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OpinionNovember 18, 2002

Deciding which design should represent Missouri in the Fifty States Commemorative Coin Program is certainly not the biggest issue facing the state these days. But, frankly, it's nice to have a pleasant diversion from budget squeezes and spending throes...

Deciding which design should represent Missouri in the Fifty States Commemorative Coin Program is certainly not the biggest issue facing the state these days. But, frankly, it's nice to have a pleasant diversion from budget squeezes and spending throes.

Thanks to Missouri's first lady, Lori Hauser Holden, every Missourian with access to the Internet can participate. The quickest way to find the Web site where you can vote on the final quarter design is to go to semissourian.com and look about halfway down the front page. There's a link to the site where you can vote on the quarter design.

Something to keep in mind is that voting ends at noon Thursday. The favorite design -- picked by Missourians on the Internet -- will be announced Friday.

It is interesting that all five designs depict Missouri's 19th-century role in the westward development of our nation and that the winning design will be picked using the latest computer technology. In the state's 181-year history, much has happened since covered wagons took pioneers to new frontiers.

The Fifty States Commemorative Coin Program will ultimately feature a quarter minted with a special design representing each of the 50 states. The quarters are being issued in the same order the states were admitted to the union. Missouri, the 24th state, will see its commemorative quarter issued late next summer.

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The quarters have become hot items as collectors try to add each new quarter to their collections. Many who collect for themselves also set aside the special quarters to be passed along to their children or grandchildren.

The process of creating Missouri's quarter design has been long and involved. After the commemorative coin program was established by federal legislation in 1997, Missourians were invited to submit designs and ideas for designs -- and 3,000 of us did exactly that. Five of those designs were submitted to the U.S. Mint for review. Engravers at the U.S. Mint assessed each of the designs and made adjustments to better suit their appearance on a coin.

The engravers' drawings next went to the Citizens Commemorative Coin Advisory Committee and the U.S. Fine Arts Commission. Based on their suggestions, the secretary of the treasury gave his final approval to the five reworked designs.

Two of the designs feature covered wagons and the slogan "Gateway to the West." One design plays up the Pony Express, which was headquartered in St. Joseph, Mo. Another features a steamboat. And the fifth design shows a Corps of Discovery raft from the Lewis and Clark expedition heading upstream toward the St. Louis arch.

As Mrs. Holden said, all the designs are good, but a choice has to be made. Given this opportunity, Missourians will, no doubt, let their desires be known.

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