Owner Comments:
The Washington DC Quarter will be the first release of the DC & US Territories Quarter Program. This program will honor the District of Columbia and each US Territory with their own unique quarter design.
The District of Columbia was created in 1790. It was chosen personally by George Washington as a site for a new Federal district that would not be part of any state. It became the capital of the United States on December 1, 1800.
The reverse design of the Washington DC Quarter features Duke Ellington, the famous jazz musician. He was born in the District of Columbia and spent most of his youth there. He is pictured seated at a grand piano. The inscriptions read "District of Columbia", "Duke Ellington", "Justice for All", "E Pluribus Unum", and the date. The reverse of the coin was designed by Joel Iskowitz and sculpted by Don Everhart.
The obverse design of the coin will continue to use the rendition of the George Washington from the prior 50 State Quarters Program, which was designed by John Flanagan after the William Cousins original.