The Massachusetts Quarter was the first quarter released in 2000 as part of the U.S. Mint 50 State Quarters Program. The design on the coin shows an image of Massachusetts in the background, with a star over Boston and the state’s nickname on the right of the coin, which is ‘The Bay State’. There is also an image of the famous minuteman statue that overlooks Minuteman National Historical Park in Concord.
The theme of the design was determined by a design contest held in 1998. Only children were allowed to submit designs, and a sixth and seventh grader came up with the idea to use the minuteman on the quarter.
Massachusetts is located in the Northeastern United States, and is bordered by Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. The state has been a significant part of American history, with Plymouth being the second English settlement that was permanent in North America. Many of the towns created by colonists during the 1620s and 1630s still exist today. Boston was known for being the ‘Cradle of Liberty’ because of all the rebellion against the British, and also was home to the Boston Tea Party.
This state was the 6th state to be admitted to the union, and was one of the original 13 colonies to ratify the constitution and create the United States.