2016 Shawnee Quarters for Illinois in Rolls and Bags

Shawnee National Forest Quarters debut on Monday, February 1, 2016. The first 2016-dated release from the U.S. Mint’s America the Beautiful Quarters® Program will be available in packaged roll and bag options.

Shawnee National Forest Quarter in rolls and bags
Rolls and bags of Shawnee National Forest Quarters go on sale on February 1, 2016

These new quarters were produced at three different U.S. Mint plants with buyers having the choice of which minting facility’s product to purchase. All the quarters are circulation quality but they have never actually been released into circulation.

Five new quarter dollars are issued in the America the Beautiful series per year, each honoring a national park, national forest or other national site. (See the list of national sites honored.) The series began in 2010 and will run through 2021.

Rolls and Bags

Options available for the Shawnee quarter include single rolls, two-roll sets, three-roll sets and 100-coin bags. The chart below shows the choices and prices, including which minting facility the coins were produced at — "S" for the San Francisco Mint, "D" for the Denver Mint and "P" for the Philadelphia Mint.

PRODUCT OPTION MINT MARK PRICE
Single Roll of 40 coins "S" $18.95
100-Coin Bag "P," "D," or "S" $34.95
Two-Roll Set, 40 coins per roll "P" and "D" $32.95
Three-Roll Set, 40 coins per roll "P," "D," and "S" $46.95

Pricing remains unchanged from last year’s America the Beautiful Quarter releases.

Of note, Philadelphia and Denver minting facilities also produce quarters for general circulation. The San Francisco circulation quality quarters, however, are only sold for numismatic interests. In rare cases, some S quarter are found in pocket change but only because collectors used them.

Designs on Shawnee National Forest  Quarters

Design details for the 2016-dated quarters were unveiled by the U.S. Mint back in July of 2015. United States Mint Artistic Infusion Program (AIP) artist Justin Kunz designed the image found on the reverse (tails side) of the quarter emblematic of Shawnee National Forest, and it was engraved by United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Jim Licaretz.

Shawnee National Forest Quarter
Illinois’s Shawnee National Forest Quarter

The image depicts Camel Rock with natural vegetation in the foreground and a red-tailed hawk soaring in the sky overhead. Inscriptions surrounding the design include "SHAWNEE," "ILLINOIS," "2016," and "E PLURIBUS UNUM."

All quarters offer the same basic obverse (heads side) portrait of George Washington, the first President of the United States. The effigy was originally designed by John Flanagan and has appeared with minor variations on every quarter-dollar issued by the U.S. Mint since 1932. Obverse inscriptions include "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA," "LIBERTY," "IN GOD WE TRUST," and "QUARTER DOLLAR."

Ordering

Orders for the rolls and bags of Shawnee National Forest Quarters may be placed directly from the United States Mint upon release. The Mint’s dedicated page for quarters is found here. Call in orders at 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468).

Official Release Ceremony

An official release ceremony for the Shawnee National Forest Quarter is scheduled for Thursday, February 4, 2016 at 10 A.M. (central time) at:

Southeastern Illinois College
Deaton Gymnasium
3575 College Road
Harrisburg, IL 62946

Several dignitaries will be in attendance with a coin exchange to follow. At the exchange, attendees will be able to purchase rolls of the new Shawnee Quarter at face value.

The previous night, a coin forum will be held from 5-6 P.M. (central time) at the Shawnee National Forest Headquarters, 50 Highway 145 South, Harrisburg, IL 62946. Guests will be able to ask questions of U.S. Mint officials about U.S. Mint coin programs and operations.

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