New York
The New York quarter, the first quarter of the 2001 series, features the Statue of Liberty superimposed over an outline of the state along with the inscription "Gateway to Freedom." Also incorporated into the state outline is a line tracing the Hudson River and the route of the Erie Canal. This final New York design celebrates the "Empire State" as a point of entry for millions of immigrants seeking the political freedom and democracy that American citizenship provides. President Grover Cleveland accepted the Statue of Liberty, a gift from the people of France, on behalf of the United States on October 28, 1886. Lady Liberty was designated a National Monument on October 15, 1924 and underwent extensive restoration for her remarkable centennial on July 4, 1986. Governor George E. Pataki asked the United States Mint to add the line tracing the Hudson River and the route of the Erie Canal because of the vital developmental role of the waterways. Governor Pataki's office requested design ideas from the residents of New York and received hundreds of suggestions from school children, history buffs, graphic artists and coin collectors across the state. On June 19, 2000, Governor Pataki unveiled five candidate designs. They included Henry Hudson and his ship, the Half Moon; a rendering of the historic painting, "Battle of Saratoga"; the Statue of Liberty; and the New York Federal Building. New Yorkers were encouraged to write or email Pataki's office to vote for their favorite design. Capturing 76% of the vote, the Statue of Liberty design was officially selected by Governor Pataki to adorn the reverse of the New York quarter. The New York quarter's reverse features the Statue of Liberty, the state outline, the words, "Gateway to Freedom", and 11 stars representing the number of states when it entered the union. North Carolina
The North Carolina quarter, the 12th in the series and the second quarter to be released in the 2001 series, highlights the famous 1903 photograph of the "First Flight." The North Carolina quarter commemorates the historic feat that took place on December 17, 1903, at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina with the first successful flight of a heavier-than-air, self-propelled flying machine. The craft, called the Flyer, traveled a distance of approximately 37 meters (120 feet) on its first flight and soared even further as one of the most significant human achievements in history. Governor James B. Hunt appointed the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources as the lead in the state's design concept process. The Department established the North Carolina Commemorative Coin Committee, which consisted of members from the State Department of Cultural Resources, the Division of Archives and History, as well as coin collectors. The Committee solicited design ideas from the residents of North Carolina. Some alternate design concepts suggested were the 1903 Flyer superimposed over an outline of the state, the Hatteras Lighthouse superimposed over an outline of the state, and the Hatteras Lighthouse showing a dune and sea gulls. On June 5, 2000, the Governor was provided with three candidate designs, and the Committee and Governor Hunt selected the "First Flight" theme for the official design. The North Carolina quarter's reverse features the first successful airplane "flight" in Kill Devil Hills, NC.Rhode Island
The Rhode Island quarter, the third quarter of the 2001 series, honors the "Ocean State." Featuring a vintage sailboat gliding through Rhode Island's famous Narragansett Bay, and an image of the Pell Bridge in the background, with the design showcasing Rhode Island's most popular sport - Sailing. With more than 400 miles of coastline, Rhode Island, the smallest state in the Union, has more than 100 fresh water and salt water beaches. Known as the "sailing capital" of the world, Rhode Island was home to the America's Cup for more than 50 years. Narragansett Bay is crucial to the architecture of Rhode Island. An inlet of the Atlantic Ocean, extending into eastern Rhode Island, the Bay receives four major rivers, and has several islands. Selection of the design began when Governor Lincoln Almond issued an order authorizing the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts to organize a Coin Concept Advisory Panel. More than 500 design concepts were submitted to the panel, and three finalists were chosen. Rhode Island residents were invited to vote for their favorite design at area libraries, the Statehouse and via the Internet. The sailboat design was declared the winner, earning 57 percent of the 34,566 votes cast. The Rhode Island quarter's reverse features a sailboat on the open sea to commemorate the "Ocean State."
Vermont
The Vermont quarter, the 4th quarter in the 2001 series, features Camel's Hump Mountain with an image of maple trees with sap buckets in the forefront. The design honors the "Green Mountain State," the first state admitted to the Union after the original 13 colonies. Vermont is most famous for its skiing and the production of maple sugar and syrup. Until the 1800s when cane sugar was introduced, Americans relied on Vermont's maple sugar for much of its sugar supply. Also featured on the quarter is Camel's Hump Mountain in the northern half of Vermont's Green Mountains. Camel's Hump is easily recognized by its unique double-humped profile and is one of the highest peaks in Vermont. Governor Howard Dean began the design process for the Vermont quarter in 1999, by appointing the Vermont Arts Council as the agency responsible for soliciting concepts from residents throughout the state. The Council proposed five concepts, each of which included Camel's Hump. Opinions were solicited by the Governor's office through an informal radio survey, and the final design was selected by Governor Dean and submitted to the Secretary of the Treasury for final endorsement.Kentucky
The Kentucky quarter, the fifth and last quarter in the 2001 series, shows the stately mansion, Federal Hill, with an inscription that reads, "My Old Kentucky Home." A thoroughbred racehorse is positioned behind a fence in the foreground of the quarter. Kentucky was the first state on the western frontier to join the Union and is one of four states to call itself a commonwealth." Kentucky is home of the longest running annual horse race in the country, the Kentucky Derby. The famous Kentucky Bluegrass country is also grazing ground for some of the world's finest racehorses. Also featured on the new quarter is another prominent symbol of Kentucky, Federal Hill, which has become known as "My Old Kentucky Home." The design shows a side view of the famous Bardstown home where Stephen Foster wrote the state song, "My Old Kentucky Home." Kentucky's First Lady Judi Patton led the Kentucky Quarter Project Committee. The Committee received 1,800 design suggestions statewide and narrowed the submissions down to 12 finalists. The final designs were displayed in the front lobby of the Capitol and over the Internet from June 15-17, 1999. Over 50,000 residents of Kentucky cast votes for their favorite concepts that included "My Old Kentucky Home", a horse and a jockey, Abraham Lincoln's birthplace, and Daniel Boone. Governor Paul E. Patton selected the final design that features "My Old Kentucky Home." The Kentucky quarter's reverse features Federal Hill, or "My Old Kentucky Home," with a race horse behind a fence.Tennessee
The Tennessee quarter, the first quarter of 2002 and sixteenth in the series, celebrates the state's contributions to our nation's musical heritage. The design incorporates musical instruments and a score with the inscription "Musical Heritage." Three stars represent Tennessee's three regions and the instruments symbolize each region's distinct musical style. The fiddle represents the Appalachian music of east Tennessee, the trumpet stands for the blues of west Tennessee for which Memphis is famous, and the guitar is for central Tennessee, home to Nashville, the capital of country music. On March 27, 2000, Governor Don Sundquist announced a statewide contest for students, artists, and citizens to submit design concepts by June 1, 2000. The state received nearly 1,000 submissions. A seven-person Tennessee Coin Commission that the Governor created sent its three favorite concepts to the Mint on June 28, 2000. These included Musical Heritage, Ratification of the 19th Amendment and Sequoyah, the creator of the Cherokee writing system. On June 26, 2001, the Mint provided Governor Sundquist with five approved renditions of the concepts, from which he chose "Musical Heritage."Ohio
The Ohio quarter, the second quarter of 2002 and seventeenth in the series, honors the state's contribution to the history of aviation, depicting an early aircraft and an astronaut, superimposed as a group on the outline of the state. The design also includes the inscription "Birthplace of Aviation Pioneers." The claim to this inscription is well justified -- the history making astronauts Neil Armstrong and John Glenn were both born in Ohio, as was Orville Wright, co-inventor of the airplane. Orville and his brother, Wilbur Wright, also built and tested one of their early aircraft, the 1905 Flyer III, in Ohio. On May 1, 2000, Governor Bob Taft requested design concepts from Ohioans for the state's quarter. The Governor established an 11-member Ohio Commemorative Quarter Program Committee that requested ideas from all Ohioans and received 7,289 submissions. The Committee's six favorite candidates were posted on its website for vote. Some 40,000 votes later, the top four concepts were submitted to the Mint. These include state symbols, aviation and aerospace, birthplace of aviation and the spirit of invention. From the United States Mint's candidate designs, Governor Taft selected the "Birthplace of Aviation Pioneers."
The Louisiana quarter, the third quarter of 2002 and eighteenth in the series, displays the image of Louisiana's state bird – the pelican, a trumpet with musical notes, and the outline of the Louisiana Purchase territory, along with the inscription "Louisiana Purchase." Thomas Jefferson bought the Louisiana Territory from Napoleon Bonaparte in 1803 for $15 million. Dubbed the "greatest real estate deal in history" the Louisiana Purchase added thirteen new states to the Union, nearly doubling its size and making it one of the largest countries in the world. The trumpet on the coin is a tribute to the state's heritage of jazz music, a genre heard and played by millions of enthusiasts around the globe. Jazz was born in New Orleans over a hundred years ago, a combination of elements from blues, ragtime, and marching band music. A multitude of musicians propelled jazz from New Orleans' French Quarter onto the world stage, making the style a dominant force in 20th Century music. Governor Mike Foster, Jr., established the Louisiana Commemorative Coin Advisory Commission which solicited design suggestions from all Louisiana residents. From the 1,193 submissions the Commission received (80% of which came from schoolchildren), Governor Foster submitted five design concepts to the United States Mint. From the five candidate designs the Mint developed, Governor Foster selected the final design. 
The Indiana quarter, the fourth quarter of 2002 and nineteenth in the series, represents the state pride in the famous Indianapolis 500 race. The design features the image of a racecar superimposed on an outline of the state with the inscription "Crossroads of America." The design also includes 19 stars signifying Indiana as the 19th state admitted into the Union. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a 2.5 mile track built in 1909 for automotive research purposes. While the track was and is used for research, it is best known for hosting auto races, most famously, the Indy 500. The oldest auto race in the world, the Indy 500 has been run every year since 1911, except during the two World Wars. The winner of the first Indy 500 was Ray Harroun whose car, the Marmon Wasp, is thought to have been the first to have a single seat and to use a rearview mirror. In the time since Harroun's victory, the Indy 500 has become an international event, synonymous with auto racing. The First Lady of Indiana, Judy O'Bannon, requested design concept submissions for the Indiana quarter at the Indiana State Fair on August 17, 1999. From the 3,736 submissions it received, the Indiana Quarter Design Committee narrowed the field to 17 semi-finalists and asked Indiana residents to vote for their favorites. The Committee received nearly 160,000 votes and submitted four candidate concepts to the United States Mint, including sports icons, state symbols and Chief Little Turtle, generally considered the last chief of the Miami Indians. The Mint sent Governor O'Bannon four candidate designs on June 26, 2001. Through a July 18, 2001, letter, Governor O'Bannon indicated his selection of the "Crossroads of America."Mississippi
The Mississippi quarter, the fifth and last quarter of 2002 and 20th in the series, showcases the beauty and elegance of the state flower, combining the blossoms and leaves of two magnolias with the inscription "The Magnolia State." Although there are several varieties of magnolia found throughout the world, it is the southern magnolia, or Magnolia grandiflora, that is native to the southeastern United States. Boasting large, showy white flowers as big as 15 inches across, they are named for the famed 18th century French botanist Pierre Magnol. Mississippi adopted it as the state flower in 1952. In 1900, when Mississippi schoolchildren were asked to vote for a state flower, they selected the magnolia over a group that included cape jasmine, yellow jasmine and cotton. The selection remained unofficial, however, as the legislature did not act on the result. A similar election for state tree in 1935 gave the magnolia a landslide victory, one that was made official on April 1, 1938. On February 26, 1952, the Mississippi legislature finally adopted the magnolia as the state flower, opposed by only one vote. In response to the United States Mint's request for design concepts for the Mississippi quarter, Governor Ronnie Musgrove submitted three concepts on June 22, 2000, a Magnolia flower with a branch, a Mockingbird and "Mississippi - The Magnolia State." The United States Mint provided Governor Musgrove with three candidate designs from which he chose "The Magnolia State" on July 3, 2001.
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