Olympic National Park quarter design released

2010 marked the beginning of the America the Beautiful Quarters Program. This program is similar to the state quarters. But instead of states, these quarters feature sites from each state.

In 2010 the first five quarters were released. I haven't personally seen any, but supposedly they are out there. These included designs honoring the Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas), Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming), Yosemite National Park (California), Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona) and Mount Hood National Forest (Oregon).

Today the United States Mint released the design for the Olympic National Park quarter that will be released in 2011. The image is to the right.

The quarter design shows a Roosevelt elk standing in the Hoh River with a view of Mount Olympus behind it.

The other four quarters to be released in 2011 will be designs honoring Gettysburg National Military Park (Pennsylvania), Glacier National Park (Montana), Vicksburg National Military Park (Mississippi) and Chickasaw National Recreation Area (Oklahoma).

According to the United States Mint, the quarters program is a multi-year initiative during which the United States Mint will issue 56 circulating quarter-dollar coins with reverse designs emblematic of a national park or other national site in each state, the District of Columbia and the five U.S. territories – the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

The quarters are being released in the order in which the featured site was first established as a national park or site. The designs will rotate five times each year through 2020, with the final coin being released in 2021.

Washington DC Quarter

I'm a nerd. I'll admit it. I collect coins and enjoy it. And yes, of course I collected all 50 of the commemorative state quarters.

So imagine my surprise when I find a Washington DC themed quarter. Well, apparently since the mints ran out of states to print on the coin, they switched it up to territories.

This comes from the U.S. Mint Web site:

In 2009, the United States Mint will mint and issue six quarter-dollar coins in honor of the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories: the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. These coins will be issued in equal sequential intervals in 2009 in the order listed.

• District of Columbia
• The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
• Guam
• American Samoa
• The U.S. Virgin Islands
• The Northern Mariana Islands

The image of George Washington as seen on the obverse of the 50 State Quarters® coins will remain unchanged.

You can click on each name and a picture will show what the quarter will look like, as well as the reason behind the quarter design.

When I heard that they were making these new quarters, I found this news awesome!

Because I started with the state quarters back in the winter of my eight grade year. It seemed like all 50 would never come out. Then, once Hawaii was released and my collection complete, a little bit of sadness was felt. But now, I have six new quarters to try and find. This is what collecting baseball cards must have felt like back in the day!