The 2020 National Park Quarters have the distinction of being the last full year of the US Mint’s America the Beautiful Quarters® Program. 2021 will see only one strike issued and will complete the fifty-six coins mandated by the authorizing act for the series. The following five quarters will be released in 2020:
*American Samoa – 2020 National Park of American Samoa Quarter
*Connecticut – 2020 Weir Farm National Historic Site Quarter
*U.S. Virgin Islands – 2020 Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve Quarter
*Vermont – 2020 Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park Quarter
*Kansas – 2020 Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve Quarter
The reverse of each of these strikes will contain a design emblematic of the selected site of national interest. Shown on the obverse will be a portrait of George Washington, the first President of the United States, as designed by John Flanagan.
Final design information for the 2020 National Park Quarters will likely not be known until late in 2019 when the US Mint should release them. This will occur after several design candidates are reviewed for each strike by the Citizen’s Coinage Advisory Committee and the United States Commission of Fine Arts. Their comments will be taken into consideration by the Secretary of the Treasury who will make the final selection.
More information on the sites to be honored by the 2020 National Park Quarters to be released by the US Mint is offered below :
National Park of American Samoa Quarter – The National Park of American Samoa Quarter honors the park in American Samoa that is unique in the national park system because the land it consists of has not been purchased by the United States. The Samoan village leaders have agreed to let the United States set aside the best parts of the islands to be preserved in the national park.
Samoa is a cluster of islands, mostly mountainous, located in a tropical climate. There are beautiful coral reefs and beaches throughout these islands and included as part of the park.
When visitors come, they are witnessing history in the making as the park is still being established today. Tourists can see how the Samoan people live, scuba dive along the coral reefs, sunbathe on the pristine beaches, and visit with some of the local wildlife.
Weir Farm National Historic Site Quarter – The Weir Farm National Historic Site Quarter honors the site that preserves where J. Alden Weir moved after growing up in New York. Once there, he changed his modest home into a retreat for his friends and artists. Many artists that lived there practiced expressionism, just like J. Alden Weir.
Visitors can partake in many activities at the Weir farm such as sketching, painting, and several other events throughout the year. Artists can try out for the Artist-In-Residence Program and spend a month living and working at the Weir Farm.
Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve Quarter – The Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve Quarter honors the site located on the U.S. Virgin Islands. Salt River Bay is a compilation of tropical ecosystems, coral reefs, mangrove forests, and archeological sites.
Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve was created in 1992 and is over 1,000 acres in size. Aside from the natural resources the site protects, it also is home the only location where members of the Columbus Expedition are known to have set foot on soil that is now part of a US territory.
Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park Quarter – The Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park Quarter honors a site in Vermont that is known for its beautiful landscapes. It is home to sugar maples and old hemlocks.
In 1992, the final owner, Laurence Rockefeller, donated the land to the National Park Service where they continue conservation efforts started by the three previous owners – George Perkins Marsh, Frederick Billings and Laurence and Mary Rockefeller.
Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park also participates in Artists in Residence. Visitors can view these works when they come as well as the Forest Center and other historical sites.
Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve Quarter – The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve Quarter honors the site which preserves the area that recalls the millions of acres of tall grass which once covered the plains of North America. Once settlers and developers moved in, much of the grass was plowed away and only 4% remains today.
Bison also make their home on the preserve as well as several other forms of wildlife. Tourists may catch a glimpse of these animals when the visit, or they may participate in some of the other activities offered.