The Washington D.C. Quarter is part of the 50 States Commemorative Quarter program released by the U.S. Mint. This is an extended series of the popular coin program also called the "US Territories Series".

According to the U.S. Mint's official website, the reverse of the Washington or District of Columbia quarter features native son Duke Ellington, the internationally renowned composer and musician, seated at a grand piano with the inscriptions, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, DUKE ELLINGTON and JUSTICE FOR ALL , the District's motto.

Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was born into a middle-class family in Washington, D.C., in 1899, and started piano lessons at the age of seven. He lived in Washington until 1923, when he moved to New York City. He began performing professionally at the age of 17, and once he arrived in New York, started playing in Broadway nightclubs and eventually led his own band. Ellington made hundreds of recordings -- some with John Coltrane, Billy Strayhorn, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald - making him famous worldwide. Throughout his 50-year career, he returned often to Washington to perform, frequently staying at the Whitelaw Hotel located in his boyhood neighborhood in Washington. Throughout his life, he received numerous awards and honors, including multiple Grammy awards and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1969 in honor of his ability to carry the message of freedom to all the Nations of the world through his gift of music and understanding.

The Puerto Rico Quarter is part of the 50 States Commemorative Quarter program released by the U.S. Mint. This is an extended series of the popular coin program also called the "US Territories Series".

According to the U.S. Mint's official website, the reverse of the Puerto Rico quarter features the explorer Christopher Columbus who arrived at Puerto Rico ("rich port") in 1493. It soon became a Spanish colony and important military outpost. Over the years, numerous unsuccessful attempts were made by the French, Dutch and English to conquer the island, but it remained an overseas province of Spain until the Spanish-American War. Under the Treaty of Paris of 1898, it was ceded to the United States, and its residents became American citizens in 1917. On July 3, 1950, Congress passed a law authorizing Puerto Rico to draft its own constitution, and it officially became a United States commonwealth on July 25, 1952.

One of the most characteristic elements of San Juan, Puerto Rico, is its massive belt of walls of stone, built by the Spaniards in the early 16th century to protect the capital city from attacks from the sea. Of particular interest on these walls, which symbolize Puerto Rican strength and fortitude, are the sentry boxes, placed at strategic points along the walls. The sentry box and the walls of San Juan represent Puerto Rico's rich history, geographical location and defensive role. The Puerto Rico quarter features a historic sentry box and a hibiscus flower with the inscriptions, PUERTO RICO and Isla del Encanto, which means "Isle of Enchantment."

The Guam Quarter is part of the 50 States Commemorative Quarter program released by the U.S. Mint. This is an extended series of the popular coin program also called the "US Territories Series".

According to the U.S. Mint's official website, the reverse of the Guam quarter features From 1668 to 1815, it served as a way station for Spanish Acapulco-to-Manilla ships. Spanish rule of Guam came to an end when American forces secured the island during the Spanish-American War. During World War II, the Japanese seized Guam and occupied it for more than two years, with American forces recapturing it in 1944. Under the Organic Act of 1950, the people of Guam became American citizens and established a local government.

The Guam quarter reverse design depicts the outline of the island, a flying proa (a seagoing craft built by the Chamorro people), a latte stone (an architectural element used as the base of homes) and the inscriptions, GUAM and Guahan I Tanσ ManChamorro, which means "Guam - Land of the Chamorro."

The proa represents the endurance, fortitude and discovery of the Chamorro people. The vessel, made by expert carvers and sailed by master navigators, is admired as a technical marvel. The latte speaks to a historic icon that hails from the Micronesian area. Chamorro is one of the official languages of Guam, and its usage is enjoying a renaissance there and on the Mariana Islands.

The Samoa Quarter is part of the 50 States Commemorative Quarter program released by the U.S. Mint. This is an extended series of the popular coin program also called the "US Territories Series".

According to the U.S. Mint's official website, the reverse of the Samoa quarter depicts the ava bowl ("tanoa"), whisk and staff in the foreground with a coconut tree on the shore in the background and the inscriptions, AMERICAN SAMOA and SAMOA MUAMUA LE ATUA , the motto of American Samoa, which means "Samoa, God is First." The ava bowl is used to make the special ceremonial drink for island chiefs and guests during important events. The ava ceremony is considered the most significant traditional event in Samoan culture. The whisk and staff symbolize the rank of the Samoan orator delivering speeches during these gatherings. The ava bowl, whisk and staff also appear on the Official Seal of American Samoa.

The US Virigin Islands Quarter is part of the 50 States Commemorative Quarter program released by the U.S. Mint. This is an extended series of the popular coin program also called the "US Territories Series".

According to the U.S. Mint's official website, the reverse of the US Virgin Islands quarter is an outline of the three major islands, the Yellow Breast or Bananaquit, its official bird; the Yellow Cedar or Yellow Elder, the official flower; and a Tyre Palm Tree with the inscriptions U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS and United in Pride and Hope, the official motto of the territory.

The Northern Mariana Islands quarter reverse design represents the wealth of the islands in its natural resources of land, air and sea. Near the shore stands a large limestone latte, the supporting column of ancient indigenous Chamorro structures. A canoe of the indigenous Carolinians represents the people ’s seafaring skills across vast distances. Two white fairy tern birds fly in characteristic synchrony overhead. A Carolinian mwar (head lei) composed of plumeria, langilang (Ylang Ylang), angagha (peacock flower) and teibwo (Pacific Basil) borders the bottom of the design near the inscription, NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS. The mwar is symbolic of the virtues of honor and respect.