May Day is a holiday celebrated in various forms around the world on May 1. It’s a holiday that can be traced back to ancient times and originally was honored by way of a gala spring festival. Today, May Day is usually more closely associated with liberation and workers’ rights movements. In all of its forms, May Day is a holiday that brings people together and is symbolized with flowers – some may say a nod to the holiday’s vernal roots.
Flowers are truly a unifying symbol, so it’s therefore little wonder that many coins depict floral elements. Many United States coins feature flowers in some capacity, but one of the most popular to prominently do so is the 2002 Mississippi State Quarter. Issued as the 20th coin in the 50 State Quarters Program, the Mississippi Quarter pays homage to the southern state’s entry into the Union on December 10, 1817. Mississippi is known as “The Magnolia State.” Thus, it is fitting that the quarter upon which the state is honored centrally features a visage of the beautiful tree known for its showy, fragrant blooms. An arrangement of Magnolia flowers in full bloom flourish upon the reverse canvas of the 2002 Mississippi Quarter.
There are ample opportunities for collectors to add 2002 Mississippi State Quarters to their PCGS Registry Sets, an exciting and free collecting platform that tens of thousands of collectors use for organizing and publicly displaying their sets. Some of these sets include the Washington Statehood Quarters Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1999-2008); Washington Statehood Quarters Basic Set, Proof (1999-2008); and Washington Quarters with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes and Proof (1932-Present) set. Inclusion of 2002 Mississippi State Quarters in any or all of these sets as well as others can make a wonderful way for numismatically honoring May Day.