V.I. Beauty Quarter Design Wins Virgin Island Commemorative Coin Vote

The official announcement is in… V.I. Beauty wins the commemorative quarter design contest. It’s been selected by residents and Governor. John P. deJongh, Jr. to represent the Virgin Islands. Public voting for three designs ended Friday, June 13. “V.I. Beauty” received 6,882 votes. The “First in Freedom” and “Three Queens” designs garnered 4,553 and 1,887 votes respectively.

The quarter designs and original narrative descriptions for each, as provided to the United States Mint to create artist renderings/drawings, were provided to Virgin Islands residents by Governor deJongh for public voting on May 29. The “V.I. Beauty” quarter design won handily with 52 percent of the vote.

“I am proud to forward a recommendation to The United States Mint for the Virgin Islands Commemorative Quarter design. After a three week-long voting period, Virgin Islanders have collectively selected an overall favorite design, and I thank the community for its participation in this truly historic process,” deJongh said.

By law, the final quarter design selection rests in the hands of U.S. Secretary of Treasury, Henry Paulson. However, it is extremely unlikely Paulson would overrule the will of V.I. residents and their governor.

Overview of Virgin Island Beauty design

The "V.I. Beauty" quarter designs is a geographical rendition of the Virgin Islands, which includes the 3 major islands, and the official bird of the Virgin Islands.

The bird, the Yellow Breast or Banana Quit (Coreba Flaveola), and the official flower of the Virgin Islands, the Yellow Cedar or Yellow Elder (Tacoma Stans), represent the natural wonder and beauty of our islands.

These are placed on the background of a beach with the Tyre Palm (coccothrinax alta) native to the Virgin Islands.

The inscription “United in Pride and Hope,” the Official Motto of the Territory found on the Virgin Islands Territorial Seal, is placed to the right.

New U.S. quarter release schedule for 2009

No exact dates have been set for the commemorative quarter releases in 2009, but they will launch in the following order and at equal intervals:

• District of Columbia (view winning quarter design)
• The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
• Guam (view winning quarter design)
• American Samoa
• The United States Virgin Islands
• The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

More information regarding these quarters, including the design process, may be read though the US Mint page, The District of Columbia and United States Territories Quarter Program.

To see or read about all the original design candidates, visit Quarter Image Design Finalists for District of Columbia and United States Territories.