The U.S. Mint announced the final design for the reverse of the 2019 Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness quarter on August 14, 2018 at the American Numismatic Association’s World’s Fair of Money in Philadelphia. Featuring the 5th and final new National Park quarter design for 2019, the River of No Return quarter will depict a piloted drift boat in river rapids surrounded by conifer trees, rock formations and steep canyon slopes. Designed by Emily Damstra of the U.S. Mint’s Artistic Infusion Program, the reverse also bears the inscriptions river of no return, wilderness, idaho, 2019 and e pluribus unum.
The Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness in central Idaho is the largest contiguous wilderness area in the lower 48 states. It contains rugged mountains, deep canyons, whitewater rivers and coniferous forests. The Salmon River Mountains are the largest range and the Salmon River Canyon is deeper than the Grand Canyon. Popular for whitewater rafting, the Main Salmon River became known as “the river of no return” because non-motorized boats could navigate downstream by not upstream because of swift currents and rapids. “Frank Church” was added to the wilderness name in 1984 to honor a late Idaho senator for his leading role in the preservation of wilderness areas and rivers in Idaho and throughout the country.
