Ignorance + bad design = The Utah Quarter
Yesterday's publication of a picture of the new Utah quarter (from the U.S. 25¢ series of commerative coins) which says "Utah 1896" above a golden spike and two locomotives head to head, and "2007 E. Pluribus Unum" below led to a prediction (duh!) that knowledge of history is so sparse that many people wouldn't understand that "Utah 1896" refers to Utah Statehood on January 4, 1896, the 45th state and think that 1896 refers to the date of joining of the rails.
It didn't take long:
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Railroad event will adorn Utah quarter
JENNIFER DOBNER - The Associated Press
"PROMONTORY – Utah's commemorative quarter will memorialize neither the state's 'greatest snow on earth,' nor the famous industriousness of the territory's founding pioneers. Instead, the honor goes to the so-called 'Wedding of the Rails' – the driving of a gold spike into railroad ties that in 1896 established the first transcontinental railroad." ... [sic] [Emphasis added]
Unbelievable!
Utah Quarter.
Courtesy U.S. Mint.
posted from CPRR Discussion Group at 9:59 AM
8 Comments:
So, I'm looking for the CORRECT date!
The rails of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads were joined at Promontory Summit, Utah, on May 10, 1869.
Ms. Dobner, a resident of the State of Utah, has an email address of jdobner@desnews.com. gjg
From: "Chris Graves" caliron@cwnet.com
To: jdobner@desnews.com
Subject: Wedding of the rails+
I was astonished to find, under what apparently is your byline, that the Pacific Railroad was joined at Promontory Summit, Utah in 1896.
As most 4th graders can tell you, here in California, the joining of the rails occurred on May 10, 1869; I am hoping that a simple typo took place on your machine, and that you will correct the error.
G J Chris Graves
NewCastle, AltaCal'a
Winter's Summer Garden
See additional discussion.
The Utah quarter will be available on Nov. 5, 2007.
U.S. Mint Press Release:
Spike of Interest Draws United States Mint Director to Utah Quarter Celebration at Salt Lake City Event November 9th
“Crossroads of the West” Quarter Launched in Ceremony at Rio Grande Depot”
The public and media are invited to join United States Mint Director Ed Moy and Governor Jon M. Huntsman, Jr., at a ceremony celebrating the Utah quarter at the Rio Grande Depot in Utah's capital city at 10:00 a.m., Friday, November 9. Following the ceremony, the crowd may exchange paper currency for $10 rolls of newly minted Utah quarters. Children attending the event will receive a free Utah quarter.
The United States Mint will also host a Coin Collectors Forum featuring Director Ed Moy on Thursday, November 8, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Discovery Gateway. The public is invited to tell the United States Mint what they'd like to see on their coins. The event is free and news media are welcome.
The Utah quarter-dollar features two locomotives moving toward the golden spike that joined the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads and linked East to West in a ceremony in May, 1869. It is the final 2007 coin to be released by the United States Mint in the phenomenally popular 50 State Quarters® Program.
The coin also bears the inscriptions "E Pluribus Unum," "Crossroads of the West," "Utah," and "1869," the year Utah entered the Union.
What: Utah Quarter Launch, followed by Quarter Exchange
United States Mint Coin Collectors Forum
Who: United States Mint Director Ed Moy
Utah Governor Jon M. Huntsman, Jr.
First Lady Mary Kaye Huntsman
Utah Coin Commission Chair Margaret Hunt
Master of Ceremonies Ken Verdoia, KUED-TV
When: Launch & Quarter Exchange: Friday, November 9, 10:00 a.m.
Coin Collectors Forum: Thursday, November 8, 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Where: Launch: Rio Grande Depot, 300 South Rio Grande Street, Salt Lake City
Coin Collectors Forum: Discovery Gateway, 444 West 100 South, Salt Lake City
For a digital image of the Utah quarter.
NEWS MEDIA ONLY: VIDEO AVAILABLE -- Satellite Feed of Quarter Launch coordinates: Friday, November 9, 3:30-4:00 PM ET - GA 26C/14 DL 3980H.
Contact: Press inquiries: Jana Prewitt (202) 354-7222
Customer Service information: (800) USA MINT (872-6468)
From: kylewyatt@aol.com
Subject: Railroad history on a coin
Not to quibble, but I really wish they had used a railroad spike for the image on the coin, instead of a boat spike. I tried to point it out to them, but apparently it was too late by the time I saw the artwork and responded.
—Kyle Wyatt
[from the R&LHS Newsgroup.]
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