- New Hampshire :: Issued August 07, 2000
 :: Quantity 1,169,016,000
The New Hampshire quarter, the ninth coin released under the 50 State Quarters® Program, honors one of the state's most unique natural attractions, "The Old Man of the Mountain." The state motto, "Live free or die," and nine stars, signifying the fact that New Hampshire was the ninth state to ratify the Constitution, complete the design.
"The Old Man of the Mountain" is a rock formation that can be found on Mt. Cannon in the Franconia Notch gateway to Northern New Hampshire. From the right view, this unique rock formation, comprised of five layers of Conway red granite, depicts the distinct profile of an elderly man gazing eastward. Geographers believe that the layers of granite were formed by the melting and slipping away action of an ice sheet that covered the Franconia Mountains at the end of the glacial period - some 2,000 to 10,000 years ago. Today, the formation, measuring over 40 feet high with a lateral distance of 25 feet, is held in place by cables and turnbuckles to prevent further slipping and possible destruction.
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