The Oregon Quarter
The State of Oregon is honored with the third quarter to be released in 2005 and the 33rd in the United States Mint’s 50 State Quarters® Program. On February 14, 1859, Oregon became the 33rd state to be admitted into the Union. Its coin design features a portion of Crater Lake, the deepest lake in the United States, viewed from the south-southwest rim. The design incorporates Wizard Island, as well as Watchman and Hillman Peaks on the lake’s rim and conifers. The coin bears the inscription "Crater Lake." Crater Lake Crater Lake is a unique and stunning natural treasure, formed more than 7,700 years ago by the collapse of Mt. Mazama in what is now southern Oregon. At 1,949 feet, it is the deepest lake in the United States and the seventh deepest in the world, and has a record clarity depth of 134 feet. The main cause of Crater Lake’s remarkable clarity is its isolation from incoming streams and rivers. President Theodore Roosevelt established Crater Lake National Park in 1902, with the lake itself as the park’s crown jewel. It is the sixth-oldest national park in the country. Since its creation, Crater Lake National Park has helped protect both the Native American cultural ties to the area and the natural habitat of the animal and plant life that lies within its boundaries. Choosing the Design On May 24, 2004, Governor Ted Kulongoski endorsed the recommendation of the 18-member Oregon Commemorative Coin Commission by forwarding the Crater Lake design to the United States Mint. Other themes considered by the commission and the governor included an historical theme featuring the Oregon Trail, Mt. Hood with the Columbia River, and a wild Chinook salmon. The Department of Treasury approved the "Crater Lake" design on July 13, 2004. The 50 State Quarter ProgramSigned into law in 1997, the 50 States Commemorative Coin Program Act has become the most successful numismatic program in American history, with roughly half of the U.S. population collecting the coins, either in a casual manner or as a serious pursuit. The program produces five different reverse designs each year for ten years—each representing a different state—the order of which is determined by the order states were admitted to the Union. Design concepts are submitted to the Secretary of the Treasury by state governors for final approval. The obverse of each quarter is a slight redesign of the quarter's previous design. The cost to manufacture a quarter is about 5 cents, providing a profit of approximately 20 cents per coin. So far, the federal government has made a profit of $4.6 billion from collectors taking the coins out of circulation. In 2009, the U.S. Mint launched a separate program issuing quarters commemorating the District of Columbia and various U.S. territories.
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	PROFILE
	Release Date:	June 6, 2005
	Design:	Crater Lake National Park
	Captions:	"Crater Lake"
	Designer:	Donna Weaver
	Engraver:	Norman Nemeth
	Mintage:	Denver Mint   - 404,000,000 Philadelphia Mint   - 316,200,000 Total   - 720,200,000
	SPECIFICATIONS
	Denomination:	Quarter Dollar
	Composition:	Copper Nickel alloy 91.67% Cu 8.33% Ni
	Weight:	2.000 oz (5.670 g)
	Diameter:	0.955 in (24.26 mm)
	Thickness:	0.07 in (1.75 mm)
	Edge:	Reeded
	No. of Reeds:	119
	Data Source: The U.S. Mint.