The United States Mint has had much success with its State Quarter program. Collectors embraced the quarters with enthusiasm. Indeed, with three mints producing them, and five states covered in a year, the normally high mintage quarter had the annual demand spread out. And the art on the reverse often made the quarters aesthetically pleasing. Finally, the United States Mint had moved from repetition of images used, in most cases, for decades, into multiple new and exciting images annually. But, there are only fifty states, and after the 2009 six coin designs celebrating the territories it would have been devastating to the numismatic community if something just as popular had not been started. Indeed, Japan had started its Prefecture series, which is similar to our State Quarter series. Fortunately, the America the Beautiful quarter series came immediately, starting in 2010.
The America the Beautiful series is similar to the State Quarter series in that five states are honored each year by a park or monument. The subject matter is especially appealing, since many beautiful images can easily be used.
The American the Beautiful Quarter Program
Multiple Versions on the Same Quarters.
The America the Beautiful Quarters first began being minted for release in 2010. The Denver and Philadelphia Mints have been charged with the coins intended for circulation. However, there is a twist. The San Francisco Mint also mints coins that are considered circulation coins. This designation is a misnomer. The coins are not intended to circulate. Perhaps the term business strike would be more appropriate, since the only thing special about these coins is that they are sold by the mint, not sent to banks. Oh, they do carry the S mintmark. But, they are sold at a premium in rolls and in bags. The least quantity one can buy from the mint is forty, or ten dollars face value. And, they are not included in the mint sets!
The San Francisco Mint also makes silver quarters, using the same standard as was used prior to 1965. These are minted in proof, but so are the clad quarters. One problem is too many people think the S indicates the coin is proof, but it is not necessarily so. The clad quarters could either be proof or not. However, the silver quarters are proof.
The silver proof quarters are sold as a set, but are also sold as part of a larger proof set.
As desirable as these quarters are, especially the silver quarters, there is a much larger version, allowing one to see details the eye might miss. These are the five Troy ounce fine silver coins. Here, one might think one has found a coin at a wonderful value, but be aware both a proof and a business strike version exists for each quarter. The quarter for sale by the mint is the proof coin, and is rather expensive. The other version only dealers can purchase from the mint. They both bear the denomination of twenty-five cents, but are huge for quarters.
The fine silver quarters are 0.999 pure silver, while the smaller silver quarters are 0.900 silver. Look for the Certificate of Authenticity if you are buying proof coins. And the box should also be included if it has not been sent out for grading.
Since the smaller silver quarters were not intended for circulation, if you would like graded coins they are easily found. Initially, the proof quarters are encased at the mint. This helps preserve them. When a third party grading service becomes involved they may be encased as single coins or as a set. If it is quality at a good price you are after, consider PF-69 grade. The difference is almost twice as much money for PF-70, and it is not that likely you will ever see a difference. In fact, many collectors believe there is no such thing as a perfect coin, so they will not buy a coin graded PF-70.
The List of Quarters
Including Future Quarters
The territories are again being included, but instead of a year with six quarters issued, one is deferred until 2021.
2010 Quarters:
Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Yosemite National Park, California
Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Mt. Hood National Park, Oregon
2011 Quarters:
Gettysburg National Military Park, Pensylvania
Glacier National Park, Montana
Olympic National Park, Washington
Vicksburg Military Park, Mississippi
Chickasaw National Recreation Area, Oklahoma
2012 Quarters:
El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico
Chaco Culture National Historic Park, New Mexico
Acadia National Park, Maine
Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii
Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska
2013 Quarters:
White Mountain National Forest, New Hampshire
Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial, Ohio
Great Basin National Park, Nevada
Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, Maryland
Mount Rushmore National Memorial, South Dakota
2014 Quarters:
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
Arches National Park, Utah
Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado
Everglades National Park, Florida
2015 Quarters:
Homestead National Monument of America, Nebraska
Kisatchie National Forest, Louisiana
Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina
Bombay Hook National Wildlife Preserve, Delaware
Saratoga National Historic Park, New York
2016 Quarters:
Shawnee National Forest, Illinois
Cumberland Gap National Historic Park, Kentucky
Harpers Ferry National Historic Park, West Virginia’
Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota
Fort Moultrie/Fort Sumter National Monument, South Dakota
2017 Quarters:
Effigy Mounds National Monument, Iowa
Frederick Douglas National Historic District, District of Columbia
Ellis Island National Monument/Statue of Liberty, New Jersey
George rogers Clark National Historic Park, Indiana
2018 Quarters:
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Wisconsin
Voyageus National Park, Minnesota
Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia
Black Island National wildlife efuge, Rhode Island
2019 Quarters:
Lowell National Historic Park, Massachusettes
American Memorial Park, Northern Mariana Islands
War in the Pacific National Historical Park, Guam
San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, Texas
Frank, Church River of No Return, wilderness, Idaho
2020 Quarters:
National Park of American Samoa, American Samoa
Weir Farm National Historic site, Connecticut
Salt River Bay National Historic Park and Ecological Preserve, U. S. Virgin Islands
Marsh-Billings-Rockerfeller National Historical Park, Vermont
Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, Kansas
2021 Quarter:
Tuskege Airmen National Historic Site, Alabama
