Banneker Likely to Grace D.C. Quarter
Still wondering what's up with the D.C. quarter that's supposed to hit the streets in 2009? Wonder no more -- we may have a winner.
Today the U.S. Mint's Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee met to review three proposed designs for the D.C. quarter -- Duke Ellington, Benjamin Banneker, and Frederick Douglass -- and propose their choice to the Secretary of the Treasury, Henry Paulson. And who did they choose? Benjamin Banneker. Short of Paulson overruling the committee, it looks like the astronomer, mathematician, and clockmaker will grace the city's commemorative quarter.
Maybe we're missing something here, but we're pretty underwhelmed by the choice. Beyond the somewhat awkward design, Banneker just doesn't seem to rival either Ellington or Douglass in local and historic significance. We may just still be sour on the U.S. Mint for rejecting the city's original proposals, which bore the message "Taxation without Representation," though. Banneker is an impressive individual for sure, but he just doesn't seem to scream "D.C.!" to us. Then again, not many things do that aren't one of the monuments or federal buildings. At least our design will be better than Florida's, though. What's with the Space Shuttle doing a fly-by on the conquistador ship?
What do you think? Flop or fantastic?