A new series of quarters is scheduled to debut next year from the United States Mint. Known as America the Beautiful Quarters, the series will include fifty six different designs. Each one will be a unique depiction of a National Park or National Site from the 50 States, US Territories, and Washington DC.
The new quarter series follows the success of the 50 State Quarters Program. This series of fifty different quarters ran from 1999 to 2008 and allowed Americans learn about the history and diversity of the different states simply by examining their pocket change. A one year program featuring the United States Territories and District of Columbia followed in the year 2009.
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.
The new series will shift its focus to sites of natural beauty or historical significance. Sites selected for the program may include any park or site which has been federally designated and remains until the supervision, management, or conservancy of a federal entity. Eligible sites include National Parks, National Preserves and Forests, and Wildlife Refuges.
A program of silver bullion “quarters” will be introduced to accompany the series. The coins will contain 5 ounces of .999 fine silver and bear designs which are duplicates of the circulating quarters. Collectors have shown interest in the series since it will provide a large 3 inch diameter to display the unique designs of the series.
The entire register of sites to be depicted on the America the Beautiful Quarters Program were recently released by the United States Mint. The sites will be featured in the order that the sites were federally designated. Collectors can look for the first release of the series featuring Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas, expected to be released in April 2010.
Learn more about America the Beautiful Quarters. Find more detailed information on the separate America the Beautiful Bullion Coins.
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Written: Dec 26, 2009Tags: america the beautiful quarters, coin collecting, coins, collecting, Hobbies, home, state quarters