Utah's quarters: No handcarts

The three final design concepts refined by Treasury Department artists incorporated the most common themes. Utah's pioneers adopted the beehive - a common symbol of industriousness and teamwork - and state lawmakers declared it the state emblem in 1959. The Transcontinental Railroad was joined with a golden spike at Promontory Point in 1869. And the state has been home to winter sports for decades, starting with intrepid skiers who ventured into the surrounding canyons in 1910 and peaking with the state hosting the 2002 Winter Games.

The top design concepts

The three final design concepts refined by Treasury Department artists incorporated the most common themes. Utah's pioneers adopted the beehive - a common symbol of industriousness and teamwork - and state lawmakers declared it the state emblem in 1959. The Transcontinental Railroad was joined with a golden spike at Promontory in 1869. And the state has been home to winter sports for decades, starting with intrepid skiers who ventured into the surrounding canyons in 1910 and peaking with the state hosting the 2002 Winter Games.


The one unexpected thing about Utah's commemorative quarter is what won't be there.
There's plenty of obvious symbolism in three possible designs for the coin - a beehive, two steam engines meeting at Promontory and winter sports scenes. But the image of pioneer handcarts or covered wagons that many Utahns may hope to see will not end up on the state's commemorative quarter.
Artists from the U.S. Mint and a commission charged with sifting through public suggestions have settled on three final drawings for the back of a Utah quarter scheduled for release in 2007. None include a picture of Mormon pioneers entering the Salt Lake Valley in 1847. Instead, one incorporates the state emblem, another a significant event in the nation's history and the final design recognizes the state's role in winter sports.


"It's challenging to find a design that will please everyone," said Mike Mower, Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s spokesman. "But we're anxious to have a quarter Utahns can be proud of."
Since 1997, the U.S. Mint has released five commemorative state quarters a year. The year of release is based on the year of statehood. California's coin recognizes environmentalist John Muir. Alabama's quarter honors Helen Keller. Georgia's is adorned with a peach. A quarter for Utah, which became a state in 1896, will be released in 2007, along with coins for Montana, Washington, Idaho and Wyoming.
Over the past year, hundreds of Utahns have suggested their own ideas, including renderings of sego lilies and covered wagons. About 90 percent of the proposals were drawn by schoolchildren. Some were too busy to reproduce well. Other submissions simply were limited by the size of the quarter. Early on, members of the governor's commemorative quarter commission decided simpler was better.
"It's a challenge. It's a very small piece of real estate to get a message across and try to represent everyone in the state," said Maralee Oleson, a graphic artist.
The governor's office will release drawings of the designs early next year. Then, based on public comment, Huntsman will forward a final design to the U.S. Mint. The coins will be available in just over a year.