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Arizona quarter is in circulation; 5,000 are on hand for ceremony

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PHOENIX — A big party has been planned to welcome Arizona's new state quarter, part of the U.S. Mint's 50 State Quarters program.

The state will commemorate the new quarter with an event on the lawn of the state Capitol in Phoenix today, when Gov. Janet Napolitano and U.S. Mint Director Ed Moy are scheduled to launch into circulation the first of what will be 500 million Arizona quarters.

All children at the event under age 18 will receive one free 48th-state quarter.

"Children make up a good portion of the 147 million Americans plugging the coins into their commemorative folios or folders," Moy said. "This has educated a whole generation of Americans in geography and history."

The new quarter features a saguaro cactus against the backdrop of the Grand Canyon.

Moy said the design illustrates the state's natural beauty.

"That's why we think the Arizona state quarter will be one of the more popular ones, because of that natural-beauty factor," he said.

"There is a whole segment of people who get excited about naturally occurring things that are unique to each state," Moy added.

After the Arizona quarter goes public, only the Alaska and Hawaii coins will remain unreleased.

Both will be put into circulation later this year, Moy said.