Launched in 1999, the United States Mint’s “50 State Quarters Program” was a 10-year initiative that honored each of the nation’s states in the order that they ratified the Constitution or were admitted into the Union. Each quarter was produced for about 10 weeks and will never be produced again. State designs are displayed on the reverse (tails) of the quarters, while the other (heads) side shows George Washington.

Helen Adams Keller (1880-1968) was an American author, political activist, and lecturer. She was the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree.

It’s no surprise that the state quarter featuring Helen Keller belongs to her home state of Alabama, where she was born in 1880. The quarter, issued in 2003, has an image of Helen Keller reading braille from a book on her lap. Her name is written on the coin in both English and a reduced-size version of Braille, making it the first U.S. coin to feature Braille. The state’s motto, “Spirit of Courage,” is also emblazoned on the coin and very well describes Helen Keller, who together with her teacher, Anne Sullivan, overcame her challenges.

The story of Keller and her teacher, Anne Sullivan, was made famous by Keller's autobiography, “The Story of My Life”, which was also adapted to film and stage as “The Miracle Worker”.

Helen’s birthplace in West Tuscumbia, Alabama, is now a museum which sponsors an annual "Helen Keller Day"; her June 27 birthday is commemorated as Helen Keller Day in Pennsylvania.

More Info: statesymbolsusa.org