Treasurer of State Dennis Milligan honored Mt. Ida resident Dortha Scott on Thursday with a commemorative plaque in recognition of her design being chosen for the Arkansas State Quarter 15 years ago.
The design was selected in 2002 from a total of 9,320 submissions statewide. It includes a mallard duck in flight, several stalks of rice and a cut diamond superimposed over a tree-lined river scene.
“Mrs. Scott, it’s no small thing to know that well beyond our lifetime and for many generations to come, future Arkansans, Americans, citizens of the world, and one day even historians will glance at the back of this coin and marvel over the symbolism and the people who lived in a place called Arkansas,” Milligan said during the presentation.
“Mrs. Scott, you have put your own stamp on history and you did so by using your creative, artistic skills and mind.”
Representatives from Sen. John Boozman’s and Congressman Bruce Westerman’s office also attended the ceremony.
“Your quarter design has been enjoyed across the country and all over the world as people exchange the currency you envisioned to represent our state,” said Kelsey Kelton, a representative from Sen. Boozman’s office.
Cara Cox, a representative from Rep. Westerman’s office, read from a letter that he got placed in the congressional record that said her design “showcase(s) the best of the natural state.”
In 1997, the United States department of the Treasury was authorized to produce a quarter honoring each state. The State of Arkansas subsequently created a contest for the design of the quarter.
Starting in 1999, the coins were released five each year for 10 years, in chronological order according to when each state joined the union. The Arkansas quarter was the 25th to be released.
“When I come across an Arkansas State Quarter, I’m reminded of the beauty and uniqueness that our state has to offer, and I’m very much thankful to Mrs. Scott for capturing that so well in her design,” Milligan said.
“And thank you again to Mrs. Scott, whose design embodies what it means to be an Arkansan.”
