Fun Facts About the Unique Montana State Quarter Design

• The Montana state quarter features a buffalo skull, but could have had other designs instead
• Montana quarters were released in 2007 at a ceremony commemorating the event in Helena
• It was the 41st state coin released to recognize Montana as the 41st state to be admitted to the Union.

Fun Facts About the Unique Montana State Quarter Design

As the never-ending spring cleaning continues at my house, an interesting item caught my eye in the basement.  A black folded piece of cardboard with the U.S. Mint logo on it.  Opening it I found exactly what I thought I would.

via GIPHY

Do you remember collecting state quarters by yourself or maybe with your kids in the early 2000's?  Trying to get all the little circles filled in and having to wait for each state's quarter to become available.  It was excruciating!

Montana State Quarter Released in 2008 in Helena for the Public

With much fanfare, the state commemorative quarter-dollar coin was released on January 29th, 2007, in Helena, Montana.  The quarter features a bison skull and a portrayal of the Montana landscape with the inscription "Big Sky Country." The coin also bears the inscriptions "Montana" and "1889."

READ MORE:  Just How Big are Ag Commodities in Montana?  It's Billions.

According to Montanakids.com, the "design was chosen based on feedback from the Montana Quarter Design Selection Commission, which was created by Governor Brian Schweitzer, and a subsequent public Internet vote."  It was then approved by the U.S. Department of Treasury on June 22, 2006.

Get our free mobile app

The Montana State Quarter Could Have Looked Much Different

The bison skull wasn't the only choice for Montana residents to choose from when the initial design ideas were submitted.  There were three other designs that were considered to represent us.

Those included:

• a bull elk posed majestically on a rugged rock formation
• an outline of the state showing mountains tapering to the eastern Montana plains
• a scene featuring Montana's big sky with a river emerging from a mountain range

Which would you have chosen over the bison skull?