Posts Tagged ‘america the beautiful quarters’
New US Mint Quarters Feature National Parks and Sites
In 2010 a new series of quarters will be launched by the United States Mint. The America the Beautiful Quarters series will issue a total of 56 circulating quarter dollar coins over the course of twelve years, featuring National Parks or other National Sites from each of the states, territories, and the District of Columbia.
The new series begins two years after the conclusion of the popular 50 State Quarters Program. From 1999 to 2008, the US Mint released a total of fifty different coins to honor each of the states. Average Americans were able to learn more about history and geography by examining the coins received in change. A separate program was launch in 2009 to feature the remaining United States Territories and Washington, DC.
While the America the Beautiful Quarters Program will be similar to the other programs, it will have a unique focus and introduce an accompanying bullion program. The new program will feature 56 different coins, with unique depictions on the “tails side” of the coin. The “heads side” will feature a restored portrait of George Washington. Quarters will also be released at a rate of five per year, but with a single design in the final year. The new coins will be released into circulation, making potential collectors out of anyone who receives them.
What makes the new series distinctive will be the shift in focus towards National Parks and Sites. The legislation which created the program specified that this may include any area under the management or conservancy of the National Park Service (NPS), United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFW), or the United States Forest Service (USFS). This broad definition opens eligibility to hundreds of federally designated sites around the country and throughout the territories.
To accompany the quarter series, a new program of silver bullion coins will also be introduced. The coins will be over sized replicas of each quarter, weighing five ounces and struck in .999 fine silver. These coins will be issued on the same annual schedule as the quarters and are expected to be available throughout the year when the corresponding quarter is issued.
The United States Mint has already established the order of release for the entire 56 quarter program. The America the Beautiful Quarters will issue the different designs in the order the sites were federally designated. The first year of release will include Hot Springs National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park, the Grand Canyon, and Mount Hood National Forest.
Find detailed information about the upcoming America the Beautiful Quarters Program. View the America the Beautiful Quarters Release Dates.