The obverse side of the Colorado quarter (front) features the standard portrait of George Washington, the first President of the United States, as found on all U.S. quarters. The portrait was designed by John Flanagan and has been used on U.S. quarters since 1932. On the bottom right-hand side of the quarter is the mint mark “D” for Denver or “P” for Philadelphia. The mint mark designates where the Colorado quarter was struck and produced.
On the reverse side of the Colorado quarter, designed by artist Norman Nemeth, features several iconic symbols that represent the state of Colorado. The quarter depicts the Rocky Mountains with an abundance of Evergreen and Colorado Blue Spruce Trees (State Tree of Colorado), located directly above the “Colorful Colorado” banner.
Found at the top of the quarter is the name “Colorado” followed by “1876” the states centennial founding date. On the bottom of the coin is the mint date and the Latin phrase “E Pluribus Unum”, meaning “Out of many, one”.
The Colorado quarter is made of a copper-nickel clad composition, with a diameter of 24.26 mm (0.955 inches) and a weight of 5.67 grams (0.2 ounces). It has a reeded edge and bears the standard inscriptions found on U.S. quarters, including the denomination “Quarter Dollar”, “United States of America”, “Liberty”, and “In God We Trust”.
As part of the 50 State Quarters Program, the Colorado quarter was released into circulation and is still in circulation today. It has become a popular collectible among coin enthusiasts and those interested in American history and numismatics.
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