The days of the pony express were revisited at the new launch of the Kansas state quarter, the first to feature an image of a buffalo.
A female horseback riding team delivered bags of the coins, which also feature a sunflower motif, to U.S. Mint Acting Director David A. Lebryk and Gov. Kathleen Sebelius at the public ceremony, Sept. 9, in Hutchinson, Kan.
“The new quarter is a wonderful representation of the beauty and history of the great plains of Kansas,” said Lebryk. “The buffalo honors the early days of Kansas statehood, when millions of buffalo roamed the Kansas prairie. Sunflowers, first cultivated by Native Americans over 3,000 years ago, continue to light up Kansas fields and roadsides every September.”
The Mint is offering two-roll sets of the Kansas quarter for $32 and 100-coin and 1,000-coin bags of the quarters for $35.50 and $300, respectively.
To order, visit www.usmint.gov or call (800) USA-MINT (872-6468).
In addition to the horseback riding skills demonstrations of the Wild Women of the Frontier, there was a reading of a poem written for the event by Kansas poet laureate Jonathan Holden. Also, Dennis Rogers of Topeka, Kan., a member of the Navajo Nation, told a story and performed a dance, and professional and school groups sang songs.
Then, Lebryk and Sebelius handed new Kansas quarters to children in attendance and adults exchanged their bills for $10 rolls of Kansas quarters. Sebelius declared Sept. 9 “Kansas Quarter Day in the Classroom.”
Lesson plans related to the Kansas quarter and the 50 State Quarters Program may be downloaded free from the U.S. Mint H.I.P. Pocket Change Web site, http://www.usmint.gov/kids.
