for
"cloudy water."
The natural
beauty of Minnesota is vividly
depicted on the reverse of this new
quarter-dollar. Lined with Norway
Pine, many of the lakes throughout
the State offer much in the way of
outdoor recreation, as well as
providing a home for the graceful
loon, Minnesota's state bird.
Minnesota is also home to the
Boundary Waters Canoe Area
Wilderness. This one- million acre
wilderness area was established by
Congress in 1978, and contains more
than 1,500 miles of canoe routes and
nearly 2,200 designated
campsites.
Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty announced
the winning design at the 2004 Governor's
Fishing Opener. By selecting the "Land of
10,000 Lakes" design, Governor Pawlenty
chose the design recommended to him by the
Minnesota State Quarter Commission. Other
designs considered were "State with
Symbols" including the State outline,
snowflake, loon and plow, and "Mississippi
River Headwaters" and "Fisherman/Lake
Recreation." The Department of Treasury
approved the "Land of 10,000 Lakes" design
on June 15, 2004.
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Minnesota's quarter shows a
tree-lined lake with two people
fishing, a loon on the water, and a
textured outline of the state
surrounding its nickname, “Land of
10,000 Lakes.”
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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