Rob: Well count Oklahoma in as the newest state quarter ready to hit
people's pockets.
With all the details, here's our Alisa Hines.
Alisa: Since 1999, the U S Mint has released a new state quarter every
ten weeks, in the order of statehood.
Since Oklahoma was the 46th state in the union, we have waited a long time
for our quarter, and now it's our turn.
Alisa: During our centennial year, Oklahomans had the
opportunity to vote on designs chosen by
the quarter selection committee.
Bob Blackburn: We decided that we would come up with a public process, to let
the public give us their input, what they would like.
Alisa: Bob Blackburn heads up Oklahoma's Historical Society and says
Oklahomans responded with plenty of ideas of all sorts of Oklahoma icons.
Blackburn: We received more than twelve hundred suggestions.
The scissortail flycatcher, the calumet or a peace pipe of the
Indians, or an oil derrick, or Mt.
Scott, or the pioneer woman, all of these images come out, and we see what
the public was preferring, based upon their submissions.
Alisa: From these, five designs were chosen; and then, Oklahomans voted.
Alisa: And the winner is, the scissortail flycatcher.
So we begin our second century with a new Oklahoma quarter to be
released on January 28th at our state capitol, where you can be the first
to purchase these commemorative coins.