Alabama
The state of Helen Keller, who overcame adversity. A special coin with her name also engraved in Braille.
Alabama is a state located in the southern United States, and its nickname is “The Yellowhammer State.” This coin has one very special feature even among the 50 States quarter series of the United States. It is the fact that it is the first quarter to have Braille engraved on the coin.
The protagonist on the reverse of the coin is Helen Keller. As a child she became unable to see or hear, but through ceaseless effort she learned how to communicate with the world, and she was a figure who gave courage to many people. Helen Keller was born right here in Alabama.
Looking closely at the coin, it shows Helen Keller seated in a chair. Beside her are engraved a branch of Alabama’s state tree, the longleaf pine, and a magnolia blossom, and the inscription “Spirit of Courage” is written on a banner. And the name “Helen Keller” is expressed side by side in two ways—ordinary type and Braille.
Alabama became the 22nd state of the United States on December 14, 1819. This coin, made so that even a person who cannot see can read the name with their fingertips, closely resembles the spirit that Helen Keller showed throughout her life.
A single small coin seems to say this: that no hardship can stop learning and courage. When you hold this quarter in your hand, you feel how great a resonance the life of one person who never gave up can give.