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The
New Jersey quarter, the third coin in
the 50 State Quarters® Program,
depicts General George Washington and
members of the Colonial Army crossing
the Delaware River en route to very
important victories during the
Revolutionary War. The design is
based on the 1851 painting by
Emmanuel Leutze, "Washington Crossing
the Delaware," which currently hangs
in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in
New York City.
It was a cold Christmas night in 1776 and
the Delaware River was frozen in many
places. General George Washington
calculated the enemy would not be expecting
an assault in this kind of weather. He and
his soldiers courageously crossed the
Delaware River into Trenton, NJ. Using
surprise as their greatest weapon,
Washington's army captured over 900
prisoners and secured the town. Later that
night, his army continued towards
Princeton, NJ, again taking the enemy by
surprise. These two victories proved very
important to his army as they gave the
soldiers courage, hope, and newfound
confidence. The ammunition, food and other
supplies confiscated from their captives
also helped them survive the brutal winter
of 1777.
The selection
process for the New Jersey quarter
began November 17, 1997, when
Assembly Joint Resolution Number 68
was passed to establish the New
Jersey Commemorative Coin Design
Commission. The 15 members of the
Commission were selected for their
backgrounds in history, art, and
numismatics. The Commission chose
five design concepts for execution
into drawings by the United States
Mint's engravers.
After
consultation with the Citizens
Commemorative Coin Advisory
Committee, the Fine Arts Commission,
and approval by the Secretary of the
Treasury, three of these designs were
returned to New Jersey Governor,
Christine Todd Whitman, for the final
design selection. With her approval,
the Commission chose the "Washington
Crossing the Delaware" design,
creating the first circulating coin
to feature George Washington on both
the obverse and reverse
sides.
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The New Jersey Quarter
depicts General George Washington
crossing the Delaware
River.
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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