Washington DC Commemorates The Duke

You've probably been handling the State Quarters that are circulated for quite some time now, and lately there were even some few more additions to the 50 State Quarters, one of them is Washington DC's own special quarter.

One might imagine that a Washington DC quarter will be engraved with the city’s memorable architecture, the Capitol, the White House, or even the National Mall. But instead of a monument, the reverse design of the quarter features Mr. Duke Ellington and his piano.

Ellington, the famous jazz musician, was born and raised in Washington DC and many consider him to be one of the most talented composers and musicians of all time. The choice was made in order to show the nation that DC has much more to offer than just politics, and it is not only a government city.

“Justice For All” says the inscription which originally designed to be “Taxation Without Representation” which is a controversial motto about the fact that DC residents pay federal taxes but are not fully represented in congress.

The DC Quarter is available at Continental Mint as part of the 1999-2009 BU D/P US State & territories Quarters set.