President Bush today signed into law legislation authorizing a new multi-year coin series of National Park Quarters and super-sized five ounce silver coins beginning in 2010.
No longer. The year will now mark the launch of a new series of coins to "provide for a program for circulating quarter dollar coins that are emblematic of a national park or other national site in each State, the District of Columbia, and each territory of the United States." A list of parks shows the potential for a very broad scope of designs.
Last week another commemorative national park quarters bill called S.3290 was brought before the Senate. It reads almost exactly like the first one (S.3214) that was introduced less than a month earlier.
The new one has some extra phrases that clarify certain sections in the bill, but most of the changes are barely noticeable. The purpose is the same — to create commemorative national park or site quarters in each state, D.C. and U.S. Territory starting in 2010.
The silver bullion coin section — the portion that permits a collector version of park quarters — does stands out. The older legislation has the silver weight at 5 ounces with a diameter of 3 inches — that is unique by itself for US coinage. (US bullion coins have been one ounce at most.) The newest proposal has increased the weight to a much larger 8 ounces. More on this in an upcoming post.
It’s hard to say why the old bill wasn’t updated. It was already very similar to the House of Representatives version (H.R.6184) that passed on July 9.
S.3290 does show continuing support for park quarters in the Senate and stronger evidence a quarter bill will become law.
The latest information about National Park Quarters, the U.S. Mint series of 2010-2021 America the Beautiful Quarters that commemorate national parks and other national sites throughout the U.S. and its territories.