It's been almost a year since I gave my last State Quarter Design Review! I was facing a problem then because 2008 was the last year for the States, and they hadn't come out yet (BTW,
D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S Virgin Islands, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands will also be getting quarters.) But never fear, I'm back to the quarters, so I present to you 2006: Nevada to South Dakota.
Nevada - Here's a "trick" I used to remember Nevada's nickname of the Silver State... just think of the easier to remember nickname for California: The Golden State. Too bad there isn't a Bronze State. Anyhoo, Nevada is an interesting state of contrasts (mountains and flats, Mormons and brothels/gambling, etc.) so understandably for it's quarter Nevada couldn't fairly concentrate on it's main draw, Las Vegas. In fact,
they never even seemed to consider it. Understandable, because... well what would they put on there, a casino? A blackjack table? So they eschew the unworkable for the more natural: mustangs, sagebrush and a sunrise over the mountains. I like it, because it works well without being too busy. Although, I do wonder why the third mustang (in the background) doesn't seem to be following the other two. It just looks a bit lost. My main gripe with the quarter is a gripe I have with a bunch of quarters, it isn't specific to the individual state. But that won't drop your grade too far, especially if you don't have much of a choice and if your quarter looks good anways... and I can say those two about Nevada.
Grade: B
Nebraska - I'll admit that I was probably too harsh with Kansas's quarter in that they really didn't have much to put on their quarter, but here is my explanation: Nebraska's quarter. Now I've never been to Kansas but I hear it's just as boring as Nebraska. If you don't believe me just take this into consideration: Nebraska's quarter features people
leaving the state. However, unlike Kansas's quarter, it's an interesting design. Nebraska had to go west in two ways for their design: First, they used westbound settlers on what is presumably the Oregon or California Trail. Second, they went to the far west section of Nebraska (practically in Wyoming) for their defining feature: Chimney Rock. My problems with the quarter are: how they cut off the design at the bottom, that they seem to need to tell you that it's "Chimney Rock" and that the rock formation seems pretty bland (the actual formation has some grass on it). But they get points for not featuring corn and/or Warren Buffett. A good solid
Grade: B
Colorado - When I started this I used negatives and positive grades (i.e. A-, A+) to distinguish between grades. I stopped because it was getting too complicated to compare each quarter as I graded it, so i decided to use whole letter grades and just rank the quarters at the end. Here is a case were two quarters will score the same but will be at the opposite ends of the ranking: The Nebraska quarter at the low end of the As and the Colorado quarter at the high end. Anyways, about the Colorado quarter, there really isn't much to say about the quarter except that everything was done perfectly. A great subject (Longs Peak), a great lesser known motto/nickname ("Colorful Colorado") in a great banner to end the design at the bottom. Definitely among the best quarters in the series.
Grade: A
North Dakota - So remember how I admitted that I might have been harsh with the Kansas quarter because of the lack of originality. Well here is a quarter with, essentially, the same subject but entirely different outcome. North Dakota, much like it's neighbors to the south (South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma), is pretty plain, but they designed a fairly beautiful quarter which they didn't mess up by trying to stuff in a motto or nickname. A very classic and clean design. Not the best quarter, but probably the best quarter with what they had to work with.
Grade: A
South Dakota - South Dakota is a beautiful state with large prairie lands, badlands, and Black Hills. Somewhat unfortunately, they also have Mount Rushmore. Now don't get me wrong: The area around Mount Rushmore is BEAUTIFUL and since they have such an iconic monument in their state, it is certainly understandable that they would want to put it on their quarter. But wow, did they ever mess that up. Not only (as
Wikipedia points out) are all three things on their quarter not really native to South Dakota, the design is horrible. The wheat looks weird and the pheasant makes it look like a giant bird is attacking Mount Rushmore. And it's not like they had a good
lot to choice from with every proposed quarter having the wheat on it. This quarter would have easily gotten a B if the just did Mount Rushmore. As it is though?
Grade: D
Nevada - Here's a "trick" I used to remember Nevada's nickname of the Silver State... just think of the easier to remember nickname for California: The Golden State. Too bad there isn't a Bronze State. Anyhoo, Nevada is an interesting state of contrasts (mountains and flats, Mormons and brothels/gambling, etc.) so understandably for it's quarter Nevada couldn't fairly concentrate on it's main draw, Las Vegas. In fact, they never even seemed to consider it. Understandable, because... well what would they put on there, a casino? A blackjack table? So they eschew the unworkable for the more natural: mustangs, sagebrush and a sunrise over the mountains. I like it, because it works well without being too busy. Although, I do wonder why the third mustang (in the background) doesn't seem to be following the other two. It just looks a bit lost. My main gripe with the quarter is a gripe I have with a bunch of quarters, it isn't specific to the individual state. But that won't drop your grade too far, especially if you don't have much of a choice and if your quarter looks good anways... and I can say those two about Nevada. Grade: B
Nebraska - I'll admit that I was probably too harsh with Kansas's quarter in that they really didn't have much to put on their quarter, but here is my explanation: Nebraska's quarter. Now I've never been to Kansas but I hear it's just as boring as Nebraska. If you don't believe me just take this into consideration: Nebraska's quarter features people leaving the state. However, unlike Kansas's quarter, it's an interesting design. Nebraska had to go west in two ways for their design: First, they used westbound settlers on what is presumably the Oregon or California Trail. Second, they went to the far west section of Nebraska (practically in Wyoming) for their defining feature: Chimney Rock. My problems with the quarter are: how they cut off the design at the bottom, that they seem to need to tell you that it's "Chimney Rock" and that the rock formation seems pretty bland (the actual formation has some grass on it). But they get points for not featuring corn and/or Warren Buffett. A good solid Grade: B
Colorado - When I started this I used negatives and positive grades (i.e. A-, A+) to distinguish between grades. I stopped because it was getting too complicated to compare each quarter as I graded it, so i decided to use whole letter grades and just rank the quarters at the end. Here is a case were two quarters will score the same but will be at the opposite ends of the ranking: The Nebraska quarter at the low end of the As and the Colorado quarter at the high end. Anyways, about the Colorado quarter, there really isn't much to say about the quarter except that everything was done perfectly. A great subject (Longs Peak), a great lesser known motto/nickname ("Colorful Colorado") in a great banner to end the design at the bottom. Definitely among the best quarters in the series. Grade: A
North Dakota - So remember how I admitted that I might have been harsh with the Kansas quarter because of the lack of originality. Well here is a quarter with, essentially, the same subject but entirely different outcome. North Dakota, much like it's neighbors to the south (South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma), is pretty plain, but they designed a fairly beautiful quarter which they didn't mess up by trying to stuff in a motto or nickname. A very classic and clean design. Not the best quarter, but probably the best quarter with what they had to work with. Grade: A
South Dakota - South Dakota is a beautiful state with large prairie lands, badlands, and Black Hills. Somewhat unfortunately, they also have Mount Rushmore. Now don't get me wrong: The area around Mount Rushmore is BEAUTIFUL and since they have such an iconic monument in their state, it is certainly understandable that they would want to put it on their quarter. But wow, did they ever mess that up. Not only (as Wikipedia points out) are all three things on their quarter not really native to South Dakota, the design is horrible. The wheat looks weird and the pheasant makes it look like a giant bird is attacking Mount Rushmore. And it's not like they had a good lot to choice from with every proposed quarter having the wheat on it. This quarter would have easily gotten a B if the just did Mount Rushmore. As it is though? Grade: D
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