Yosemite National Park Quarter
Slated as the third coin to be released in the America the Beautiful Quarters Program is the California 2010 Yosemite National Park Quarter.
While most visitors only see the majestic Yosemite Valley, the park actually encompasses almost three quarters of a million acres. Most of this land has been set aside as designated wilderness. And with all that beauty of Yosemite, there are plenty of design opportunities for the third 2010 quarter-dollar.
A final design has yet to be chosen to honor Yosemite, although several have been created by the United States Mint and offered up for review. (See all four design candidates below.)
The two groups charged with making design recommendations for all US coins have done so for the Yosemite quarter. The United States Commission of Fine Arts as well as the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee released their opinions both choosing a different granite feature of Yosemite Valley to be placed on the 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) |
The Commission of Fine Arts chose design candidate CA-04 which features the Half Dome rock formation but commented that the "artwork appears unfinished and should be further developed."
A view of El Capitan (CA-03) was chosen by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee with members attributing the designs simplicity as a major factor.
The final design as well as a release date for the Yosemite Quarter will be issued later by the Mint.
Yosemite National Park Information
Millions of years of nature at work is responsible for the scenery of Yosemite National Park. Not wanting this to be spoiled by the intrusion of man, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Grant in 1864.
This legislation, while filled with good intentions, did little to protect the area at first. Left under the control of the state of California, enterprising individuals were quick to exploit the visitors who came to see the scenery and a dam was even constructed in the Hetch Hetchy Valley area to provide water for San Francisco.
With the persistent pleadings of naturalist John Muir, President Theodore Roosevelt signed legislation bringing control of the area under the federal government. Since then, Yosemite has become a haven of wildlife and a destination for an estimated 3.5 million visitors annually.