Shenandoah National Park Quarters make their way into circulation beginning on March 31, 2014.
These quarters are also in six new products from the United States Mint that debut on that same day, and they include rolls and bags of the coins.
Featuring a reverse design emblematic of Shenandoah National Park of Virginia, the 25-cent pieces are the second issue from the America the Beautiful Quarters® Program to appear in 2014 and the twenty-second overall.
On March 3, the new quarters launch into circulation via Federal Reserve Banks that fulfill orders from local financial institutions around the country. It will, however, take time to find them in pocket-change. Those wanting to quickly get the new coins will want to consider other options like attending the release ceremony and coin exchange discussed further below, or buying them straight from the U.S. Mint.
The six products with circulation quality Shenandoah National Park Quarters are struck at one of three U.S. Mint facilities that include Philadelphia, Denver and San Francisco. Products and their listed prices are:
- Shenandoah Quarters in Three-Roll Sets, (40 P, 40 D, & 40 S), for $46.95
- Shenandoah Quarters in Two-Roll Sets, (40 P & 40 D), for $32.95
- Shenandoah Quarters in 40-Coin Rolls, San Francisco, for $18.95
- Shenandoah Quarters in 100-Coin Bag, San Francisco, for $34.95
- Shenandoah Quarters in 100-Coin Bag, Philadelphia, for $34.95
- Shenandoah Quarters in 100-Coin Bag, Denver, for $34.95
The reverse of each coin has a design emblematic of the honored location, in this case, Shenandoah National Park. United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Phebe Hemphill designed and executed the image which depicts a day hiker taking in the view from Little Stony Man summit. Reverse inscriptions include SHENANDOAH, VIRGINIA, 2014, and E PLURIBUS UNUM.
As mentioned, Shenandoah quarters are the second design to appear this year. In January, coins depicting Great Smoky Mountains National Park were released. Arches National Park of Utah, Great Sand Dunes National Park of Colorado and Everglades National Park of Florida will all be honored on subsequent program coins issued in intervals later this year.
John Flanagan’s portrait of George Washington, the first President of the United States, appears on the obverse of all program coins. Inscriptions surrounding the portrait include UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST and QUARTER DOLLAR.
Ordering Rolls and Bags
Rolls and bags of Shenandoah National Park Quarters may be ordered directly from the United States Mint website at www.usmint.gov, or by phone, at 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468). New products are typically available beginning at Noon (Eastern) on their day of release.
While Philadelphia and Denver struck quarters may eventually get discovered in circulation, it is highly unlikely the coins from San Francisco will. These are produced in circulation quality by the U.S. Mint’s facility in San Francisco solely for inclusion in numismatic products such as the rolls and bags.
Additional Products with Shenandoah Quarters
Rolls and bags of Shenandoah quarters are not the only U.S. Mint products to include them. Several others have them in varying finishes. Some of those products include:
- 2014 America the Beautiful Quarters Proof Set for $14.95 (released on January 7, 2014)
- 2014 America the Beautiful Quarters Silver Proof Set for $31.95 (released on January 21, 2014)
- 2014 United States Mint Proof Set for $31.95 (released on March 25, 2014)
- 2014 United States Mint Uncirculated Coin Set for $16.95 (scheduled for release in May)
- 2014 United States Mint Silver Proof Set for $53.95 (scheduled for release in May)
2014 Shenandoah Five Ounce Silver Bullion Coins and 2014 Shenandoah Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coins are also issued by the United States Mint. Both are struck from five ounces of .999 fine silver and have a diameter of three inches.
These two five ounce silver coins have the same basic imagery as their smaller quarter-dollar counterpart. When issued, the bullion coins are sold through the Mint’s network of authorized purchasers for a small premium above the current spot price of the five ounces of silver. The uncirculated coins will get sold directly by the U.S. Mint to the public. Those have a scheduled release date of May 15, 2014.
Official Public Release Ceremony for Shenandoah Quarter
A public release ceremony for the Shenandoah National Park Quarter has been scheduled for April 4, 2014 at 10 a.m. ET. Open and free to the public, the location of the ceremony is:
Skyline High School
151 Skyline Vista Drive
Front Royal, Virginia 22630
Following the release ceremony, a coin exchange will be held. Attendees will be offered the opportunity to exchange cash for rolls of Shenandoah quarters.
A free coin forum is scheduled for the previous night, April 3, 2014. At the forum, U.S. Mint officials will be available to answer questions from the public. The location of the coin forum is at:
Rappahannock County Library
4 Library Road
Washington, VA 22747
The coin forum will begin at 5:30 p.m. ET. Forums generally last about an hour.