Abstract
The US Commemorative Quarter Program, begun in 1999, was wildly popular with millions of people collecting the coins. Fifty new designs were introduced for the quarter’s reverse that intended to represent each state’s unique history and identity. These coins are a piece of material culture that can be studied to understand how they represent place identity, specifically state and regional identity in the US Midwest. In this study, quarters were examined using content analysis to understand how each design represented its state. Coins were studied individually and then wholistically to identify commonalities shared within the Midwest. Three themes were identified among the midwestern set: prairie, nature, and innovation. These themes can contribute to the formation of a distinctive Midwest cultural identity.
Recommended Citation
Nolte, Kady and Acheson, Gillian
(2025)
"Prairie, Nature, Innovation: Midwest Identity Represented in State Quarters,"
The Geographical Bulletin: Vol. 66:
Iss.
2, Article 1.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/thegeographicalbulletin/vol66/iss2/1