Yesterday the California governor (who shall not be named) announced the final design for the state quarter, which will be minted starting in January of next year. Eh. Granted, it is basically the design I favored from among the five finalists, depicting John Muir at Yosemite, but there’s something a little off about it, and it took me a minute to figure it out: the scale. In the original design submission, you get a sense of the natural grandeur (yes, even on the back of a quarter), but in the final design, which I suppose is more of a collage of symbols, it looks like Muir could just walk a few steps, give Half Dome a swift push, and send it rolling down the hill.
Speaking of coinage, the nickel is getting a makeover for a few years, with new reverse designs. The familiar depiction of Monticello will return in 2006.