Lowell America the Beautiful Quarter

The first United States Mint America the Beautiful Quarters™ Program strike in the year 2019 will be the 2019 Lowell America the Beautiful Quarter. This quarter will also be the forty-sixth coin out of 56 new strikes to be minted under the program

If the Mint follows its normal procedures, design candidates for the Lowell quarter should appear as early as the first part of 2018. The final design selection, however, will probably only be unveiled shortly before the coin is released the next year.

Since the Lowell coin is the first to be struck under the program for the year, four other quarter dollars will follow it including coins showcasing American Memorial Park in the Northern Mariana Islands, War in the Pacific National Historical Park in Guam, San Antonio Missions National Historical Park in Texas and Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness in Idaho.

Lowell National Historical Park of Massachusetts

Honoring the American Industrial Revolution, especially as it related to the textile industry, the Lowell National Historical Park in Massachusetts was created by Congress in 1978.

In the early 1800’s, enterprising individuals planned an industrial center along the Merrimack River. Plans called for sprawling complexes full of green spaces and open dormitories that would be a beacon to workers around the world. The plans succeeded and immigrants and citizens from other states flocked to work in the mills, especially young women.

Population in the city was estimated at only 2,500 before the creation of the industry in the city. At its height, the population exploded to 33,000 in 1850.

Utilizing the power of the Merrimack River for its factories, Lowell was a center of commerce until the middle of the 20th century. Several decades of neglect followed, but a revitalization effort gained ground in the 1970’s leading to the Park we find today.

The city itself was named after Francis Cabot Lowell who actually passed away before the creation of the city. It was named after him by his colleagues who masterminded the project.