The Maine Quarter was released in 2003 and was the 23rd in the set of the 50 State Quarters Program. Maine gets the first sunrise every day because it is the easternmost state in the U.S., and at night, the lighthouses keep ships safe in the dark waters. The coin depicts this image of a lighthouse at Pemaquid Point, which was built only six years after the state was admitted to the Union. The ship in the water before the lighthouse is made to look like a schooner ship, which was part of the Windjammer Fleet.
Windjammers and lighthouses had an important role in the shipping and receiving history of Maine, which is why they are featured on the coin. The coin’s image is quite ornate, but does not contain nearly as many elements as other coins. There are no stars, flowers, or crops adorning the coin, nor is there any text beyond the standard state name and date.
Maine is located in New England, and is bordered by New Hampshire, Canada, and the Atlantic Ocean. This state is primarily known for its scenery and its lobster fishing. The first settlers to the area were Algonquian people, and the first European settlement didn’t come until 1604 when the French Arrived. The English created a settlement in Maine that was short lived in 1607, and didn’t last very long. Maine was initially part of Massachusetts until the area became too populated in 1820 and was divided as the 23rd state in the United States under the Missouri Compromise.