Governor, First Lady Announce Kentucky Quarter Design

For Immediate Release, October 3, 2000
Contact: Gwenda Bond or Rusty Cheuvront (502)564-2611

Image available on Web at: http://www.state.ky.us/agencies/gov/quarter/quarter.htm

Governor, First Lady Announce Kentucky Quarter Design,
Say “My Old Kentucky Home” the First Quarter That You Can Sing

Frankfort, Ky. – Kentucky’s quarter will be the first to have its own theme song.

Governor Paul Patton and Kentucky Commemorative Quarter Committee Chair First Lady Judi Patton today announced the official selection of the “My Old Kentucky Home” quarter design, which features a side view of the famous Bardstown home where Stephen Foster wrote “My Old Kentucky Home” with a horse behind a fence in the foreground, that will represent Kentucky on quarters beginning next October 2001.

Governor Patton said, “We’re very proud to announce today that this design featuring two of our state’s most prominent symbols, My Old Kentucky Home and the thoroughbred, will be minted next year and will represent our state well as it remains in circulation for the next 30 years. This is truly an image that showcases Kentucky pride in home, nature, history, and nearly every aspect of our lives in this great Commonwealth.”

First Lady Judi Patton said, “I want to thank every citizen that became involved in helping us to select our coin, whether through submitting a concept, voting for a final suggestion, or sending us a letter expressing your opinion. This coin belongs to every citizen of the Commonwealth. We believe that while our coin will be the 15^th to be minted, our coin reflects what is first in the hearts of its people.”

The first quarters will be produced at the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia and in Denver next year. The first time the quarters will available for purchase by the general public will be in June 2001 as part of a set of the five state quarters to be released in 2001. The quarter will go into general circulation in October 2001, as the 15^th state quarter because Kentucky was the 15^th state admitted to the Union. To celebrate its release next October officials from the U.S. Mint and the Secretary of the Treasury will join the Pattons at My Old Kentucky Home State Park.

The Pattons chose the “My Old Kentucky Home” design at the suggestion of the Commission of Fine Arts, who reviewed designs created by the U.S. Mint based on design concepts submitted by the Kentucky Commemorative Quarter Project. Governor Patton suggested several changes to the design returned by the U.S. Mint that are reflected in the final design, including that the horse be scaled down and placed inside the fence and that some missing details be added to My Old Kentucky Home.

Kentucky’s initial deadline for submitting design concepts to the U.S. Mint was set as June 2000, but was moved up a year. In May 1999 the call went out from the First Lady requesting design concept submissions for the quarter. People of all ages responded with over 1800 designs. The committee then narrowed these submissions down to a smaller pool from which the Pattons chose 12 for a public vote via the Web and a ballot box at the Capitol. The top seven design concepts were then delivered to the U.S. Mint.