Date: October 1, 2009
The United States Mint today announced the nation will honor 56 national sites to be honored through the United States Mint America the Beautiful Quarters Program. Weir Farm National Historic Site will be featured on Connecticut's quarter in 2020.
In 2010, the first year of the program, the agency will mint commemorative quarter-dollar coins honoring the Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas, Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, Yosemite National Park in California, Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona and Mount Hood National Forest in Oregon.
The complete National Site Registry, which lists all 56 sites to be honored under the program, is available here. The quarters will be issued sequentially each year, in the order in which the featured site was first established as a national park or site.
"These new quarters will honor some of our most revered, treasured and beautiful national sites - majestic and historic places located throughout the United States and its territories that truly make us ‘America the Beautiful,'" United States Mint Director Ed Moy said. "The designs will help reinvigorate interest in our national parks, forests, fish and wildlife refuges, and other national sites, as well as educate the public about their importance to us and our history."
Secretary of the Treasury Timothy F. Geithner approved the list of sites recommended by the United States Mint on August 25, 2009, after consultation with the governor or chief executive of each host jurisdiction and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar.
"The America the Beautiful series demonstrates our nation's commitment to the legacy of conservation while celebrating its natural beauty," said Treasurer of the United States Rosie Rios. "Like other commemorative coins, these quarters will be a valuable addition to the U.S. Mint's collection."
"Since our Nation's founding, our coins have celebrated American ideals such as liberty and justice, our rich history and heritage, and the great Presidents and other leaders who have guided us," Salazar said. "I am pleased that these new quarters will now celebrate America the Beautiful, the spectacular natural wonders that are found in our national parks, wildlife refuges and public lands."
"From Mt. Hood National Forest in Oregon to White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire, America's landscape is blessed with unmatched beauty," U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who oversees the National Forest Service, said. "Our national forests are national treasures and honoring them is an important step in preserving them for future generations."
