America the Beautiful Quarters

America the Beautiful QuarterA new generation of quarter-dollars begins in 2010 with America the Beautiful Quarters™.

The series features five different annual quarter designs similar to the 50 States Quarters Program and the 2009 D.C. & U.S. Territories Quarters Program, but the new coins honor national parks and national sites. The coins are minted for circulation, with special versions struck for collectors.

To quickly find out information about a specific quarter release by location, simply hover over the area on the map below, and then click to jump to details about coin.

Hover Over Quarter’s Location on Map, Click for Information




 

As the map above suggests, the new circulating quarters commemorate a historic national park or national site within each:

  • State
  • District of Columbia
  • Puerto Rico
  • Guam
  • American Samoa
  • U.S. Virgin Islands
  • Northern Mariana Islands

Unlike the first program that lasted ten years and the second which ran for one, American the Beautiful Quarters will be issued for 11 years, ending with a single release in 2021.

America the Beautiful Quarters Program

Delicate Arch in Arches National Park - NPS PhotoThrough the years, the United States Mint will strike a total of 56 different reverse (tails side) designs, as authorized by America’s Beautiful National Parks Quarter Dollar Coin Act of 2008.

This act was introduced on June 4, 2008, by Rep. Mike Castle. (Castle also spearheaded the popular 50 States Quarters Program which the US Mint projected had earned the government $6.2 billion dollars.) Former President Bush signed the act on Dec. 23, 2008, and it became Public Law 110-456.

"Since the launch of the successful 50 State Quarters Program 10 years ago, I have been thinking about a follow up program." Castle said after his bill was signed by Bush. "I am encouraged that this program has the potential to be every bit as successful as its predecessor-both as an educational tool and as a collector’s item."

Public Law 110-456 provides the guidelines for the quarter-dollars, and a couple of interesting clauses. One gives the Secretary of the Treasury the authority in 2018 (year 9 of the program) to extend the series for an additional 11 years. The other dictates that the US Mint strike "exact duplicates" of the quarters in .999 fine silver. These America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coins weigh 5.0 ounces and have a diameter of 3.0 inches, or double that of the old Morgan and Peace Silver Dollars.

It was the US Mint that officially dubbed the series name, the America the Beautiful Quarters Program.

America the Beautiful Quarter Designs

The America’s Beautiful National Parks Quarter Dollar Series Act of 2008 provides appropriate design criteria.

America Beautiful Quarter Design ExamplesAs also outline by the US Mint, the coin reverses (tails side) must be emblematic and:

"honor the national park or other national site in each host jurisdiction deemed most appropriate in terms of natural or historic significance."

The reverse design and selection process can be quite involved. The Federal entity responsible for the supervision, management, or conservancy of each national site appoints a liaison to "assist the United States Mint by identifying source materials for candidate designs."

Using the provided materials and in a cooperation with the liaison, the United States Mint produces three to five quarter candidate designs.

These are submitted for review and comment to:

  • The Secretary of the Interior
  • The chief executive of the host jurisdiction (State/District of Columbia/Territory)
  • The Commission of Fine Arts (CFA)
  • The Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) for review and comment.

The United States Mint at its discretion makes changes and submits the quarter design recommendation to the Secretary of the Treasury, who then makes a final selection.

The obverse design of each quarter features a restored version of the 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."

Quarters Release Dates and Schedule

ScheduleThe United States Mint announced the 56 national parks and national sites to be honored back on September 9, 2009.

The selection, as determined by law, was made by Secretary of the Treasury Timothy F. Geithner on August 25, 2009, after "consultation with the governor or chief executive of each host jurisdiction and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar," the US Mint said on the day of the announcement.

To start the program, 2010 American the Beautiful Quarters feature designs honoring:

  • Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas – Hot Springs was the first federally protected area in the United States. Created as a reservation area on April 20, 1832 it was designed to protect the 47 hot springs on the southwestern slope of Hot Springs Mountain.
  • Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming – Designated a national park on March 1, 1872, Yellowstone is located primarily in Wyoming, with some area in Montana and Idaho. Known for its many geothermal features, Yellowstone encompasses an area of almost 3,500 square miles.
  • Yosemite National Park, California – Yosemite was officially created as a national park on October 1, 1890, but the land had been set aside for preservation and public use by President Abraham Lincoln in 1864.
  • Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona – Known as one of the natural wonders of the world, the Grand Canyon was placed under federal protection in 1893. It officially became a national park on February 26, 1919.
  • Mt. Hood National Forest, Oregon – Located 20 miles east of Portland, Oregon, Mount Hood National Forest is over 1 million acres in size. The area was originally set aside as part of Cascade Range Forest Reserve in 1893.

The US Mint created a National Site Registry listing the order for the quarters, which was based on when a site was first established as a national park or site. (See America the Beautiful Quarters Release Schedule.)

Distribution Sources

As in previous quarter-dollar programs, circulating coins are struck by the United States Mint, shipped through the Federal Reserve banking system, and then make their way into daily change.

The US Mint also offers options to order circulation strike quarters in bags and rolls. The collector proof and uncirculated coins will be available throughout each year, and directly from the Mint.

Public Law 110-456 does provide an option for the Director of the National Park Service to purchase the silver bullion duplicates for resale. The main distribution for these will be through the US Mint’s authorized dealers.

References & Resources