The United States Mint will reveal the final designs for the 2010 National Park Quarters at the Newseum Museum in Washington, D.C., on March 24, 2010.
This year’s quarters kick-off the first year of the America the Beautiful Quarters Program, which will feature 56 new designs on the back of the quarter-dollars at a rate of five per year until 2021.
The quarters honor a National Park or National Site in each state, the District of Columbia and the five U.S. Territories.
This year’s quarters will feature one National Site and four National Park themes for:
- Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas,
- Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming,
- Yosemite National Park in California,
- Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, and
- Mount Hood National Forest Site in Oregon.
Nineteen 2010 design candidates for the five quarter-dollars were released to the public late last year. They were reviewed by various entities, to include the the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA), and the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC).
From these nineteen and following recommended changes, five were selected by the Treasury Secretary after consulting with the US Mint Director and receiving his suggestions.
It is these five designs that will be revealed on March 24 at the Newseum at noon EST. Featured speakers at the event will include:
- United States Mint Director Ed Moy
- United States Treasurer, Rosie Rios
- Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar
- Writer and co-producer of The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, Dayton Duncan
The US Mint is releasing Hot Springs National Park quarter rolls on April 19, 2010. The coins will enter general circulation on the same day.
The 2011 quarters will launch at a more normalized pace next year. This year’s quarters are late as a result of a short time frame between the coin legislation getting enacted into law and their release. The 2011 quarters celebrate:
- Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania,
- Glacier National Park Quarter in Montana,
- Olympic National Park in Washington,
- Vicksburg National Military Park in Mississippi, and
- Chickasaw National Recreation Area in Oklahoma.
The final selections for these coin designs should be unveiled in late December or January.