Missouri
The gateway to the West. The Gateway Arch and the return of the expedition are engraved.
Missouri is a state located in the central United States, and its nickname is “The Show Me State.” Bordering the Mississippi River, it has long served as an important crossing point where people and goods pass through, and as a gateway leading west.
The reverse of the coin contains these symbols of Missouri. In the center rises the giant Gateway Arch, the famous landmark of St. Louis, and below it are engraved Lewis and Clark, along with York, returning by boat down the Missouri River.
Lewis and Clark were the men who led the expedition the United States sent to explore the western lands. They crossed the unknown West and traveled a long way, and York too was a member who joined this arduous journey. The boat coming down the river shows the moment when this great expedition was completed and returning.
Missouri became the 24th state of the United States on August 10, 1821. The inscription on the coin, “Corps of Discovery 1804–2004,” commemorates both the name of that expedition and the fact that it had been 200 years since the exploration began.
A single small coin contains both the giant arch and the expedition returning down the river. When you hold this quarter in your hand, you naturally encounter the pioneering era when the United States was advancing toward the wide lands of the West.