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Public may pick new quarter online

The Arizona Republic

By SCOTT CRAVEN

The Arizona Republic

The Arizona motto “Grand Canyon State” is already engraved on our minds, and it is likely to be engraved on our quarters as well.

Three of the final five designs of Arizona’s quarter feature the motto, and a scenic overview of the Grand Canyon is depicted on two designs. Two of the designs feature a stately saguaro. And two of the designs represent history (John Wesley Powell’s Grand Canyon expedition) and culture (Navajo code talkers).

The images will be further refined as they make their way through the standard Washington, D.C., bureaucratic process until they are approved by the secretary of the Treasury, likely by early April.

That’s when the real fun starts. The final decision is up to Gov. Janet Napolitano, but she has indicated she will leave it up to a vote of the people, said Melodee Jackson, Napolitano’s representative on the Arizona State Quarter Commission.

The vote likely will be conducted online, the easiest way for people to register their 2-cents’ worth.

“This coin is probably going to have a shelf life of 30 years so it’s a real big deal. She wants to get people involved and excited,” Jackson said.

The finalists were drawn by U.S. Mint artists based on descriptions submitted by the state’s quarter commission, which managed to narrow hundreds of ideas from the public into five narratives.

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