Two Washington, D.C., quarters from the United States Mint 2009 District of Columbia and U.S. Territories Quarters Proof Set. Duke Ellington is featured on back. These were given to the Mayor by Terry T. Tilton, La Mesa, CA., who included a flyer that explains the reason that Duke Ellington is on the D.C. quarter was because Duke was born in D.C. and lived his early years there. He was also a famous American composer.