November 22, 2010 – 11:09 am
Avalanche Lake, Montana
Located in Montana and covering over 1 million acres, Glacier National Park offers a combination of glacier-carved mountains, deep lakes, abundant wildlife, and active glaciers. Through the efforts of conservationists and George Grinnell, in 1897 the area became protected, and a national park in 1910. It will be featured on the 2011 National Park quarters, as the second release of the year (7th in the series).
As one of the most popular of the park’s 700 trails, the Grinnell Glacier Trail takes hikers to the turquoise-blue lower Grinnell Lake, below Grinnell Glacier. In the mid-1800s, the park held about 150 glaciers, but today just 25 active ones still exist.
The Native American Blackfeet tribe lived in the park regions for centuries, prior to Europeans. In 1896, the Blackfeet sold what would become Glacier National Park to the U.S. government for $1.5 million. One of the most popular ways to see the park is the Going to the Sun Road, a 53-mile road that crosses its width. This iconic road was shown in the 1980s classic The Shining, and 1994’s Forrest Gump.
More information on Glacier National Park.
November 19, 2010 – 10:16 pm
U.S. Mint art for the top contenders for the Gettysburg quarter design.
Four candidate designs for the reverse of the first 2011 National Park quarter were submitted to the U.S. Treasury, the Commission of Fine Arts, and the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee for consideration. Scheduled for release in early 2011, the sixth coin in the series will honor Gettysburg National Military Park.
All four proposed designs feature a different monument in the park. The first features the 72nd Pennsylvania Infantry Monument, while the second shows the Eternal Light Peace Memorial. Design three pays tribute to the Soldiers’ National Monument. And design four shows the Lincoln Speech Memorial, with a couple reading the Gettysburg Address.
The Commission of Fine Arts recommended the version depicting the Soldiers’ National Monument, stating that as the simplest design, it would reproduce the best. The Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee selected the first design, showing the 72nd Pennsylvania Infantry Monument. The final decision will be made by the Secretary of the United States Treasury.
These designs were created to honor the historic Battle of Gettysburg, and the National Military Park, established in 1895.
November 19, 2010 – 10:07 pm
Gettysburg Memorial Monument, Pennsylvania
Located in south-central Pennsylvania, Gettysburg National Military Park honors the soldiers who fought in the battle that history remembers as the turning point of the Civil War. Named a federally protected site in 1895, Gettysburg is the sixth site featured in the 2010-2021 National Park Quarter series.
From July 1-3, 1863, Union and Confederate forces met in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. By the battle’s end, about 51,000 casualties (out of the 165,000 soldiers who fought) were recorded – the most losses in a single Civil War conflict. Almost immediately after the Battle of Gettysburg, work was started to preserve the site. And on November 19, 1863, President Lincoln delivered his famed Gettysburg Address at the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery.
Today, nearly 1,400 statues, markers and monuments stand throughout Gettysburg, honoring both Union and Confederate soldiers. The park is maintained and dedicated to all who fought in that fateful battle, and to America as a united country.
More information on Gettysburg National Military Park.
November 18, 2010 – 10:46 am
The 5th and final 2010 issue of the America’s National Park Quarters series, featuring Mount Hood National Forest in Oregon, was released by the U.S. Mint on November 15, 2010. The new 2010-2021 quarter series is honoring a national park or historic site in each of the 50 states, D.C. and the 5 U.S. territories.
The reverse design of the 2010 Mount Hood quarter features a majestic view of Oregon’s highest mountain, with scenic Lost Lake in the foreground. The obverse bears a smaller restored version of the original George Washington portrait introduced on U.S. quarters in 1932. Add the new Mount Hood Quarters to your collection.
September 14, 2010 – 9:54 am
The 4th issue of the America’s National Park commemorative quarter series, featuring Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, is scheduled to be released by the U.S. Mint on September 20, 2010. The new National Park series of 2010-2021 will honor a national park or historic site in each of the 50 states, D.C., and the 5 U.S. territories.
The reverse design of the 2010 Grand Canyon quarter depicts a sweeping view of the Colorado River as it passes ancient granaries of the Nankoweap Delta. The obverse bears a smaller restored version of the original George Washington portrait introduced on U.S. quarters in 1932. Add the new Grand Canyon quarters to your collection.
