25 cents..

When you think of commemorative coins, you might think of a late-night infomercial about some gold-plated silver dollar stamped with the seal of the United States, which can be yours for only 3 payments of $9.99 plus shipping and handling. Sometimes, these coins are collected and even handed down through generations. You don’t buy anything with these coins. However, there are some commemorative coins that you use all the time. These are the state commemorative quarters. These quarters first showed up in 1997, and every year for ten years, the government would mint five new quarters that would somehow represent each state. The process of choosing a design for the commemorative quarter started with several residents of the state submitting their designs for the quarter, and then the state government would vote on the final design.

Some states depicted scenes from history such as Washington crossing the Delaware, or the first flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Other quarters depicted various objects that the particular state was known for, for example, the Tennessee quarter depicts several musical instruments to symbolize the state’s musical heritage, and the Wisconsin quarter is illustrated with various dairy products. Each different quarter is in itself an argument that announces to the rest of the United States what defines that particular state. Because of the limited space, the argument has to be simple and to the point. Chimney Rock has long been a symbol of Nebraska, and by depicting the iconic images of the famous, natural landmark along with a wagon of passing pioneers and the rising sun, the quarter then displays a myriad of meanings and values which represent the state of Nebraska.

The image itself employs mainly one rhetorical strategy, which is illustration. The landmark of Chimney Rock itself takes up a great portion of the quarter. This image is even inscribed with the name of the landmark at its base. Chimney Rock was used as a sort of a guidepost to pioneers making their way out west. Because of its significant height and its abnormal shape, it was a very recognizable landmark in a land that was for the most part very flat, which was called by most “The Great American Desert”. The importance of it seems a little obscure. It just was a tall rock formation. To the pioneers, though, it meant that they were nearing their destination. To the pioneers, it represented hope, and it signified that they were making progress.

As stated above, the images depicted on the quarter are “representative” of many ideals and principles that Nebraska as a state would want to be represented by. Therefore, the argument of this image is for the most part based on the ethos of the image. Logos is presented, such as the obvious use of a well-known landmark of the state and depicting the pioneers that first populated the state. Through the use of the logos, however, the ethos of the image comes through even clearer.

The images of Chimney Rock, the pioneers, and the rising sun are iconic images that have attached to them numerous and deep meanings. Chimney Rock represents a guidepost, an image that the pioneers would recognize as symbolic of their approach toward home. The pioneers are symbolic of the ideals of bravery through hardship, venturing into the unknown, and forging a new path. The rising sun depicted has often been representative of a new beginning and a new start.

The coin could have depicted Chimney Rock alone, but the artist decided to include the pioneers on their journey west as well, which by doing so, narrates a short and simple story. This addition adds a lot to the image. The pioneers are very important to the history of Nebraska. They were the ones who for the most part founded the state. What is more important, though, is that inclusion of the pioneers also gives a reminder of not only the literal pioneers themselves, but also the pioneer spirit that categorized them. They were going to a place they knew little about, and they still went forward despite the many dangers and hardships that they faced. This image conveys that spirit of bravery and determination, which Nebraska as a state often likes to associate itself with.

There is another part of the image, which could be overlooked, as it does not at first glance seem to bear much significance. That element is the sky, or more specifically, the sun. The artist could have depicted the scene differently, but for some reason, the sky takes up a great part of the scene, and in the sky near the horizon is the sun. The next question to answer is, is the sun setting or rising? Because the sun is situated behind the pioneers who are headed west, the answer must be that the sun is rising. Did the artist mean to have a rising sun? I have no idea. Does it have some significance? I would say yes. The rising sun in art often symbolizes a new beginning or a fresh start, a new day. By depicting the pioneers marching westward under a rising sun, this gives the picture an almost encouraging and bright feeling, a feeling of looking forward optimistically.


This commemorative coin shows a simple image of a famous Nebraskan landmark. However, the image conveys something much more than that. This image is quintessentially Nebraskan. It conveys in a small and confined space most of the values and ideals that Nebraska as a state wants to be known for. Like the raised torch of the Statue of Liberty was for dispossessed immigrants, the lone peak of Chimney Rock stands as a beacon of home and a new beginning, a sign for a better life. The artist is trying to convey the spirit of Nebraska through depicting something iconically Nebraskan. It’s simple, but the argument that the image is getting across is much deeper. It depicts a heroic resolve that is optimistic about its outcome, even in the face of the unknown.