The United States Mint released the sixth coin of their America the Beautiful Quarters® Program in late January 2011. So far, they produced a total of 61.2 million circulation strikes of the Gettysburg National Military Park Quarter.
That is a low number, but this is just a preliminary production figure, of course, since the numbers may change again before the final mintage is revealed early next year.
Broken out, the Gettysburg quarters struck at Philadelphia were slightly less than those produced in Denver. It was 30.4 million compared to 30.8 million. At this time, these quarters hold the latest record for having the lowest mintage of any circulating quarter-dollar since 1955. The Yellowstone National Park quarter from Philadelphia with an output of 33.6 million previously held the title for the lowest mintage quarter.
Two events could stimulate more quarter production. First, as the economy grows, more coins will be ordered for transactions. Quarters are produced for Federal Reserve Banks which control levels based on public demand.
The second possibility is an increase of the number of orders for rolls and bags that are sold directly on the Mint’s website and, more probable, bulk orders. For example, the mintage of the Hot Springs Quarter that launched in April 2010 increased a few months later in September as a result of the US Mint’s America the Beautiful Quarters Bulk Purchase Program. Via the program, the Mint allows more coins to be produced after the subsequent design is launched when certain criteria are met. The “Question and Answer” section on the Mint’s web site puts it like this:
“Orders for previously released coins will be accepted as long as unassigned inventory exists. The United States Mint may produce additional coins to satisfy orders throughout the year for the first few designs if time and resources permit; however, there is no guarantee, and orders may be refused. As the end of the calendar year approaches, flexibility in supplying previously released quarters diminishes. Additionally, Federal Reserve Bank orders will take precedence over the bulk purchase orders, which may affect the United States Mint’s ability to fill new orders for previously released coins.”
Therefore, it may be too early to announce that the Gettysburg National Military Park Quarter has the smallest mintage record.
Below is a current chart of the US Mint’s quarter-dollar mintages as of this writing.
National Park Quarter Mintages |
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| Design | Released | Denver | Philadelphia | Total |
| Hot Springs National Park | April 2010 | 34,000,000 | 35,600,000 | 69,600,000 |
| Yellowstone National Park | June 2010 | 34,800,000 | 33,600,000 | 68,400,000 |
| Yosemite National Park | July 2010 | 34,800,000 | 35,200,000 | 70,000,000 |
| Grand Canyon National Park | September 2010 | 35,400,000 | 34,800,000 | 70,200,000 |
| Mount Hood National Forest | November 2010 | 34,400,000 | 34,400,000 | 68,800,000 |
| Gettysburg National Military Park | January 2011 | 30,800,000 | 30,400,000 | 61,200,000 |
| Total | 408,200,000 | |||
The next quarter, honoring Glacier National Park in Montana, will launch in early April 2011.