U.S. Mint art for the top contenders for the Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park quarter design.
Five designs for the reverse of the 2012 Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park quarter were submitted to the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee in the fall of 2010. After viewing the designs, the committee chose the version showing a close-up of the east rift of the Kilauea Volcano. The other four featured native Hawaiian dancers with the volcano in the background. Members felt the version by Charles Vickers showed that the mint was willing to use a modernistic design.
Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park is home to the nation’s first volcano observatory, located on Kilauea. Founded in 1912, the observatory studies earthquakes, volcanic gases and eruptions. Today there are many stations set up to monitor volcanic activity. The data is analyzed and shared with officials – this helps keep islanders safe in the event of eruptions or other natural disasters.
