Alaska's quarter roars into the picture

Alaskans submitted more than 800 designs for the state's quarter. The governor picked the winner, the grizzly. (US Mint via The New York Times)

ANCHORAGE - Alaska commemorative quarters featuring a grizzly bear with a salmon in its jaws were put into circulation yesterday by the US Mint.

"Every coin is awesome but Alaska's is particularly awesome," said Andy Brunhart, US Mint deputy director, who will fly to Alaska on Friday for the ceremonial launch. A congressional program started in 1999 circulates new quarters honoring a different state every 10 weeks in the order the states joined the union.

Alaska, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary Jan. 3, is the penultimate state to appear on the quarter. Hawaii also became a state in 1959, and its quarter will be released in November.

The mint also plans a quarter honoring Washington, D.C., next year, plus quarters commemorating each of the US Territories: Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, US Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

The Alaska coin has the bear stepping out from a stream with a waterfall behind it. The words "ALASKA" and "1959" and "THE GREAT LAND" complete the design. The mint will manufacture at least a half billion Alaska quarters over 10 weeks, Brunhart said.

The grizzly design was one of more than 850 submitted by state residents to the Alaska Commemorative Coin Commission, which narrowed the number to four.

The commission collected 30,000 votes on the four finalists. Governor Sarah Palin considered the votes and picked the grizzly bear design over a musher with a team of sled dogs, a polar bear, and a gold panner.

Alaska contains over 98 percent of the US population of grizzlies, and more than 70 percent of their North American population, according to state officials.