State quarters depict only dead individuals due to U.S. Mint tradition rather than law

A reader in Utah recently commented on the topic of State quarter dollar designs as icons of modern life discussed in “The State Quarters” column published in the July 2 issue of Coin World. In his comments he brings up a subject that’s frequently misunderstood.

Joshua Smith commented that Iowa’s proposed use of a design to commemorate the Sullivan brothers – five Waterloo, Iowa, brothers who died aboard the same ship during World War II – was not disqualified “due to a broad prohibition in Congress’ authorizing legislation against the depiction of deceased persons. … The prohibition is against designs depicting ‘busts’ of persons.”