The third State Quarter of the year 2002 and the 18th coin overall in the series honors Louisiana. The design is a tribute to the states history. The central image is a map of the United States the first to appear on a U.S. coin with the area of the 1803 Louisiana Purchase highlighted. The present state of Louisiana is also identified. The horn and musical notes at the top of the coin honor the heritage of jazz music, which developed in New Orleans in the late 19th century. The brown pelican at the bottom of the coin was chosen by the state legislature as the official state bird in 1966.

These "Mini" bags are filled with uncirculated quarters in the amount of $25 (100 quarters) and sealed by the US Mint with a special label or tag. Like the special Government Roll Pairs, these "Mini" bags are collected based on the final Mintage figure that are produced during the 10 week period the US Mint issues the quarter and the popularity of the state and or design.

In December 1997, America's most adventurous coin program became a reality when President Clinton signed legislation authorizing the U.S. Mint to issue the innovative 50 State Quarters collection. Starting in January 1999, each of the 50 states in the Union will be honored on a unique Quarter Dollar commemorative coin. Five states will be featured each year, based on the order in which they ratified the Constitution or became states. Due to the aggressive minting schedule, each State Quarter will be minted for only about 10 weeks. As a result, mintages of each quarter only are to be just a fraction of the "normal" quarters are. Regular issue coins will be minted at both the Philadelphia and the Denver Mints. On the front, otherwise known as the obverse, the specific mintmarks can be found to the right of George Washington's portrait. The small "P" indicates the Philadelphia Mint and the small "D" refers to the Denver.