Quarter Dollar 2009 District of Columbia, Coin from United States - detailed information

The Quarter Dollar is a United States coin worth 25 cents. It has been produced on and off since 1796 and consistently since 1831.

From its inception until 1964, the denomination was issued in silver; it underwent several design changes, including finally the silver Washington quarter (1932 - 1964) featuring the first President of the United States on the obverse and the American Eagle clutching a bunch of arrows on the reverse. Initially meant as a one-year design to commemorate 200 years since the birth of George Washington in 1932, the obverse became the definitive design for the denomination and has been used ever since. The reverse was issued in this form until 1998, after which time the series of State Quarters circulating commemoratives started being issued instead. Between 1999 and 2008, the United States Mint issued five different "state quarters" every year, each dedicated to one of the US states.

After the program ended, the US Mint began issuing quarters under the 2009 District of Columbia and US Territories Program; the six coins are in honour of the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories: the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

The District of Columbia quarter is the first coin in the DC and U.S. Territories Quarters Program. The District of Columbia (abbreviated as D.C.), created in 1790, became the Nation’s capital on 1 December 1800. The 10-square-mile site, originally part of Maryland and Virginia, was chosen personally by President George Washington to fulfil the need for a new Federal district that would not be part of any state.

The District of Columbia quarter reverse features native son Duke Ellington, the internationally renowned composer and musician, seated at a grand piano. Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was born into a middle-class family in Washington, D.C., in 1899, and started piano lessons at the age of seven. He lived in Washington until 1923, when he moved to New York City. He began performing professionally at the age of 17, and once he arrived in New York, started playing in Broadway nightclubs and eventually led his own band. Ellington made hundreds of recordings, making him famous worldwide. Throughout his 50-year career, he returned often to Washington to perform, frequently staying at the Whitelaw Hotel located in his boyhood neighbourhood in Washington. Throughout his life, he received numerous awards and honours, including multiple Grammy awards and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1969 in honour of his ability to carry the message of freedom to all the Nations of the world through his gift of music and understanding.

D.C. Quarter Dollars issued in 2009 have now been in circulation for 15 years.