The first coin issued in 2013 for the US Mint’s America the Beautiful Quarters® Program was the White Mountain National Forest Quarter honoring the forest in New Hampshire. It is the sixteenth quarter overall in the series that began in 2010 and it was released on January 28, 2013.
For a limited time, the U.S. Mint (www.usmint.gov) offers rolls and bags of the coins in circulating qualities from Denver, Philadelphia and San Francisco. It also offers proof and uncirculated qualities collectors enjoy. These latter offerings come within several U.S. Mint products that have release dates spread throughout 2013.
Several quarter design candidates were reviewed by the Citizen’s Coinage Advisory Committee and the United States Commission of Fine Arts. Having reviewed the recommendations from the CCAC and CFA and consulted with at least the Secretary of the Interior, U.S. Treasury Secretary Geithner selected the final reverse design for the White Mountain National Forest Quarter.
That design, created by Phebe Hemphill and is shown in the quarter image above, features Mt. Chocorua. It is the easternmost peak of the Sandwich Range. The view is framed by birch trees. Inscriptions are WHITE MOUNTAIN, NEW HAMPSHIRE, 2013 and E PLURIBUS UNUM.
The reverse design is joined by a common obverse of George Washington as dictated by the program’s authorizing legislation. The image of the first President of the United States is included on all of the America the Beautiful Quarters and was designed by John Flanagan.
Following the White Mountain National Forest Quarter are the four other 2013-dated coins, including the Ohio Perry Victory and International Peace Memorial Quarter (April 1, 2013), the Nevada Great Basin National Park Quarter (June 10, 2013), the Maryland Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine Quarter (August 26, 2013) and the South Dakota Mount Rushmore National Memorial Quarter (November 4, 2013).
White Mountain National Forest information
White Mountain National Forest was established in 1918, and mostly lies in the state of New Hampshire, with a small portion found in Maine. It contains almost 800,000 acres of land and is one of the most visited national forests in the country as it is within driving distance of many of the major cities on the east coast.
This national forest is also home to a 100 mile stretch of the Appalachian Trial, and offers other recreational activities like camping and skiing. With the multitude of activities, and its close location to over 60 million people it is no wonder why White Mountain National Forest has around 6 million visitors per year.
Also located in White Mountain National Forest are five federally protected wilderness areas. These areas are protected from a majority of the logging and other commercial activities, but are still open for visitation and recreational use. Mount Washington, the highest peak north of the Smoky Mountains and east of the Mississippi, can also be found in White Mountain National Forest.