The North Carolina quarter, the 12th in the series
and the second quarter released in 2001, highlights the
famous 1903 photograph of the "First Flight."
The North Carolina quarter commemorates the historic
feat that took place on December 17, 1903, at Kitty
Hawk, North Carolina with the first successful flight of
a heavier-than-air, self-propelled flying machine. The
craft, called the Flyer, traveled a distance of
approximately 37 meters (120 feet) on its first flight
and soared even further as one of the most significant
human achievements in history.
Governor James B. Hunt appointed the North Carolina
Department of Cultural Resources as the lead in the
state's design concept process. The Department
established the North Carolina Commemorative Coin
Committee, which consisted of members from the State
Department of Cultural Resources, the Division of
Archives and History, as well as coin collectors. The
Committee solicited design ideas from the residents of
North Carolina.
Some alternate design concepts suggested were the
1903 Flyer superimposed over an outline of the state,
the Hatteras Lighthouse superimposed over an outline of
the state, and the Hatteras Lighthouse showing a dune
and sea gulls. On June 5, 2000, the Governor was
provided with three candidate designs, and the Committee
and Governor Hunt selected the "First Flight"
theme for the official design.