The North Carolina Quarter
The North Carolina quarter, the 12th in the series and the second quarter to be released in 2001, highlights the famous 1903 photograph of the "First Flight." Kitty Hawk The North Carolina quarter commemorates the historic feat that took place on December 17, 1903, at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, with the first successful flight of a heavier-than-air, self-propelled flying machine.  The craft, called the Wright Flyer after its designers Wilbur and Orville Wright, traveled a distance of approximately 37 meters (120 feet) on its first flight and soared even further as one of the most significant human achievements in history. Choosing the Design Governor James B. Hunt appointed the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources as the lead in the state's design concept process.  The department established the North Carolina Commemorative Coin Committee, which consisted of members from the State Department of Cultural Resources, the Division of Archives and History, as well as coin collectors. The committee solicited design ideas from the residents of North Carolina. Some alternate design concepts suggested were the 1903 Flyer superimposed over an outline of the state, the Hatteras Lighthouse superimposed over an outline of the state, and the Hatteras Lighthouse showing a dune and sea gulls. On June 5, 2000, the governor was provided with three candidate designs, and the committee and Governor Hunt selected the "First Flight" theme for the official design. 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:	January 2, 2001
	Design:	The Wright Flyer Wilbur and Orville Wright
	Captions:	"First Flight"
	Designer:	John Mercanti
	Engraver:	John Mercanti
	Mintage:	Denver Mint   - 427,876,000 Philadelphia Mint   - 627,600,000 Total   -1,055,476,000
	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.