Project Summary: Our class is wondering if the new state quarters that have been minted in Denver and Philadelphia are being distributed evenly throughout the country.  We have noticed that we see more coins with a Denver mint stamp and those minted in Philadelphia. We are wondering if  people in the eastern part of the country find more coins from the Philadelphia mint. We chose to do our project using the new state quarters since they are easily identifiable. In addition, since these quarters have been in circulation for such a short time, they are less likely to have become evenly distributed through normal commerce. 

Registration Instructions: You can participate at any time by visiting this web site and entering your own data or the data from your class using the e-mail address provided in the contact information to the right.

Project Description: Almost everyone has noticed the state quarters that were introduced a few years ago. But have you taken a closer look at them? Each quarter has a letter stamped on it indicating the city where it was minted, either Denver or Philadelphia. Our class in Rock Falls, Illinois has noticed that one of those letters is more abundant than the other. We were wondering if the same was true in other places in the country, and if so, if it is related to the location in the United States and its proximity to either of the mints. This project will share students' quarter information with you and give you the opportunity to conduct your own research project. After you have conducted the experiment, you can add your data to the site and share your discoveries with others. The goal of this activity is to discover if the Denver minted coins are more dominant in the western states and the Philadelphia coins are more dominant in the east. Also, we hope to determine if there is a line where the surplus changes from one mint to the other. Individuals or small  groups are asked to save the quarters they have received as change. Any number of coins would be helpful for our research, but for your convenience, limit that number to forty. Also, use only coins that you have received as change, not part of a collection.  Examine the letter found on the front of the coin directly below the phrase "In  God We Trust." That letter, either "D" or "P", will indicate whether the quarter was minted in Denver or Philadelphia. Tally the state and mint stamp for each quarter that you find. When you have completed the tally, e-mail that information to us. Most importantly, please include your zip code so that we can record and map your information. 

Objectives: The goal of this project is to discover if the abundance of each of the two mint stamps is dependent on the location in the United States. We are also interested in determining if the distribution evens out as time goes by. 

Results: To view current results, click here. The results will be updated on a regular basis throughout the entire project.