The new Yosemite National Park quarter, third issue of the series, is now in circulation. On Thursday July 29, 2010, the official launch ceremony for the new Yosemite quarter took place at the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center in California. Over a thousand people attended. Speakers included U.S. Mint Director Ed Moy and the Yosemite National Park Superintendent, among others. Children received new quarters, third in the series, featuring El Capitan, the vertical granite cliff, on the reverse.
The series’ first-year 2010 quarters honor some of America’s oldest national parks – Hot Springs, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon and Mount Hood. Add the new Yosemite quarters to your collection, now.
The second issue of the America’s National Park Quarter series, featuring Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, was released by the U.S. Mint on June 1, 2010. The new quarter series of 2010-2021 will honor a national park or historic site in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the 5 U.S. territories.
The reverse design of the 2010 Yellowstone quarter depicts the park’s most famous geyser, Old Faithful, which erupts on average every 91 minutes. An American bison, of which the largest population on public lands resides in Yellowstone, is seen in the foreground. The obverse of the coin bears a smaller restored version of the original George Washington portrait introduced on U.S. quarters in 1932. Add the Yellowstone National Park quarters to your collection today.
Grand Canyon National Park Quarter
The final approved design for the 4th National Park quarter was selected from several candidate designs and announced at a special ceremony in Washington, D.C. on March 24, 2010.
Honoring Arizona’s Grand Canyon National Park, the coin’s reverse features a dramatic view of the Colorado River passing ancient Nankoweap granaries. Around A.D. 500, native Puebloans used these granaries to store food and seeds. Grand Canyon was first named a federally protected site in 1893.
Inscriptions on the coin’s reverse include the site name (GRAND CANYON), its location (ARIZONA), the coin’s year of issue (2010), and the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM. The obverse side features a restored version of the George Washington portrait introduced on U.S. quarters in 1932.
Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Arizona’s Grand Canyon National Park – which was first given federal protection in 1893, and achieved its official status in 1919 – is the 4th site to be honored in the 2010-2021 National Park Quarter series.
Host to an array of activities like hiking, camping, and rafting, the Grand Canyon is an awe-inspiring glimpse into America’s past. About 6 million years ago, the Colorado River began cutting its way through the ground, forming what is now the Grand Canyon – a chasm around 277 miles long and 1 mile deep.
Named one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World, the canyon’s colorful layers provide us with a geologic history of North America. Each year, nearly five million tourists come to view the spectacular and scenic views the Grand Canyon offers.
More information on Grand Canyon National Park.
Mount Hood National Forest quarter
The approved design for the fifth and final 2010 National Park quarter, honoring Mount Hood National Forest in Oregon, was announced on March 24, 2010 at a special ceremony in Washington, D.C.
The reverse of the new 2010 quarter displays a view of Mount Hood with Lost Lake in the foreground. The highest peak in Oregon, Mount Hood is actually a stratovolcano and features 12 different glaciers. It offers year-round skiing, and is the second most-climbed mountain in the world (after Mount Fuji in Japan). Lost Lake at the foot of Mount Hood offers breathtaking views, majestic timber, plentiful wildlife, and high-altitude serenity.
Inscriptions on the coin’s reverse include the site MOUNT HOOD, its location OREGON, the year of issue 2010, and the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM. The obverse or “heads” side of the coin features a smaller restored version of the George Washington portrait introduced on U.S. quarters in 1932.
The Mount Hood quarter, final issue from the first year of the 2010-2021 National Park Quarter series, was preceded by quarters honoring Hot Springs, Yellowstone, Yosemite and Grand Canyon National Parks.
