Final U.S. Territories Quarter Released: Northern Mariana Islands Quarter
The release of the Northern Mariana Islands quarter on December 10 marks the end of the 2009 District of Columbia and U.S. Territories quarter program.
The Northern Mariana Islands quarter honors the South Pacific group of islands which have been a U.S. Commonwealth territory since the 1970s.
The Northern Mariana Islands quarter features a reverse design by Phebe Hemphill; on the coin you'll find:
- A limestone latte (No, its not a drink! It's a traditional type of architectural column found in ancient structures on the Northern Mariana Islands.)
- A Carolinian lei called a mwar
- A Carolinian canoe
- 2 white ferry tern birds
The Northern Mariana Islands quarter will be launched during a major U.S. Mint ceremony in Garapan, Saipan at 9:30 AM local time -- which is 6:30 PM Eastern time on December 9th.
