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We had the scoop last week, but today the U.S. Mint confirmed that Duke Ellington will indeed grace the District's commemorative quarter set to hit the streets on January 26, 2009.
The announcement also included the designs for the five U.S. territories that also received their own 25-cent pieces as part of the popular 50 State Quarters Program -- Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
It seems only appropriate to rename the program, doesn't it? "50 State, One District and Five Territories Quarters Program" is a little wordy, but at least it's accurate.
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How about we name it, "Failing Infrastructure, Quarters Distract Nation, Business as Usual."
how about we call it "american quarters: no bias. no bull."
seriously, though, click through and look at some of those designs on the mint website. did you know there are first lady coins (they're calling them "first spouse", but have we had any first gentlemen yet? didn't think so)
Duke sucks! Oh, wait, Duke Ellington? He's cool.
wait, let me rephrase my idea as a haiku:
Stupid government
Shiny new coins are useless
Fix the 'conomy
what about a scratch-and-sniff gingko berry?
and this way, people will be more inclined to give beggars change. everyone wins.
How about "The 51 tax-paying jurisdictions and five non-tax-paying jurisdictions quarter program"?
Campbell Brown would say:
"Does it bother anyone else that the DC quarter shows a man who immediately moved to NYC as soon as possible? And proceeded to make his art there, and never look back? Hello- is this thing on? How can this be a DC coin? Only if DC chooses to celebrate the stinky bad early part of his life he never wanted to remember. The guy moved out as soon as he could!
F. Douglas would have been better, at least he wanted to live here, actually had a house and all."
No bias. No bull.
The bloke was born here, but had no professional or personal ties from a young age.
EPIC FAIL.
I think Ben's Chili Bowl should have been on the back of the quarter. Either that or the live scene of a robbery in Borderstan.
How disappointing. This is the shittiest quarter design ever. Hell, why didn't consider a Helen Hayes or Henry Rollins quarter? Fucking stupid, like everything else in DC.
I love the choice of Duke Ellington, but is he supposed to be leaning on a piano keyboard? As someone who spends at least part of the day seated at one, I can tell you that that is a highly fanciful rendering of the instrument. For a small consulting fee, I would be happy to advise them on what a piano actually looks like.
stmove
Are you quoting Campbell Brown because CNN bought out the entire ad space for DCist (as well as Wonkette), or is it just a coincidence?
I think this makes perfect sense, what symbolizes DC more than a person who left for NYC as soon as possible and stayed there?
This is retarded. I mean seriously.
Now I have "Duke of Earl" stuck in my head. Thanks, DCist.
Run: Campbell Brown would say: "I also bought 20% of the lower end registered commenters, and now I speak through them."
No bias. The Duke was in Harlem. No bull. Anderson Cooper sucks- watch me.
run_for_the_hills: cnn bought ads on a lot of other political blogs too. her mug has been staring back at me on dailykos for a while now too.
With all due respect to the musicians who live and perform in and around these parts, if Ellington had remained in DC, he probably wouldn't have done what he did... This isn't to say that those of you with beefs concerning his NYC trek ( Lord knows how anyone could choose NYC over this town... hahahahahaha)-don't have a legitimate beef, but it does sidestep the -ah-performance realities of life in DC, then and now.
Wistfulboy: It isn't about the reality of the music business, scene, etc. That is all well and great. Talent in this country goes to NYC or LA in almost all cases, with optional stops in some youth-culture heavy town along the way. Especially before the web. But there are coin worthy people who were born and stay in DC, who call it home. It just happens that the Duke didn't.
And I did not mean to exhibit any DC Bashing at all. Or god forbid the whole NYC and DC, apples and oranges thing, it's not about that.
My only point is that it is a horrible choice for the symbol of the city. His great contribution to the world is more a part of Harlem history than DC history. That's all. If it was the "Great National Artistic Treasures" series of quarters, or the NY state quarter that would make more sense.
As for representing DC, waste of a perfectly good quarter's backside. In fact, it's a little embarrassingly desperate.
I voted for the "celebrating historic Swampoodle" coin, myself.
and what does the design of that one look like, bethesdaist?
It had a bunch of cranes, empty office buildings, and some developers crying. Quite touching, actually.
rather poignant.
Fucking lame. I'd rather not have a quarter than have one that is a 2nd-choice design (at best). I can't believe there's not more of an uproar over the censorship of the "taxation without representation" design. Why don't they show something more DC, like an image from "I have a dream" or Reagan getting shot.
The only rational choice for a DC quarter design would be Marion Barry.
Why does it look like he's walking down a ladder, through a trap door?
Wouldn't Chuck Brown be a more appropriate DC musician? Or maybe Archie Edwards.