The new War in the Pacific National Historical Park quarter, 48th issue of the series and the third design for 2019, is now in circulation. On May 3, 2019, the official launch ceremony for the new quarter design took place at the Asan Beach Unit, which is located in Asan, Guam.
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 shows American forces landing at Asan Bay. These troops strengthened the number available to fight for the liberation of Guam. Add the new War in the Pacific National Historical Park quarters to your collection now.
Candidate designs for the 2019 Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness quarter
During
September 2017, the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) and the Citizens
Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) reviewed 21 design proposals for
the reverse of the new 2019 Frank Church River of No Return quarter.
This coin will be the 50th
issue of the 2010-2021 National Park Quarter Series, featuring the
largest contiguous wilderness area in the lower 48 states and
containing steep rugged mountains, deep canyons, wild whitewater
rivers and coniferous forests.
The
CFA recommended design #4 depicting a pair of wolves about to cross a
river, with trees on a rocky slope and steep cliffs bordering the
river beyond. This design was also preferred by officials of the
Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness. The CCAC recommended
design #5a depicting a wolf howling against tall conifer trees and a
star-filled sky. Additional design proposals included river canyon
views, boats and rafts on a river and a variety of other images
depicting wolves in the wilderness.
After
consideration of the recommendations by the CFA, CCAC and wilderness
officials, the U.S. Mint submitted a selection of favored designs to
the Secretary of the Treasury – who will choose the final design
for the reverse of the 2019 Frank Church River of No Return quarter.
Encompassing over 2.3 million acres, the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness in central Idaho is the largest contiguous wilderness area in the lower 48 states. It contains steep rugged mountains, deep canyons, wild whitewater rivers and coniferous forests. The Salmon River Mountains are the most massive range, followed by the Clearwater Mountains and Bighorn Crags, and the Salmon River Canyon is deeper than the Grand Canyon. However, in contrast to the sheer walls of the Grand Canyon, the Salmon River Canyon features a wide variety of landscapes including wooded ridges, bluffs, rock towers, slides and solitary crags.
The name of the wilderness has two roots. The Main Salmon River, popular for whitewater rafting, was called “the River of No Return” because non-motorized boats could navigate downriver but not upstream through the swift current and numerous rapids. “Frank Church” was added to the name of the wilderness in 1984 to honor the late Idaho senator’s leading role in legislation to preserve wilderness areas and rivers in his home state and throughout the country. To learn more about the area, visit Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness.
On August 14, 2018, the U.S. Mint announced the final design for the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park quarter at the American Numismatic Association’s World’s Fair of Money in Philadelphia.
The reverse shows elements of the Spanish Colonial Real coin used to pay tribute to the missions. Within the quadrants are symbols of the missions: wheat for farming; the arches and bell for community; a lion representing Spanish cultural heritage, and a symbol of the San Antonio River representing irrigation methods and life-sustaining resources. The inscriptions on the coin’s reverse include the name and location of the site: San Antonio, Texas; the year of issue: 2019, and the motto: e pluribus unum.
This handsome quarter is a perfect match for the 2000 Statehood quarter, which also featured Texas, the park’s home state. 49th in the series overall, the San Antonio Missions quarter will be followed by a design honoring the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness in Idaho.
The U.S. Mint commissioned its artists to create candidate designs for the San Antonio Missions quarter; 15 were reviewed for accuracy, edited, finalized and presented to the Mint in September 2017.
Among those 15 designs, five featured mission bell towers. Three proposals made a bell the central focus of the coin’s reverse. Two designs emphasized architectural details. Six included water symbols in a nod to Piedras Creek which flowed along an aqueduct to irrigate Mission San Francisco de Espada’s farmland. One design illustrated a figure hoeing the ground with cattle in the background.
Candidate Designs for new 2019 San Antonio Missions National Historical Park Quarter
This program celebrates revered sites and locations preserved by the U.S. Government for their natural, historical, cultural, or recreational significance.
