North Carolina State Quarter Takes Flight
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - Nearly a century after the first successful flight took place in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the Wright Brothers' famous "Flyer" takes flight once again. This time, however, the flight takes place on the newest quarter released under the United States Mint 50 State Quarters Program. During a special ceremony this morning, U.S. Mint Director Jay W. Johnson joins Governor Michael F. Easley to introduce the 12th coin launched under the successful program. Not surprisingly, the coin celebrates North Carolina's significant achievement in aviation.
The coin's design is a rendition of the famous 1903 photograph, "First Flight," and features the "Flyer" piloted by Orville Wright as Wilbur Wright watches in the foreground. It is an apt commemoration of the Wright Brothers' remarkable launch of the first heavier-than-air, self-propelled flying machine.
"On behalf of the State of North Carolina I want to commend the U.S. Mint for the commemorative quarters program," said Gov. Easley. "It is an opportunity to share a bit of North Carolina history with the rest of the nation."
"As the North Carolina quarter enters circulation, it becomes the twelfth coin in the 50 State Quarters Program to celebrate our country's unique and diverse history," said Mint Director Johnson. "The Wright Brothers' "Flyer," like the Statue of Liberty, Georgia Peach and Massachusetts Minuteman has become one of the premier symbols of national heritage to be featured on coinage."
The celebration, taking place at the North Carolina Museum of History, coincides with the opening of a new exhibit featuring several original Wright Brothers' artifacts. Event hosts include the Governor's office, the U.S. Mint and the First Flight Centennial Commission.
During the ceremony, fifth grade students from North Ridge Elementary School in Raleigh were among the first to receive the new quarters from the Governor, and will later participate in a special kite fly in the Capital Corridor. Earlier in the year, the students' teacher, Virginia Byrne, was named "Teacher of the Year," by the First Flight Centennial Commission for incorporating aviation and North Carolina history into her curriculum and lesson plans.