CoinWeek Writer Picks the Ten Worst 50 State Quarter Designs

This article is based on an opinion piece by Tyler Rossi published by CoinWeek on January 22, 2026. The rankings are the author's own view, and the author notes that no such list is truly objective.

The 50 State Quarter Program ran from 1999 through 2008. Each year, five new reverse designs were issued in the order that each state entered the Union. The state designs replaced the Heraldic Eagle that had appeared on the reverse of the Washington quarter since its debut in 1932, with the exception of the Bicentennial quarter. The state designs were supposed to be emblematic of the states they represented and convey something of their cultural, natural and historic legacy. The author writes that the program introduced a whole generation of new collectors to the hobby.

The author argues that, out of 50 coins, some represented their states better than others, and picks the 10 "worst" designs. The author adds that "worst" does not necessarily mean bad: in some cases a state-mandated concept was less than thrilling, and in others a good idea was poorly executed.

Numbers 1 to 5

1. Michigan (2004). The 26th quarter in the series. The designer is listed as unknown; the Mint engraver/sculptor was Donna Weaver. The reverse shows an outline of the Great Lakes around a topographical representation of the state. It was chosen from five similar designs, all based on an outline of the state. The author calls it well laid out but boring.

2. Wyoming (2007). The 44th quarter. Designed by Donna Weaver and sculpted by Norman E. Nemeth. It shows a cut-out shape of a cowboy riding a bucking bronco, with the state motto "The Equality State," adopted because Wyoming was the first state to give women the right to vote. The design is believed, though not certain, to be based on a 1903 photo of cowboy Guy Holt riding a horse named Steamboat. According to the author, the Commission of Fine Arts called the design "powerful" and the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee called it "authentic," but the general public did not like it once it was released.

3. Texas (2004). The 28th quarter. Designed by Daniel Miller and sculpted by Norman E. Nemeth. It shows the state with a five-pointed star superimposed over it and a stylized rope lariat border. The author notes that one early design included the Alamo within the state outline, and says the Texas Numismatic Association could have chosen a bolder design from the nearly 2,600 concepts submitted.

4. Florida (2004). The 27th quarter. Designed by Ralph Butler and sculpted by T. James Ferrell. It shows a Spanish galleon, two Sabal palmetto trees and a space shuttle. The author says the elements are well rendered individually but do not form a cohesive design. The author also points to the large amount of empty field, especially in the center of the coin. The design, "Gateway to Discovery," was chosen in a three-week public vote among five options.

5. Massachusetts (2000). The sixth quarter. Designed by two schoolchildren and sculpted by Thomas D. Rogers. A depiction of the Minuteman statue in Concord is superimposed over an outline of the state. The author points to an early proposal showing Old Ironsides (USS Constitution) under full sail, launched in 1797, which the author describes as the oldest ship still afloat.

Numbers 6 to 10

6. Maryland (2000). The seventh quarter. Designed by Bill Krawczewicz and sculpted by Thomas D. Rogers. It shows the statehouse tower and oak branches; the oak is the state tree. The author finds the official design too detailed and says the draft version submitted as a proposal was more appealing.

7. Wisconsin (2004). The 30th quarter. Designed by Rose Marty and sculpted by Alfred Maletsky. It shows the head of a cow, a wheel of cheese and an ear of corn. According to the author, then-Governor Jim Doyle scrapped the state panel's choice, an image of a Native American scout shaking hands with a fur trapper. Panel member Dean Amhaus said the change would only spur "more cheese head jokes."

8. Idaho (2007). The 43rd quarter. Designed by Don Everhart. A large peregrine falcon stands over a medium-sized outline of the state. The author says the bird dominates the design and the composition lacks balance.

9. New Mexico (2008). The 47th quarter. Designed by Don Everhart. The sacred sun symbol of the Zia people is superimposed over a topographical map of the state. The author suggests the symbol would have worked better centered on the map rather than placed off-center below the state's founding year (1912). All four finalist designs used a state outline and the Zia sun symbol.

10. Ohio (2002). The 17th quarter. The designer is listed as unknown; the Mint engraver/sculptor was Donna Weaver. The design shows the state outline, an astronaut, the Wright brothers' plane and the motto "Birthplace of Aviation Pioneers." The author notes that the claim is true, since Neil Armstrong, John Glenn and Orville Wright were all born in Ohio, but finds the design disjointed.

Source: CoinWeek, "Ten Worst 50 State Quarter Designs" (January 22, 2026).