WASHINGTON — The United States Mint announced today that commemorative quarter–dollar coins honoring West Virginia, the fifth coin in the United States Mint’s 50 State Quarters Program to be released in 2005, will go on sale beginning October 14, 2005, at 12:00 noon (ET), and will be available for purchase during the 10–week release period. The West Virginia quarter–dollars are available in two–roll sets (40 coins per roll), including one roll each from the United States Mint at Philadelphia and Denver, and in bags of 100 and 1,000 coins.
On June 20, 1863, West Virginia, the “Mountain State,” became the 35th state to be admitted into the Union, making this the 35th coin to be issued in the United States Mint’s popular 50 State Quarters Program. This coin captures the scenic beauty of the State with its depiction of the New River and the New River Gorge Bridge. The coin bears the inscription “New River Gorge.”
The design chosen to represent West Virginia is one that combines the natural physical beauty of the State and the triumph of the human intellect exemplified by the engineering wonder that is the New River Gorge Bridge. At 3,030 feet long and 69 feet wide, the bridge is the longest steel–arch bridge in the United States. It is also the second highest bridge in the United States, rising 876 feet above the New River Gorge in southern West Virginia. In 1978, a 53–mile stretch of the New River was added to the National Park System as the New River Gorge National River.
Each coin roll in the two–roll set is wrapped in a specially designed United States Mint paper coin wrap that prominently displays the 50 State Quarters Program logo, a “P” or “D” representing the roll’s mint of origin, “WV” designating the State of West Virginia, and “$10” representing its dollar value. Two–roll sets will sell for $32.00, bags of 100 coins for $35.50, and bags of 1,000 coins for $300.00. Each bag is marked with the mint of origin and the dollar value of its contents ($25.00 or $250.00). These two–roll sets and bags feature quarters used in regular transactions and are struck on our main production floors at the United States Mint at Philadelphia and Denver. There is no order limit on these products.
Customers can purchase the West Virginia quarter–dollars in two–roll sets and bags by using the United States Mint’s secure website, www.usmint.gov, or by calling 1–800–USA–MINT (872–6468). As an added convenience, customers can participate in a subscription–ordering program in which specific products, such as two–roll sets and bags, are charged and shipped to the customer automatically as each new quarter is released. For more information about this ordering method, please visit www.usmint.gov. Hearing– and speech–impaired customers may order by calling 1–888–321–MINT (6468). A shipping and handling fee of $4.95 per order will be added to all domestic orders. Quarter bags of 1,000 coins will have an additional charge of $7.95 per bag because of their weight and size.