On Thursday, June 21, 2012, the United States Mint released special products for coin collectors: rolls and bags of circulating quality 2012-S El Yunque quarters from San Francisco. Each 100-coin bag is $34.95 and each 40-coin roll is $18.95.
Normally, the U.S. Mint facility in San Francisco does not produce circulation quality quarters. Instead, it is known for striking proof quality coins of all denominations for collector sets. So the two new products are expected to be a hit with collectors.
The El Yunque National Forest quarter, the eleventh in the America the Beautiful Quarters® Program and the one honoring the national site in Puerto Rico, originally launched into public circulation in late January. Then it went on sale in rolls and bags in early February, but those coins were struck at Philadelphia and Denver and have either "P" or "D" mint marks.
San Francisco El Yunque quarters with "S" mint marks are unique in that they will not be found in daily change because they are only minted for collectors and not released for banks and general commerce. Although, of course, these "S" quarters are legal tender coins of the United States. In later years, searching collectors may report finding some of the quarters intermixed within other circulating quality coins from buyers who mistakenly or purposely use them for purchases.
Packaging for the new El Yunque quarters is the same as before, so the national site and two-letter abbreviation for the territory of the site are still listed on it, along with the face value of the product and the mint mark "S" for the San Francisco facility.
Collectors interested in the 2012-S El Yunque quarter bags, rolls or related products may purchase them directly from the United States Mint website at http://www.usmint.gov/ or by calling the bureau’s toll free number 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468).
There are no order and no mintage limits. The U.S. Mint indicated it struck 1.4 million of the new quarters and that it will produce more to meet collector demand, if needed.
Additionally, the U.S. Mint plans to strike more circulation quality quarters from San Francisco and offer them in rolls and bags. These will offer the next four 2012-dated America the Beautiful Quarters, but their release dates were not available at the time of this writing. The U.S. Mint has not been decided if "S" mint marked quarters will see production in 2013 and later.