WASHINGTON — Looking for a great vacation spot? The United States Mint wants you to consider letting the America the Beautiful Quarters Program be your guide.
In its first year, the America the Beautiful Quarters Program is the United States Mint’s new 12–year initiative to honor 56 national parks and other national sites in each state, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories. Each year, the public will see five new quarters bearing reverse (tails side) designs emblematic of each featured national site. To mark the release into circulation of each new quarter, the United States Mint is holding a special launch ceremony that is open to the public at or near each site.
“When we launched the America the Beautiful Quarters Program, we embarked on a journey to reconnect Americans with our beautiful national parks, forests, wildlife refuges and other sites,” said United States Mint Director Ed Moy. “We hope families across the country will join us on this journey.”
The United States Mint, in conjunction with the National Park Service, held launch ceremonies at Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas on April 20 and Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming on June 3. Upcoming launch ceremonies for the remaining 2010 quarters will be held in the following locations.
* Yosemite National Park – Thursday, July 29, 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time (PT), Valley Visitor’s Center, Yosemite Village Loop, Yosemite, Calif.
* Grand Canyon National Park – Tuesday, September 21, 1:00 p.m. (PT), grounds adjacent to El Tovar Hotel, Grand Canyon, Ariz.
* Mount Hood National Forest – Wednesday, November 17, 10:00 a.m. (PT), World Forestry Center, 4033 SW Canyon Road, Portland, Ore.
The launch ceremonies are open to the public and include a coin exchange at which visitors can obtain rolls of newly minted quarters bearing the design that honors the featured site. Children 18 and younger receive a free new quarter to commemorate the event.
The United States Mint, created by Congress in 1792, is the Nation’s sole manufacturer of legal tender coinage. Its primary mission is to produce an adequate volume of circulating coinage for the Nation to conduct its trade and commerce. The United States Mint also produces proof, uncirculated and commemorative coins; Congressional Gold Medals; and silver, gold and platinum bullion coins.
Additional information about the America the Beautiful Quarters Program is available at
http://www.americathebeautifulquarters.gov.
Digital images of the 2010 America the Beautiful Quarters are available at http://www.usmint.gov/pressroom/?action=Photo#AmericaTheBeautiful.
The United States Mint – Connecting America through Coins