Promoting it as "See America for a Quarter," the Mint is inviting all to travel around the nation as it releases new strikes of the America the Beautiful Quarters™. Those accepting the invite are sure to be treated to countless scenic opportunities and exposure to numerous historic national parks and sites. To get started, the Mint has provided the next three ceremonial quarter release dates and locations for 2010.

Under the U.S. Mint’s America the Beautiful Quarters Program, five new strikes will be released annually featuring reverses emblematic of a featured national site such as a national park or a national forest. One site was selected from each state, the District of Columbia and the five U.S. territories for a total of fifty-six new quarters issued over a twelve-year period.

Special release ceremonies for the first two quarters issued under the program have already been held by the US Mint earlier this year. Taking place at Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas on April 20, 2010 and Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming on June 3, 2010, the ceremonies marked the debut for the new series.

"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," stated United States Mint Director Ed Moy.  "We hope families across the country will join us on this journey."

Three more ceremonies are scheduled for the remainder of 2010 to coincide with the release of the quarters honoring those locations. According to the Mint, the ceremonies will occur at these sites on the dates shown:

• Thursday, July 29, 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time (PT) at the Valley Visitor’s Center, Yosemite Village Loop, Yosemite, California to celebrate the release of the Yosemite National Park Quarter.

• Tuesday, September 21, 1:00 p.m. (PT) on the grounds adjacent to El Tovar Hotel, Grand Canyon, Arizona to celebrate the release of the Grand Canyon National Park Quarter.

• Wednesday, November 17, 10:00 a.m. (PT) at the World Forestry Center, 4033 SW Canyon Road, Portland, Oregon to celebrate the release of the Mount Hood National Forest Quarter.

Anyone who attends the ceremonies will have the chance to obtain new strikes honoring the featured site. Children will be given one quarter free to commemorate the event while adults are offered the opportunity to exchange cash for rolls of the new coins.

Visitors watch Old Faithful start to erupt after the Yellowstone National Park Quarter ceremony ended.

Originally planned for outside of the Old Faithful Inn, the function was move indoors to the Old Faithful Lodge Recreation Hall due to the inclement weather in the region — rain and drizzle were common and were joined by temperatures only in the 45-degree range.

Perhaps not as picturesque of backdrop as the famous Old Faithful Geyser found just steps outside, the crowd did not seem to mind the more comfortable surroundings as the official ceremony was launched under the direction of Master of Ceremonies Park Public Affairs Officer Al Nash.

Initiating the function was the traditional national anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner" before Gene Bryan, Wyoming Tourism Board Member, took to the stand to praise the state of Wyoming, the Park Service and the U.S. Mint for the creation of the Yellowstone National Park Quarter.

Following Bryan, Paul Schullery, historian and author, was called to make a few comments before Superintendent of Yellowstone National Park Suzanne Lewis was introduced. Lewis also commented favorably on the America the Beautiful Quarters™ Program along with remembering a bit of the previous 50-State Quarters Program which serves as the template for the new series.

Finally, US Mint Director Ed Moy stood up to the podium and gave a short speech which included a bit of fond memories from his childhood.

"Well, the last time I was here at Yellowstone National Park my parents were young, I was very small and so everything in this park looked huge and magical to me," recalled Moy. "Things change. My parents are much older, I’m not so small anymore but some things stay the same. And that is that this park is still magical."

Moy went on to talk about the first quarter release ceremony of the America the Beautiful Program held at Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas in April, but quickly switched gears back to Yellowstone.

"As I was coming here Old Faithful was erupting and for me, whose been to many coin launches, that gives a whole new meaning to a coin launch. So thank you Old Faithful!" joked Moy.

Details of the America the Beautiful Quarters Program were then discussed by Moy including the legislation behind the series and the design work that goes into it. Before closing, Moy tied the quarter program back to the sites they honor and specifically Yellowstone itself:

"When Americans pull this coin out of their pockets, some will remember fond memories of their family vacation in Yellowstone, others will be inspired to visit Yellowstone to create new memories," commented Moy. "Many Americans will make the connection to their rich history as a Nation and the extraordinary natural resources of Wyoming."

With the close of the ceremony, children aged eighteen and under were given a new Yellowstone National Park Quarter for free just for attending. Adults were allowed to line-up to exchange cash for rolls of the new strikes, just as has been done at other recent coin ceremonies.

Of course, today was not the first day in which the Yellowstone Quarters were obtainable by the public. The Federal Reserve has had them available for distribution since Tuesday, June 1. That same day, the Mint started offering two-roll sets and 100-coin bags of circulation quality Yellowstone Quarters on its website and via the toll-free number of 1-800-USA-Mint.

The new quarter reverse, designed and sculpted by Don Everhart, features Old Faithful with a mature bull bison in the foreground and another toward the geyser. Inscriptions included are YELLOWSTONE, WYOMING, 2010 and E PLURIBUS UNUM."

The next America the Beautiful coin for issue is the Yosemite National Park Quarter which will premier near the end of July. Two more strikes will follow, including the Grand Canyon National Park Quarter in September and the Mount Hood National Forest Quarter in November. (See the National Park quarter release dates.)

This summer the US Mint will also introduce the America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coins. These are duplicates of the quarters, but weigh five ounces, have a diameter of 3 inches, and are composed of .999 fine silver.

Silver sets have been available from the US Mint since 1992. It was not until 2004, however, that the Mint began creating one to feature only the quarter-dollars issued for a year.

Included in this year’s set are the following five coins:

• Hot Springs National Park Quarter
• Yellowstone National Park Quarter
• Yosemite National Park Quarter
• Grand Canyon National Park Quarter
• Mount Hood National Forest Quarter

These strikes represent locations found in the states of Arkansas, Wyoming, California, Arizona and Oregon, respectively.

As of this set’s release, only one of the coins represented in it is available in general circulation – the Hot Springs strike. It made its debut back on April 20th. The next coin to find its way into circulation will be the Yellowstone Quarter with a release ceremony scheduled for June 3rd.

Of course, the coins found in this set are quite different from the circulation quality strikes. Obviously, and most importantly, each coin in the set is struck from 90% silver. When added together, the five coins of the set total 0.904 troy ounces of silver giving the set an intrinsic value alone of over $16 based on today’s silver spot.

Also, each coin of the set is struck to proof quality. To complete this process, the Mint starts off with coin blanks that are treated, polished and cleaned. These special blanks are then fed into the Mint’s presses which are fitted with specially polished dies. Each coin is then struck at least twice to insure a good impression.

The result of this process are coins that feature an intricate level of detail not usually seen on the average circulation quality piece. Also, proof coins show a mirror-like background adding to the eye appeal of each strike.

The America the Beautiful Quarters Silver Proof Set sells for $32.95, plus the Mint’s standard shipping and handling charge of $4.95 per order.

To place an order, visit the Mint’s website found at www.usmint.gov, or call the toll-free number 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468).

The event will be held behind the Old Faithful Inn, which was designated a National Historic Landmark from Wyoming in 1987 and celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2004.

More importantly for the ceremony, the inn is within viewing distance of Old Faithful Geyser — the same geyser depicted with two bison on the reverse side of the Yellowstone quarter.

U.S. Mint Director Edmund Moy is expected to launch the new quarter-dollar in front of a crowd who will later exchange cash for rolls of the coins. As has been traditional at official releases, those 18 years old and younger will receive a new quarter for free to commemorate the event.

The 40-coin rolls for exchange will be circulation-quality strikes from the Mint’s Denver facility. While roll limits are generally in place, the levels available per person are usually dictated by the amount of people and their willingness to stand in lines for multiple passes.

For those who can not attend the event and are interested, a live web cast will be available at http://www.americathebeautifulquarters.gov. Additionally, rolls and bags of the quarters from both Denver and Philadelphia can be ordered directly from the US Mint on June 1, 2010.

The 2010 Yellowstone National Park Quarters are the second coins to be released in the US Mint’s America the Beautiful Quarters™ Program. The new series will celebrate 56 different national parks and sites throughout the U.S. and its territories from 2010 to 2021.

The other three forthcoming 2010 quarters honor Yosemite National Park in California, Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona and Mount Hood National Forest in Oregon. The first ceremonial release honored Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas.

Collectors, or anyone else for that matter, can purchase a set for $14.95. Included within are the following coins that spotlight four national parks and one national forest:

• 2010-S Proof Hot Springs National Park Quarter
• 2010-S Proof Yellowstone National Park Quarter
• 2010-S Proof Yosemite National Park Quarter
• 2010-S Proof Grand Canyon National Park Quarter
• 2010-S Proof Mount Hood National Forest Quarter

The parks and forest are respectively located in the states of Arkansas, Wyoming, California, Arizona and Oregon.

The first time the US Mint sold a quarter-only proof set was in June of 1999, during the 50 State Quarters Program. Back then, the set was priced at $13.95 — $1 cheaper than’s today’s set, and it contained the first five 50 State Quarters proof coins. A quarters proof set has been issued every year since, attesting to their popularity.

The 2010 America the Beautiful Quarters Proof Set has coins with the same composition as the circulating quarters, 8.33% nickel and 91.67% copper. The coins in the set, however, are made with special proof blanks and undergo a unique minting process that gives them sharp detail and creates a mirror-like proof finish.

Each are produced at the San Francisco Mint and bear the "S" mint mark. All are placed in protective lens and inserted into specially designed sleeves. A Certificate of Authenticity signed by United States Mint Director Ed Moy is also included.

As a side note, only the Hot Springs National Park Quarter has been released into circulation as of this time. Collector proof and uncirculated coins coming out prior to their circulating versions is not uncommon.

Another Mint set with the America the Beautiful proof quarters will be the 14-coin 2010 Proof Set that will be released on July 22, 2010. It includes the same exact same quarters, plus proof versions of the four new 2010 Presidential $1 coins, a Native American Dollar, a Kennedy half-dollar, a Roosevelt dime, a Jefferson nickel and a Lincoln "Union Shield" cent. The 14-coin 2010 Proof Set is estimated to cost collectors around $31.95.

Additionally, on May 27, 2010, the Mint will issue the silver version quarters set, entitled the America the Beautiful Quarters Silver Proof Set. These coins are composed of 90% silver and 10% copper. With nearly an ounce of silver in total, they will be priced higher at $32.95.

Customers can purchase the 2010 America the Beautiful Quarters Proof Set directly from the Mint website or by calling its toll-free number at 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468).

There are no order limits in place, and mintage levels are based on demand.

With a crowd estimated at above 1000 individuals, U.S. Mint Director Ed Moy presided over the ceremony which also included National Park Service Midwest Regional Director Ernie Quintana and Hot Springs National Park Superintendent Josie Fernandez.

All were gathered in front of the building which actually appears on the park coin.

Designed by Don Everhart and sculpted by Joseph Menna, the reverse (tails side) of each quarter shows the Hot Springs National Parks headquarters building, complete with a thermal spring fountain in front of it.

Merely a few steps away from the historic location, Moy and his fellow speakers praised not only the Hot Springs Park itself, but also the new quarter-dollar series of which the park is now a part of.

"This has always been a special place, its been a magical place, its been a place of hope and peace and beauty," Director Moy proclaimed at the official release. "That’s what we wanted to capture in the design of the first coin issued under the America the Beautiful Quarters Program from the United States Mint."

"With the launch of the Hot Springs National Park Quarter, a uniquely American journey begins, a journey through coins in celebration of the beauty, history and impact of national sites in every state and territory,"

The obverse of all of the fifty-six coins authorized as part of the America the Beautiful Quarters Program will contain a portrait of the first President of the United States, George Washington. He has been featured on the quarter dollar since 1932. In fact, the current image used is based on that original 1932 design done by artist John Flanagan. It has been updated for today’s circulating coinage by William Cousins.

Once the ceremony was over, those interested in obtaining some of the new coins were allowed to exchange cash for rolls of the strikes. Children who were in attendance were each given a free quarter to commemorate their participation in the event.

Anyone who could not attend the ceremony can still buy quarters bags and rolls directly from the U.S. Mint.

Collectors must now wait until June for the next release of an America the Beautiful coin when the Yellowstone National Park Quarter will debut. It will be followed by the Yosemite National Park Quarter in July, the Grand Canyon National Park Quarter in September and the Mount Hood National Forest Quarter in November.

The final five designs for the four 2010 National Park Quarters and the 2010 National Forest Quarter were recently revealed and now the release dates for them are known as well.

The coins are the first of five in a schedule of 56 for issue in the America the Beautiful Quarters Program, which honors National Parks and National Sites between 2010 to 2021. As such, collectors are generally more interested in when they are released as compared to years ahead when the series is older and well known.

The quarter-dollars will be issued on the following dates:

There is no surprise with the first Hot Springs release, as the coin has been scheduled with a firm launch date for more than a month. They will begin to enter circulation on Monday, April 19, and the United States Mint will offer quarter rolls and bags at noon Eastern Time on the same day through its Web site.

In a bit of a change from many prior coin releases, the Hot Springs ceremonial release will actually occur one day later, on Tuesday, April 20. Tuesday is better for the celebratory launch since it coincides with the 178th anniversary of the park itself.

Finally, there is a potential for the remaining quarter releases to change. The U.S. Mint did not publish the exact dates listed above for the public — its Web site still offers only generic monthly time lines. The Mint instead provided the expected dates to the Federal Reserve which is responsible for distributing coins into circulation.

On the subject, the Federal Reserve information page for this year’s America the Beautiful Quarters currently states:

"Please be aware that the availability dates listed here are estimated dates published by the U.S. Mint and may change.

As a reminder, the Federal Reserve distributes coins to depository institutions to meet transactional demand, without regard to specific design.

An order placed on or after the release of a specific design does not guarantee that any quantity of that design will be used to fill the order."

However, history from past coin releases suggests that the dates are not likely to shift.

This Web site’s page: National Park Quarter Sites and Release Schedule was updated with the available launch dates as well.

The United States Mint today said the Hot Springs National Park Quarter will get an official launch ceremony on Tuesday, April 20, at 10 a.m. Central Time.

The quarter is the first of five for 2010, and the inaugural coin in the U.S. Mint America the Beautiful Quarters™ Program — a series that over 11 years will celebrate 48 National Parks, two U.S. Fish and Wildlife sites, and six U.S. Forest Service sites.

The Arkansas Hot Springs National Park quarter features a reverse design, by Don Everhart, depicting the park’s headquarters building in the background and its historic fountain in the foreground. The National Park Service (NPS) emblem is featured to the right of the headquarter’s door. The design was sculpted by Joseph Menna.

The obverse (heads side) of the quarter remains the same with its depiction of George Washington — based on John Flanagan’s 1932 portrait.

Ceremony, coin exchange, quarter rolls and bags

NPS officials will join U.S. Mint Director Ed Moy at the quarter release ceremony to honor Hot Springs National Park on its 178th anniversary. The event will last less than an hour and will be held at the front of Administration Building.

A coin exchange will immediately follow for anyone interested in swapping cash for $10 rolls of the new quarters with a $100 limit in place.

For those who can not attend the ceremony and do not want to wait for the coins to appear at local banks and in daily change, there is also the opportunity to buy quarter rolls and bags directly from the Mint beginning on the day prior to the ceremony, April 19, at noon Eastern Time.

Mint wrapped two-roll sets are available for a price of $32.95. One roll includes 40 coins with the Philadelphia “P” mint mark and the other roll includes 40 coins with the Denver “D” mint mark.

100-coin bags will also be for sale, listed at $35.95 for quarters struck from either Philadelphia or Denver.

Order may be placed Mint’s Web site at http://www.usmint.gov/catalog, or at the toll-free number, 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468). 

Coin forum

Finally, the Mint also announced that there will be a coin forum on the evening prior (the 19th) to the ceremonial release. The forum, hosted by Director Moy, offers the opportunity for coin collectors and enthusiasts to ask any coinage questions and learn about other new coins set for release in America.

The forum will begin at 5 p.m. Central Time and will be held at the:

Quapaw Bath House
413 Bathhouse Row
Hot Springs, Arkansas, 71901

Hot Springs was first established as a federally controlled location on April 20, 1832, making it the oldest national site and earning it the right as the first to be celebrated in the new quarter series. It is actually the 18th national park, in terms of order. That happened on March 4, 1921, which was the same time it was renamed from Hot Springs Reservation to Hot Springs National Park.

It was only in late March when the Mint first revealed the final five 2010 park quarter designs.

The next four 2010 quarter-dollars will feature reverse design honoring Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, Yosemite National Park in California, Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, and Mount Hood National Forest Site in Oregon.

Hot Springs National Park Quarter rolls and and bags will be released on April 19, 2010, the United States Mint said on Monday.

Although not officially announced, the new coins will also likely be released into circulation on the same day.

Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas is the first to be celebrated in a new 11-year quarter-dollar series, named the America the Beautiful Quarters Program. The program honors National Parks and other National Sites in the US and its Territories at a rate of five per year.

The remaining four sites honored this year include: Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, Yosemite National Park in California, Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona and Mt. Hood National Forest in Oregon. Then through the next 10 years another 51 more quarters will be issued.

As for the first offerings, Hot Springs National Park Two-Roll Quarter Sets includes 80 circulation strike quarters, with one roll containing 40 coins with the Philadelphia "P" mint mark and the other roll with the Denver "D" mint mark. The set is priced at $32.95.

100-coin Hot Springs National Park Quarter Bags contain circulation strikes of the quarters minted in Philadelphia or Denver. Each is priced at $35.95 price.

The two-roll sets are priced at the same level as last year’s quarter rolls while the 100-coin bags have increased in price by $3.

Upon release, orders may be placed directly on the United States Mint Web site at http://www.usmint.gov/, or through their toll free number 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468).

As of this writing, the US Mint has yet to announce the final 2010 quarter designs. Candidate designs in line art form have been available to the public for months.

The United States Mint’s process for creating the new quarter-dollars includes the production of several candidate designs featuring themes for the selected national park or site. These are then submitted to the Secretary of the Interior, the chief executive of the host jurisdiction (State/District of Columbia/Territory), the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA), and the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) for review and comment.

The candidates for the 2010 National Park Quarter Designs have already passed this step, and are at the next phase where the U.S. Mint Director makes the final recommendations to the Secretary of Treasury, who is tasked by the America’s Beautiful National Park Quarters Dollar Coin Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-456) to make the final design selections.

The following includes the park and site quarter candidate designs, in line art form, along with the recommendations made by the CFA and CCAC.

2010 Hot Springs National Park Quarter

Hot Springs Park Quarter Design AR-01 (Click to Enlarge)

Hot Springs Park Quarter Design AR-02 (Click to Enlarge)

Hot Springs Park Quarter Design AR-03 (Click to Enlarge)

Hot Springs Park Quarter Design AR-04 (Click to Enlarge)

For the coin portraying Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas, the CCAC preferred quarter design candidate AR-04 which depicts the doorway of the main park’s building with a fountain in front of it. CCAC members "appreciated the design’s clear imagery, emphasis on water, and incorporation of natural landscape."

The CFA preferred AR-02 which features the doorway of the park’s main building from the 1930s. Members commented on the "simplicity of this design," although they questioned the quality of the drawings they had to review. Members also suggested that the small National Park Service sign to the right of the door be eliminated, believing it would be too small to make out at the scale of the quarter.

2010 Yellowstone National Park Quarter

Yellowstone Park Quarter Design WY-01 (Click to Enlarge)

Yellowstone Park Quarter Design WY-02 (Click to Enlarge)

Yellowstone Park Quarter Design WY-03 (Click to Enlarge)

For the coin portraying Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, the CCAC "strongly" preferred quarter design candidate WY-01. The design depicts a bison or buffalo in front of Old Faithful.

The CFA, on the other hand, disliked all of the designs due to their "poor quality" and selected none. Members approved of featuring Old Faithful, but suggest another depiction.

2010 Yosemite National Park Quarter

Yosemite Park Quarter Design CA-01 (Click to Enlarge)

Yosemite Park Quarter Design CA-02 (Click to Enlarge)

Yosemite Park Quarter Design CA-03 (Click to Enlarge)

Yosemite Park Quarter Design CA-04 (Click to Enlarge)

For the coin portraying Yosemite National Park in California, the CCAC liked quarter design candidate CA-03 which features a view of El Capitan. Committee members "praised the simplicity and ruggedness of the design, and its effective composition."

The CFA selected candidate CA-04, which depicts the Half Dome rock formation. However, members felt more work needed to be done with the artful to give it a more finished look. They recommenced the use of other sources to help in making refinements, like the photographs of Ansel Adams.

2010 Grand Canyon National Park Quarter

Grand Canyon Park Quarter Design AZ-01 (Click to Enlarge)

Grand Canyon Park Quarter Design AZ-02 (Click to Enlarge)

Grand Canyon Park Quarter Design AZ-03 (Click to Enlarge)

Grand Canyon Park Quarter Design AZ-04 (Click to Enlarge)

For the coin portraying Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, the recommended design from both the CCAC and CFA was AZ-01 which features an aerial view of the canyon. The CCAC commented that it, and AZ-04 were "powerful images." They chose the first design for scaling reasons. The CFA had the following to say in a letter to US Mint Director Ed Moy:

"The Commission recommended alternative #1, due the depth of the perspective view, but suggested several modifications. Noting that the foreground scree is given too much dominance in the composition, the Commission members recommended shifting the strong vertical alignment at the center of the coin to the right to emphasize the deep perspective toward the left side of the composition."

2010 Mount Hood National Forest Quarter

Mount Hood Forest Site Quarter Design OR-01 (Click to Enlarge)

Mount Hood Forest Site Quarter Design OR-02 (Click to Enlarge)

Mount Hood Forest Site Quarter Design OR-03 (Click to Enlarge)

Mount Hood Site Forest Quarter Design OR-04 (Click to Enlarge)

For the coin portraying Mount Hood National Forest in Oregon, the CCAC and CFA again agreed on a common design. Chosen was OR-03 which depicts Lost Lake in front of Mount Hood. The CCAC like its "imagery, and for the absence of design elements that would detract from the view of the mountain" while the CFA chose it for its " superior composition and simplicity of elements."