Natural treasury

Who’s got George’s back? When California’s new state quarter goes into circulation later this month, John Muir and Half Dome will adorn the flip side to George Washington’s pony-tailed silhouette. It’s all in keeping with a pride-in-nature theme that has characterized some of the shiny quarters that started rolling out in 1999. “I live in Colorado and go to the mountains a lot,� says graphic designer Daniel Carr of Loveland, who submitted the designs above. “I just like outdoor landscapes more than putting a person on there.� Rejected designs for state quarters being released by the U.S. Mint are as iconic -- and outdoorsy -- as some of the winners. Among the features you’ll never see are a moose for Minnesota, a great white heron for Florida, spawning salmon for Oregon and a climber, surfer and skier on a Silicon Valley grid for California. (Colorado hasn’t yet made its selection.) Carr’s current project is to put the landmark Delicate Arch on Utah’s quarter, due out in 2007. To see more of his designs, go to www.designscomputed.com/coins/. To see state quarters, go to www.usmint.gov/.