CHEYENNE - When it comes to matters of public policy and personal taste, Wyoming and its citizens aren't afraid to buck a trend.

A recent example of that independent streak is the design of the new state quarter, which includes a unique feature among the 50 state quarters, and possibly among all U.S. currency ever made.

Rather than adorn its 25-cent piece with a clutter of images like Arkansas (diamond, duck, wetlands), the scenic outdoors like Colorado (Rocky Mountains) or an intricately cut symbol like Georgia (charter oak), Wyoming opted for a uniquely simple image to represent itself to the nation.

In fact, the clean depiction of a cowboy trying to tame a bucking horse stands out as the only silhouetted design in the 50 state quarter series; all others include detailed etching.

What's more, Wyoming's quarter design may be the only silhouetted design ever produced on a U.S. coin, said Dwight Brockman, who has been a coin dealer in Cheyenne for 25 years and is a lifetime collector.

"That's actually the fist time that I know of that the United States had a coin that didn't have detail. So it's different in that respect," said Brockman, who runs The Coin Shop.

Like all of the 50 state quarters, Wyoming's features the state's name and the year it was admitted to the union (1890, in this case).

And like most U.S. currency, it features the year it was produced and the Latin phrase "E PLURIBUS UNUM," which means "Out of many, one."

Wyoming's quarter also features the state motto, "The Equality State," on the right side of the coin.

The main feature, however, is the state's trademark bucking horse and rider raised slightly and silhouetted against an unmarked background.

Four alternative designs were crafted by artisans at the U.S. Mint, including two with the bucking horse and rider in etched relief.

After selecting the plain silhouetted design in May 2006, Gov. Dave Freudenthal explained that it represented "our proud Western heritage and our historical role in establishing voting rights for women."

His official news release on the subject made no mention of his decision to pick the silhouetted design over the more detailed versions.

The simplicity of Wyoming's quarter has drawn complaints, and praise, from coin collectors, artists and state residents.

The design has been called "simple," "elegant" and "clean." It has also been panned as downright "boring."

Brockman said comments about the quarter at his shop have ranged from satisfaction to utter disappointment.

Serious collectors, he said, seem to be the most unhappy with the simple design.

Many had hoped for a clean yet involved design similar to Nebraska's, which beautifully depicts Chimney Rock, a Conestoga wagon and a shining sun in detail, he said.

He also was concerned that people outside Wyoming would be confused by the coupling of the bucking horse and rider and the Equality State slogan, which he said don't work well together without explanation.

"I think that was the biggest disappointment with the real numismatists, is there's no detail in this thing," Brockman said. "But the average person is probably pretty excited about it."

Beverly Paddleford, a bronze artist and co-owner of the Eagle Bronze foundry in Lander, said the design is simplistic and beautiful.

And while she is glad the quarter won't be crowded with too many images and symbols, she would have preferred more detail in the final design.

"I like seeing the Wyoming bucking horse, but I think I would have liked seeing it with more detail," Paddleford said. "Some of the state coins are just so intricate and you really have to look at them for a while."

While unique, Wyoming's quarter design has one trait in common with several designs from Western states: its simplicity and lack of clutter found in some earlier state quarters.

That could be because Wyoming residents and officials were able to scrutinize 43 earlier quarter designs before they created their own. The quarters are being released in order of statehood.

That luxury of time and perspective may have contributed to the choice of a simple, unpretentious design to represent the state and its people.

Reach capital bureau reporter Jared Miller at (307) 632-1244 or at jared.miller@casperstartribune.net.