America the Beautiful Quarters Introduced

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US Mint Video Describing New Quarters

The United States Mint today announced the design themes for the next 56 US quarters and the massive commemorative silver bullion coins that will be issued between 2010 to 2021.

It also formerly introduced the name of the new series, calling it the United States Mint America the Beautiful Quarters™ Program. (Coin collectors will note the name excludes the words "parks" or "sites," as the upcoming series had most often been described till today.)

 

"These new quarters will honor some of our most revered, treasured and beautiful national sites — majestic and historic places located throughout the United States and its territories that truly make us ‘America the Beautiful,’" said US Mint Director Ed Moy.

 

During the next 11 years and at a rate of 5 per year, the reverse or tails side of each quarter will feature a design emblematic of a national park or site in each state, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories.

The five America the Beautiful Quarters for release in 2010 will honor the following national sites:

  • Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas,
  • Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming,
  • Yosemite National Park in California,
  • Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona and
  • Mount Hood National Forest in Oregon.

Yellowstone is America’s first national park having been established in 1872. However, it will be featured second in somewhat of a surprise. Hot Springs National Park earns the honor of having received a reserve designation in 1832 — it became a national park in 1922.

Secretary of the Treasury Timothy F. Geithner approved the site list recommended by the US Mint on August 25, 2009

The obverse or heads side of each quarter will bear a restored version of the historic George Washington portrait which was first featured on the quarter-dollar in 1932. William Cousins modified that design slightly and his work has been seen on quarters since the 1999 launch of the 50 State Quarters® Program. The new portrait is to include, according to a US Mint statement, "subtle details and the beauty of the original model."

The US Mint has already added the quarter-dollars to its subscription service. Customers can pre-order rolls, bags and other products with the coins now, and they will be delivered when they are released by the Mint.

America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coins

America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coin Size and WeigthIn addition to the new quarters, .999 fine silver bullion coins will be issued with designs that are "exact duplicates of the quarter dollars."

They will be especially unique, with their massive 3 inches in diameters. Each will weigh 5 ounces, with the fineness and weight edge-incused.

These will be amazing in size, as they will quite easily dwarf current US bullion coinage — as a comparison, the popular American Eagle silver coin is an already large 1.598 inches and includes a full ounce of silver.

America the Beautiful Quarters Release Schedule

The following release schedule provides a list for the quarters by year, location, name and the established national park or national site year.

2010

Arkansas, Hot Springs National Park, 1832

Wyoming, Yellowstone National Park, 1872

California, Yosemite National Park, 1890

Arizona, Grand Canyon National Park, 1893

Oregon, Mt. Hood National Forest, 1893

2011

Pennsylvania, Gettysburg National Military Park, 1895

Montana, Glacier National Park, 1897

Washington, Olympic National Park, 1897

Mississippi, Vicksburg National Military Park, 1899

Oklahoma, Chickasaw National Recreation Area, 1902

2012

Puerto Rico, El Yunque National Forest, 1903

New Mexico, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, 1907

Maine, Acadia National Park, 1916

Hawaii, Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, 1916

Alaska, Denali National Park, 1917

2013

New Hampshire, White Mountain National Forest, 1918

Ohio, Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial, 1919

Nevada, Great Basin National Park, 1922

Maryland, Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, 1925

South Dakota, Mount Rushmore National Memorial, 1925

2014

Tennessee, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 1926

Virginia, Shenandoah National Park, 1926

Utah, Arches National Park, 1929

Colorado, Great Sand Dunes National Park, 1932

Florida, Everglades National Park, 1934

2015

Nebraska, Homestead National Monument of America, 1936

Louisiana, Kisatchie National Forest, 1936

North Carolina, Blue Ridge Parkway, 1936

Delaware, Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, 1937

New York, Saratoga National Historical Park, 1938

2016

Illinois, Shawnee National Forest, 1939

Kentucky, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, 1940

West Virginia, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, 1944

North Dakota, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, 1946

South Carolina, Fort Moultrie (Fort Sumter National Monument), 1948

2017

Iowa, Effigy Mounds National Monument, 1949

District of Columbia, Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, 1962

Missouri, Ozark National Scenic Riverways, 1964

New Jersey, Ellis Island National Monument (Statue of Liberty), 1965

Indiana, George Rogers Clark National Historical Park, 1966

2018

Michigan, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, 1966

Wisconsin, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, 1970

Minnesota, Voyageurs National Park, 1971

Georgia, Cumberland Island National Seashore, 1972

Rhode Island, Block Island National Wildlife Refuge, 1973

2019

Massachusetts, Lowell National Historical Park, 1978

Northern Mariana Islands, American Memorial Park, 1978

Guam, War in the Pacific National Historical Park, 1978

Texas, San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, 1978

Idaho, Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, 1980

2020

American Samoa, National Park of American Samoa, 1988

Connecticut, Weir Farm National Historic Site, 1990

U.S. Virgin Islands, Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve, 1992

Vermont, Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park, 1992

Kansas, Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, 1996

2021

Alabama, Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site, 1998

For more information on the America the Beautiful coins, read America’s Beautiful National Parks Quarter Dollar Coin Act. The embedded video also provides an excellent overview of the new program.

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Alex

Wow i thought it would the best to stop and a have a regular design, not 56 national parks quarter, how lame.

Im Rolando Rodriguez, from Coamo,Puerto Rico.Im a elementary school teacher. We have a coin collector club at the José Ramón Rodríguez School in Coamo, Puerto Rico since 2003. We enjoyed so much the USA Statehood and terrytories quarters program. My students and I visited the official ceremony presentation of the Puerto Rico 2009 Quarter. We have the opportunity to met the Director of the USA Mint, Mr. Edward Moy. And now we are proud of to receive our second quarter in 2012, at the new beautiful quarters program (El Yunque forest). Thanks a lot and congratulations for the excellent programs… Read more »

the x

will i live long enouth to see an new regular quarter in circulation.

Andrew Weldon

I have been collecting coins since I was ten years old .Recently I realized that a 1794 liberty cap large cent I have is a starred reverse variety.I have been waiting for a coin show to come to the philadelphia area so I can get it certified and then possible sell, it. I is according to how old coins are graded fine to extra fine condition. All the words and date and design are all legible. Im trying to get a real value on the coin and also noticed the price for this coin has gone up in the past,… Read more »

kevin

heard there’s things wrong with the newer quarters like wisconsin and the leaf. and heard about more copper in another and other things wrong. can”t find a site showing anything about these. do you know how i can find out. i have small jars of coins i want to go through, but don”t want to toss away any possible mismints. thanks

Peter Chrisovechotis

I live in Dayville, Connecticut and was wondering if th Denali 2012 Quarter has arrived here yet in local banks because it came out on November 5, 2012 and it is now the 21st so I was wondering if the quarter has made it to Connecticut yet seeing as how it was made all the way in Alaska.