January 30, 2017 – 12:04 pm
Candidate designs for the Effigy Mounds National Monument Quarter
The Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC), Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) and representatives of Effigy Mounds National Monument in Iowa considered a large number of candidate designs for the reverse of the 2017 Effigy Mounds quarter. The portrayal of the animal-shaped mounds on a coin presented a considerable challenge, and the U.S. Mint’s first round of design proposals brought requests for revisions as well as for additional new submissions.
Many of the candidate designs featured birds-eye views of the animal-shaped mounds – which were created by Native American tribes from about 500 B.C. until European settlement in the area began during the 17th century. Effigy Mounds National Monument in northeastern Iowa preserves 206 Native American mounds, of which 31 are effigies in the shape of bears and birds. Some of the effigy mounds were built to a mammoth scale. The site’s signature Marching Bear Group, consisting of ten bear-shaped and three bird-shaped mounds, stretches for nearly a quarter of a mile along a bluff overlooking the Upper Mississippi River.
After receiving design recommendations from the CCAC, CFA and representatives of the Effigy Mounds National Monument, the secretary of the Treasury will make the final design decision.
January 25, 2017 – 12:26 pm
Effigy Mounds National Monument
Comprising over 2,500 acres in northeastern Iowa, Effigy Mounds National Monument has preserved more than 200 earthen mounds created by Native American tribes from about 500 B.C. until the 18th century, the time of European settlement in the area. Many of the mysterious mounds are effigies (images) of animals – most commonly bears and birds – and are considered sacred to numerous area Indian tribes.
The meaning or purpose of the effigy mounds has not been conclusively determined. Certain Indian legends suggest the mounds are ceremonial or religious sites. Some archeologists and historians believe the mounds were territorial markers or tribal boundaries. Others think the mounds delineated choice gathering and hunting grounds, or honored spirits for providing the fertility and bounty of the area.
Effigy Mounds National Monument is located in one of the most picturesque sections of the Upper Mississippi River Valley, featuring forests, bluffs, tallgrass prairies, wetlands and rivers. The area is home to a wide diversity of flora and fauna which helped shape the lifestyle and beliefs of the mound building peoples. The monument’s most famous feature is the Marching Bear Group, consisting of ten bear-shaped mounds and stretching nearly a quarter of a mile along the top of a bluff overlooking the Upper Mississippi River.
More information on Effigy Mounds National Monument.
November 18, 2016 – 7:07 am
The new Fort Moultrie (Fort Sumter National Monument) quarter, 35th issue of the series and the fifth design for 2016, is now in circulation. On November 17, 2016, the official launch ceremony for the new Fort Moultrie quarter took place in the park’s Visitor Center, which is located on Sullivan’s Island in South Carolina.
After the ceremony, a coin exchange was held where attendees were able to get $10 rolls of the new quarters at face value. This issue features a sergeant returning the regimental flag to the ramparts, as a British ship attacks in the distance. Add the new Fort Moultrie quarters to your collection now.
September 7, 2016 – 9:53 am
The new Theodore Roosevelt National Park quarter, fourth issue of 2016 and 34th in the series, was celebrated during the launch ceremony on August 25th and released for general circulation on the 29th. The special event coincides with the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, which has watched over our parks since August 25, 1916.
Painted Canyon Visitor Center is located near the town of Medora, North Dakota. It is part of the park’s South Unit (the park has 3 units: the South Unit, the North Unit and Elkhorn Ranch).
Children received new quarters, featuring Teddy Roosevelt on horseback near the Little Missouri River in the park. The 2016 series quarters honor some of America’s more scenic parks – Shawnee, Cumberland Gap, Harpers Ferry, Fort Moultrie (Fort Sumter) and, now with this release, Theodore Roosevelt. Update your collection today with new Theodore Roosevelt National Park Quarters.
August 2, 2016 – 10:05 am
Fort Moultrie (Fort Sumter National Monument) quarter design
On July 22, 2015, the U.S. Mint announced the final design for the Fort Moultrie, also known as Fort Sumter National Monument, quarters. The reverse shows a sergeant returning the regimental flag to the ramparts, as a British ship attacks in the distance.
The inscriptions on the coin’s reverse include the name of the site, fort moultrie; the location of the site, south carolina; the year of issue, 2016; and the motto, e pluribus unum.
This handsome quarter is a perfect match for the 2000 Statehood quarter, which also featured South Carolina, the park’s home state. As the 35th in the series overall, the Fort Moultrie quarter is the final issue for this year.
