The Missouri Quarter is the 24th quarter in the U.S. Mint’s 50 State Quarters Program. It was the 4th quarter to be released in 2003. The Missouri quarter design includes the Gateway Arch, built in 1965, as well as the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery, which set out in 1804 to navigate the Missouri River. Missouri played a large role in Americans moving west, and that is why these images are displayed on the state coin.
Missouri is located in the Midwest, and is bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Tennessee, Kentucky, Nebraska, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. It was originally part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and was known as the Missouri Territory until it was adopted into statehood in 1821. Missouri was first inhabited by the Europeans in the 1700s, but had indigenous peoples living in the area as far back as 1000 BC. This place was seen as a crossroads where many important cities were built, many important businesses came, and where many important things took place.
Missouri was settled by the French in 1750, and battled for over many years until the Louisiana Purchase was made. The state earned the nickname as the ‘Gateway to the West’ because it was a common departure state for those who were going west with the gold rush or just to settle new land.