The Tennessee quarter, the first quarter of 2002 and sixteenth in the series, celebrates the state's contributions to our nation's musical heritage. The design incorporates musical instruments and a score with the inscription "Musical Heritage." Three stars represent Tennessee's three regions and the instruments symbolize each region's distinct musical style.

The fiddle represents the Appalachian music of east Tennessee, the trumpet stands for the blues of west Tennessee for which Memphis is famous, and the guitar is for central Tennessee, home to Nashville, the capital of country music.