The America the Beautiful quarters (sometimes abbreviated ATB quarters) were a series of fifty-six 25-cent pieces (quarters) issued by the United States Mint, which began in 2010 and lasted until 2021.[1] The obverse (front) of all the coins depicts George Washington in a modified version of the portrait used for the original 1932 Washington quarter.[2] There were five new reverse (back) designs each year (one in 2021), each commemorating a national natural or historic site such as national parks, national historic sites, or national forests – one from each state, the federal district, and each territory. The program was authorized by the America's Beautiful National Parks Quarter Dollar Coin Act of 2008 (Pub. L. 110–456 (text) (PDF).
United States | |
| Value | 0.25 U.S. Dollar |
|---|---|
| Mass | 6.25(Ag); 5.67 (Cu-Ni) g |
| Diameter | 24.26 mm (0.955 in) |
| Thickness | 1.75 mm (0.069 in) |
| Edge | 119 reeds |
| Composition | 91.67% Cu 8.33% Ni (standard) 90% Ag 10% Cu (2010–2018 silver proof) 99.9% Ag (2019–2021 silver proof) |
| Years of minting | 2010–2021 |
| Mint marks | P, D, S, W |
| Obverse | |
| Design | George Washington |
| Designer | John Flanagan from a 1786 bust by Houdon |
| Design date | 2010 |
| Reverse | |
| Design | various; five designs per year (latest shown) |
| Designer | various |
| Design date | 2010–2021 |
Coin designs edit
Quarters were issued with reverse designs commemorating national parks and sites in the order of which that park or site was deemed a national site.[3] The quarters from three states depict parks or sites that were previously portrayed on the state quarters (Grand Canyon in Arizona, Yosemite in California, and Mount Rushmore in South Dakota). While they depict the same sites, they bear new designs.[3]
Privy mark edit
In 2020, the obverses of the quarters struck at West Point also include a privy mark. The privy design features the text "V75", celebrating the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II inside an outline of the Rainbow Pool at the World War II Memorial in Washington, DC.[4]
Mint marks edit
Over the course of the series, four mint marks were used on the America the Beautiful quarters. Quarters produced at the Philadelphia and Denver Mints feature the P and D mint marks respectively.
In 2010 and 2011, the San Francisco Mint (S mint mark) produced quarters exclusively for the annual Proof Set. In 2012, San Francisco started producing America the Beautiful quarters in the standard circulation finish of the P and D quarters for sale to collectors.[5]
On April 2, 2019, the United States Mint announced that the West Point Mint would release 10,000,000 quarters (2,000,000 of each design released that year) with the "W" mint mark.[6] This was the first time the mint mark appeared on a circulating coin. The quarters were mixed into uncirculated bags and rolls of the quarters to stimulate public interest in coin collecting.
List of designs edit
| Year | No. | Jurisdiction | Site | Design | Elements depicted | Release date[7] (national site date) | Mintage[8] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver | Philadelphia | West Point | Total | |||||||
| 2010 | 1 | Arkansas | Hot Springs National Park |  | The park headquarters building with a thermal fountain in front of it | April 19, 2010 (April 20, 1832) | 34,000,000 | 35,600,000 | — | 69,600,000 |
| 2 | Wyoming | Yellowstone National Park |  | A bison and Old Faithful | June 1, 2010 (March 1, 1872) | 34,800,000 | 33,600,000 | — | 68,400,000 | |
| 3 | California | Yosemite National Park |  | El Capitan | July 26, 2010 (October 1, 1890) | 35,000,000 | 35,000,000 | — | 70,000,000 | |
| 4 | Arizona | Grand Canyon National Park |  | Marble Canyon | September 20, 2010 (February 20, 1893) | 35,400,000 | 34,800,000 | — | 70,200,000 | |
| 5 | Oregon | Mount Hood National Forest |  | Lost Lake with Mount Hood in the distance | November 15, 2010 (September 28, 1893) | 34,400,000 | 34,400,000 | — | 68,800,000 | |
| 2011 | 6 | Pennsylvania | Gettysburg National Military Park |  | The 72nd Pennsylvania Infantry Monument | January 24, 2011 (February 11, 1895) | 30,400,000 | 30,800,000 | — | 61,200,000 |
| 7 | Montana | Glacier National Park |  | A mountain goat with Reynolds Mountain in the distance | April 4, 2011 (February 22, 1897) | 31,200,000 | 30,400,000 | — | 61,600,000 | |
| 8 | Washington | Olympic National Park |  | A Roosevelt elk at the Hoh River with Mount Olympus in the distance | June 13, 2011 (February 22, 1897) | 30,500,000 | 30,500,000 | — | 61,000,000 | |
| 9 | Mississippi | Vicksburg National Military Park |  | The USS Cairo on the Yazoo River | August 29, 2011 (February 21, 1899) | 33,400,000 | 30,800,000 | — | 64,200,000 | |
| 10 | Oklahoma | Chickasaw National Recreation Area |  | The Lincoln Bridge | November 14, 2011 (July 1, 1902) | 69,400,000 | 73,800,000 | — | 143,200,000 | |
| 2012 | 11 | Puerto Rico | El Yunque National Forest |  | A Puerto Rican amazon and a common coquí | January 23, 2012 (January 17, 1903) | 25,000,000 | 25,800,000 | — | 50,800,000 |
| 12 | New Mexico | Chaco Culture National Historical Park |  | Two elevated kivas that are part of the Chetro Ketl complex | April 2, 2012 (March 11, 1907) | 22,000,000 | 22,000,000 | — | 44,000,000 | |
| 13 | Maine | Acadia National Park |  | The Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse | June 11, 2012 (July 8, 1916) | 21,606,000 | 24,800,000 | — | 46,406,000 | |
| 14 | Hawaii | Hawaii Volcanoes National Park |  | Kīlauea | August 27, 2012 (August 1, 1916) | 78,600,000 | 46,200,000 | — | 124,800,000 | |
| 15 | Alaska | Denali National Park and Preserve |  | A Dall sheep with Denali in the background | November 5, 2012 (February 26, 1917) | 166,600,000 | 135,400,000 | — | 302,000,000 | |
| 2013 | 16 | New Hampshire | White Mountain National Forest |  | Mount Chocorua with birch trees in the foreground | January 28, 2013 (May 16, 1918) | 107,600,000 | 68,800,000 | — | 176,400,000 |
| 17 | Ohio | Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial |  | The statue of Oliver Hazard Perry and the International Peace Memorial column | April 1, 2013 (March 3, 1919) | 55,000,000 | 45,000,000 | — | 100,000,000 | |
| 18 | Nevada | Great Basin National Park |  | A bristlecone pine | June 10, 2013 (January 24, 1922) | 141,400,000 | 122,400,000 | — | 263,800,000 | |
| 19 | Maryland | Fort McHenry National Monument |  | Fort McHenry under bombardment | August 26, 2013 (March 3, 1925) | 151,400,000 | 120,000,000 | — | 271,400,000 | |
| 20 | South Dakota | Mount Rushmore National Memorial |  | Workers carving the Mount Rushmore National Memorial | November 4, 2013 (March 3, 1925) | 272,400,000 | 231,800,000 | — | 504,200,000 | |
| 2014 | 21 | Tennessee | Great Smoky Mountains National Park |  | A log cabin in the forest with a hawk in flight | January 27, 2014 (May 22, 1926) | 99,400,000 | 73,200,000 | — | 172,600,000 |
| 22 | Virginia | Shenandoah National Park |  | A hiker at the summit of Stony Man Trail | March 31, 2014 (May 22, 1926) | 197,800,000 | 112,800,000 | — | 310,600,000 | |
| 23 | Utah | Arches National Park |  | Delicate Arch with the La Sal Mountains in the distance | June 9, 2014 (April 12, 1929) | 251,400,000 | 214,200,000 | — | 465,600,000 | |
| 24 | Colorado | Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve |  | A father and son playing on the banks of a creek, with sand dunes and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in the background | August 25, 2014 (March 17, 1932) | 171,800,000 | 159,600,000 | — | 331,400,000 | |
| 25 | Florida | Everglades National Park |  | An anhinga on a willow, and a roseate spoonbill wading in the water | November 3, 2014 (May 30, 1934) | 142,400,000 | 157,601,000 | — | 300,001,200 | |
| 2015 | 26 | Nebraska | Homestead National Historical Park |  | A log cabin, two ears of corn, and a water pump, representing shelter, food, and water | February 9, 2015 (March 19, 1936) | 248,600,000 | 214,400,000 | — | 463,000,000 |
| 27 | Louisiana | Kisatchie National Forest |  | A wild turkey in flight over bluestem grass, with long leaf pines in the background | April 13, 2015 (June 3, 1936) | 379,600,000 | 397,200,000 | — | 776,800,000 | |
| 28 | North Carolina | Blue Ridge Parkway |  | A short stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway, with flowering dogwood in the foreground | June 8, 2015 (June 30, 1936) | 505,200,000 | 325,616,000 | — | 830,816,000 | |
| 29 | Delaware | Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge |  | A great blue heron, with a great egret behind it, in a salt marsh | September 14, 2015 (June 22, 1937) | 206,400,000 | 275,000,000 | — | 481,400,000 | |
| 30 | New York | Saratoga National Historical Park |  | A close-up of John Burgoyne surrendering his sword to Horatio Gates | November 16, 2015 (June 1, 1938) | 215,800,000 | 223,000,000 | — | 438,800,000 | |
| 2016 | 31 | Illinois | Shawnee National Forest |  | Camel Rock and natural vegetation with a red-tailed hawk overhead | February 1, 2016 (September 6, 1939) | 151,800,000 | 155,600,000 | — | 307,400,000 |
| 32 | Kentucky | Cumberland Gap National Historical Park |  | A frontiersman gazing across the Cumberland Mountains to the West | April 4, 2016 (June 11, 1940) | 223,200,000 | 215,400,000 | — | 438,600,000 | |
| 33 | West Virginia | Harpers Ferry National Historical Park |  | John Brown's Fort | June 6, 2016 (June 30, 1944) | 424,000,000 | 434,630,000 | — | 858,630,000 | |
| 34 | North Dakota | Theodore Roosevelt National Park |  | Theodore Roosevelt on horseback near the Little Missouri River | August 29, 2016 (February 25, 1946) | 223,200,000 | 231,600,000 | — | 454,800,000 | |
| 35 | South Carolina | Fort Moultrie (Fort Sumter National Monument) |  | William Jasper returning the regimental flag to the ramparts of Fort Moultrie | November 14, 2016 (April 28, 1948) | 142,200,000 | 154,400,000 | — | 296,600,000 | |
| 2017 | 36 | Iowa | Effigy Mounds National Monument |  | An aerial view of effigy mounds in the Marching Bear Group | February 6, 2017 (October 25, 1949) | 210,800,000 | 271,200,000 | — | 482,000,000 |
| 37 | District of Columbia | Frederick Douglass National Historic Site |  | Frederick Douglass seated at a writing desk with his home in the background | April 3, 2017 (September 5, 1962) | 185,800,000 | 184,800,000 | — | 370,600,000 | |
| 38 | Missouri | Ozark National Scenic Riverways |  | Alley Mill | June 5, 2017 (August 27, 1964) | 200,000,000 | 203,000,000 | — | 403,000,000 | |
| 39 | New Jersey | Ellis Island (Statue of Liberty National Monument) |  | An immigrant family approaching Ellis Island | August 28, 2017 (May 11, 1965) | 254,000,000 | 234,000,000 | — | 488,000,000 | |
| 40 | Indiana | George Rogers Clark National Historical Park |  | George Rogers Clark leading his men through the flooded plains approaching Fort Sackville | November 13, 2017 (July 23, 1966) | 180,800,000 | 196,600,000 | — | 377,400,000 | |
| 2018 | 41 | Michigan | Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore |  | Chapel Rock, with a white pine tree | February 5, 2018 (October 15, 1966) | 182,600,000 | 186,714,000 | — | 369,314,000 |
| 42 | Wisconsin | Apostle Islands National Lakeshore |  | Devils Island, with sea caves and the Devils Island Lighthouse, and a kayaker in the foreground | April 9, 2018 (September 26, 1970) | 216,600,000 | 223,200,000 | — | 439,800,000 | |
| 43 | Minnesota | Voyageurs National Park |  | A common loon, with a rock cliff in the background | June 11, 2018 (January 8, 1971) | 197,800,000 | 237,400,000 | — | 435,200,000 | |
| 44 | Georgia | Cumberland Island National Seashore |  | A snowy egret, with a salt marsh in the background | August 27, 2018 (October 23, 1972) | 151,600,000 | 138,000,000 | — | 289,600,000 | |
| 45 | Rhode Island | Block Island National Wildlife Refuge |  | A black-crowned night heron flying over Cow Cove beach, with the North Lighthouse in the background | November 13, 2018 (April 12, 1973) | 159,600,000 | 159,600,000 | — | 319,200,000 | |
| 2019 | 46 | Massachusetts | Lowell National Historical Park |  | A mill girl working at a power loom, with the Boott Mills clock tower outside the window | February 4, 2019 (June 5, 1978) | 182,200,000 | 165,800,000 | 2,000,000[15] | 350,000,000 |
| 47 | Northern Mariana Islands | American Memorial Park |  | A young Chamorro woman at the Flag Circle and Court of Honor | April 1, 2019 (August 18, 1978) | 182,600,000 | 142,800,000 | 2,000,000[15] | 327,400,000 | |
| 48 | Guam | War in the Pacific National Historical Park |  | American forces coming ashore during the Second Battle of Guam | June 3, 2019 (August 18, 1978) | 114,400,000 | 116,600,000 | 2,000,000[15] | 233,000,000 | |
| 49 | Texas | San Antonio Missions National Historical Park |  | In the angles of a Greek cross, the elements of the Spanish colonial real coin: arches and a bell of the Mission San Francisco de la Espada bell tower, a lion, waves, and wheat | August 26, 2019 (official release date) before August 20, 2019 (accidental release)[16] | 129,400,000 | 142,800,000 | 2,000,000[15] | 274,200,000 | |
| 50 | Idaho | Frank Church–River of No Return Wilderness |  | A drift boat on the Salmon River, with the wilderness in the background | November 4, 2019 (official release date) before October 29, 2019 (accidental release)[17] | 251,600,000 | 223,400,000 | 2,000,000[15] | 475,000,000 | |
| 2020 | 51 | American Samoa | National Park of American Samoa |  | Samoa flying fox mother and pup | February 13, 2020 (October 31, 1988) | 212,200,000 | 286,000,000 | 2,000,000[18] | 498,000,000 |
| 52 | Connecticut | Weir Farm National Historic Site |  | Artist painting outside Weir Farm | April 6, 2020 (October 31, 1990) | 155,000,000 | 125,600,000 | 2,000,000[18] | 280,600,000 | |
| 53 | U.S. Virgin Islands | Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve |  | Young red mangrove tree | June 1, 2020 (February 24, 1992) | 515,000,000 | 580,200,000 | 2,000,000[18] | 1,095,200,000[19] | |
| 54 | Vermont | Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park |  | Young girl planting a Norway Spruce seedling | August 31, 2020 (August 26, 1992) | 345,800,000 | 304,600,000 | 2,000,000[18] | 650,400,000 | |
| 55 | Kansas | Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve |  | Regal fritillary flying through big bluestem grass | November 16, 2020 (November 12, 1996) | 142,400,000 | 101,200,000 | 2,000,000[18] | 245,600,000 | |
| 2021 | 56 | Alabama | Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site | Tuskegee Airman suiting up with two P-51 Mustangs flying overhead | January 4, 2021 (November 6, 1998) | 304,000,000 | 160,400,000 | — | 464,400,000 | |
Site breakdown edit
Of the 56 designs there are
- 48 National Park Service areas
- 5 National Forests (United States Forest Service)
- 1 Wilderness area, composed of six national forests
- 2 National Wildlife Refuges (United States Fish and Wildlife Service)
Mintage details edit
Beginning with the El Yunque (Puerto Rico) design in the America the Beautiful Quarters Program, the U.S. Mint began selling (at a premium) uncirculated 40-coin rolls and 100-coin bags of quarters with the San Francisco mint mark.[20] These coins were not included in the 2012 uncirculated sets or the three-coin ATB quarter sets (which consisted of an uncirculated "P" and "D" and proof "S" specimen) and no "S" mint-marked quarters are being released into circulation, so that mintages will be determined solely by direct demand for the "S" mint-marked coins. As of January 2013 initial United States Mint sales figures indicated that between 1.3 million and 1.6 million of each 2012 design had been struck at the San Francisco mint, close to the announced mintage of 1.4 million for each design. Direct U.S. Mint sale of rolls and bags of uncirculated business strike coins continued with the 2013 America the Beautiful quarter issues, with actual quantities again to be determined by customer orders. The mintages of the uncirculated "S" quarters are considerably lower than that of the "P" and "D" mint-marked coins, and are comparable to the 1996-W Roosevelt Dime (also not issued for circulation), which sells in the neighborhood of $20 each in an average grade. As of 2019, uncirculated "S" quarters can be obtained from dealers for about three-four times their face value.
In 2019 the Mint began to release "W" mintmarked quarters produced at the West Point Mint. Two million of each of the year's five issues, mixed in bags with the common "P" and "D" coins, were scheduled for distribution at various major cities. Intended to increase interest in coin collecting, these products are not available by order from the Mint.[21]
Also notable are the 2010 satin finish quarters issued only in 2010 mint sets with a low mintage of 583,897, and proof and silver proof issues, some with mintages almost as low as the 2010 satin finish quarters.
There are collector versions of the America the Beautiful 5 ounce Silver Bullion Coin Program which debuted on December 10, 2010. They feature an uncirculated finish and contain a ‘P’ mintmark indicating they were struck at the US Mint's facility in Philadelphia. The bullion coins were also struck in Philadelphia but contain no mintmark. The United States Mint struck these coins late in 2010 with an extremely limited mintage of only 27,000. The Mint apparently had insufficient time to strike more before the end of the year owing to initial production difficulties with both America the Beautiful Five Ounce Coin series. This forced the Mint to only release these Hot Springs Coins the following year on April 28, 2011. Demand was intense in the first hours of availability with collectors ordering 19,000 of them in the first nine hours. Within two weeks, the Mint indicated a sell-out of the limited mintage strikes. Each coin's price is determined by the current value of silver and the 2010 issues sold for $279.95. Many subsequent issues have even lower mintages and higher secondary market values. These 5 oz. silver quarters are the "Big Boys" quarter collection and due to their low mintage, have increased their value over issue price, even in the face of declining silver prices.
Aftermath edit
The 2008 legislation gave the Treasury Secretary the option of ordering a second round of 56 national parks quarters by 2018, but Steven Mnuchin did not do so. According to the legislation, once the America the Beautiful Quarters Program ended in 2021, the obverse of the quarter reverted to the original Flanagan design used from 1932 until the start of the 50 State Quarter Program. However, the reverse was redesigned to feature General Washington crossing the Delaware River, the same theme that was used on the 1999 New Jersey quarter.[1] The new quarter was released on April 5, 2021, and was minted for the rest of the year.
With the passage of the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020 (Pub. L. 116–330 (text) (PDF), the program will be succeeded by the American Women quarters from 2022 to 2025, a series commemorating the United States Semiquincentennial in 2026, and a series depicting youth sports from 2027 to 2030.[22]
Year map edit
 |
See also edit
- America the Beautiful quarter mintage figures
- American Women quarters
- 50 State quarters
- America the Beautiful silver bullion coins
- District of Columbia and United States Territories quarters
- Presidential dollar coins
- American Innovation dollars
- Westward Journey nickel series
- United States Bicentennial coinage
References edit
- ^ a b "America's Beautiful National Parks Quarter Dollar Coin Act of 2008" (PDF). usmint.gov.
- ^ "About the Program". usmint.gov. Archived from the original on March 10, 2010. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
- ^ a b "U.S. Mint Coin and Medal Programs | U.S. Mint". www.usmint.gov. May 27, 2016. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
- ^ "Privy Marks on Coins | U.S. Mint". www.usmint.gov. April 6, 2020. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
- ^ "United States Mint to Release the First America the Beautiful Quarters® Program Coin with the San Francisco Mint mark on June 21 | U.S. Mint". www.usmint.gov. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
- ^ "W Mint Mark Circulating Quarter Collectible | U.S. Mint". www.usmint.gov. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
- ^ "America the Beautiful Quarters® National Site Register". usmint.gov. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
- ^ "Mintage Totals – 2010". usmint.gov.
- ^ "Mintage Totals – 2011". usmint.gov.
- ^ "Mintage Totals – 2012". usmint.gov.
- ^ "Mintage Totals – 2013". usmint.gov.
- ^ "Mintage Totals – 2014". usmint.gov.
- ^ "Mintage Totals – 2015". usmint.gov.
- ^ "Mintage Totals – 2016". usmint.gov.
- ^ a b c d e "Circulating rarities head to circulation: Quarters with the W Mint mark". Coin World. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
- ^ "2019 San Antonio Missions quarter dollars get early circulation release". Coin World. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
- ^ "Final 2019-W quarters found week before official release". Coin World. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e "Adding V75 privy mark means 2020-W quarter for American Samoa will be released last". CoinWorld. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
- ^ Unser, Mike (September 11, 2020). "US Mint Produces Over 1.65 Billion Coins for Circulation in August". coinnews.net. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
- ^ Schechter, Scott. "S Mint quarters from US Mint bring premiums". coinworld.com. Amos Media Company. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
- ^ Gilkes, Paul (April 2, 2019). "Circulating rarities head to circulation: Quarters with the W Mint mark". Coin World.
- ^ "Gonzalez bill to honor American women on the quarter passes U.S. House of Representatives". U.S. Representative Anthony Gonzalez. September 23, 2020. Archived from the original on September 27, 2020. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
External links edit
