By Bopha Malone
It’s not every day you get to be a part of the unveiling of a new 25-cent coin, but earlier this month, on Wednesday, February 6, 2019, thousands of Lowell residents including hundreds of fourth graders, were excited and proud to pack the Lowell Memorial Auditorium to observe this historic event, when the first America the Beautiful® quarter of the year was launched honoring Lowell’s National Historical Park.
Lowell has made a significant impact in America’s Industrial Revolution, and the reverse (“tails”) design of the quarter reflects this major contribution as well as Lowell’s current role in innovation in technology. The design depicts a mill girl working at a power loom with its prominent circular bobbin battery. A view of Lowell, including the Booth Mill clock tower, is seen through the window. This image honors working women and the transformative roles they have played in the City’s history.
According to Marc Landry, the Mint’s Acting Associate Director for the Numismatic and Bullion Directorate, “The depiction of the mill girl takes us back to the past at the forefront of America’s Industrial Revolution. The physical coin takes us to present day manufacturing processes; and finally, the coin in its entirety takes us into the future—inspiring tomorrow’s innovators, workforce, and generations to follow.”
Guest speakers included former Congresswoman Niki Tsongas, National Park Service Regional Deputy Director Rose Fennell, and park superintendent Celeste Bernardo.
The thousands of people in attendance were the first in the nation to get their hands on the new quarters by exchanging their $10 bills, but every student in attendance or children under the age of 13 years old received the new quarter for free. They were surprised and ecstatic as women dressed like the mill girls walked around to deliver to them.
These new quarters are now available for exchange at various banks’ Lowell branches, including Enterprise Bank, Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union, and Washington Savings Bank.
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