The Arkansas quarter, the fifth and final quarter of 2003 and the 25^th in the United States Mint�s 50 State Quarters (R) program, is being released today at Crater of Diamonds State Park:

�The Arkansas Quarter celebrates the state�s natural beauty and the fact that diamonds are still mined there.  It�s the first American circulating coin to feature the image of a diamond.�

U.S. Mint Director Henrietta Holsman Fore:

�The 50 State Quarters (R) Program is the most successful coin program in United States history � it is estimated that more than a 130 million Americans collect the state quarters.  And they�re great educational tools, small pieces of art and history in your pocket.�

The Arkansas state quarter also marks the halfway point in the program.  Each quarter is produced for approximately 10 weeks and will not be produced again.