Effigy Mounds National Monument Quarter
The first quarter to be released in 2017 from the US Mint will be the 2017 Effigy Mounds National Monument Quarter honoring the site in Iowa. It also marks the thirty-sixth coin released as part of the Mint’s America the Beautiful Quarters® Program which runs for eleven years from 2010 until 2021.
The program debuted in 2010 with five new quarter dollars. Each subsequent year, an additional five coins will be issued until the final year of 2021 when the last single strike of the series will be released.
After reviewing design candidates for the Effigy Mounds National Monument Quarter, the Treasury Secretary will select the final design. That decision should be made public by the US Mint late in 2016.
Four other quarters will follow the Effigy Mounds National Monument Quarter. They are the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site Quarter, the Ozark National Scenic Riverways Quarter, the Ellis Island National Monument Quarter, and the George Rogers Clark National Historical Park Quarter.
Effigy Mounds National Monument information
The Effigy Mounds, located in the Effigy Mounds National Monument of Iowa, are a group of over 200 mounds that Native Americans hold sacred. These mounds were used for burial, ceremonies and sometimes lodging. There are even 31 mounds that are shaped like reptiles, birds and other mammals where the term "effigy" comes from.
There are three areas that host mounds, and the Sny Magill Unit holds the most with over 100 mounds in that area. However, the North and South Units offer visitor centers and easy access for tourists.
Today, much of the history and meaning behind the mounds has been lost. However, local Native Americans still hold many of the mounds sacred. Effigy Mounds National Monument offers an excellent view of the Mississippi and Wisconsin Rivers. Also located at this national monument is the first place where European settlers made contact with the Natives in the area.