United States Mint and National Park Service Launch Quarter Honoring Yellowstone National Park

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. -- The United States Mint and National Park Service launched the second coin in the United States Mint America the Beautiful Quarters Program today near the iconic Old Faithful geyser in scenic Yellowstone National Park.

"When Americans pull this coin out of their pockets, some will remember fond memories of their family vacation in Yellowstone, others will be inspired to visit Yellowstone to create new memories," said United States Mint Director Ed Moy. "Many Americans will make the connection to their rich history as a nation and the extraordinary natural resources of Wyoming."

Moy and Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Suzanne Lewis co-hosted the event, with park Public Affairs Officer Al Nash serving as master of ceremonies. Noted Yellowstone historian and author Paul Schullery was a special guest speaker. At the conclusion of the ceremony, members of the public attending the event exchanged their paper currency for rolls of the new Yellowstone National Park quarters at face value, while children 18 and younger received one of the new Yellowstone National Park quarters as a memento.

"We are excited to be able to kick off the summer visitor season with the debut of this quarter," said Superintendent Suzanne Lewis. "The images depicted on the coin of a bison and Old Faithful offer a sense of the special nature of Yellowstone."

The America the Beautiful Quarters Program is a multi-year initiative to honor 56 national parks and other national sites in each state, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories. Each year through 2020, the United States Mint will issue five new quarters in the order in which the honored site was first established as a national site. One final coin will be released in 2021.

Quarters bearing the Yellowstone National Park design were released into circulation on June 1. The reverse (tails side) design features the Old Faithful geyser with a mature bull bison in the foreground. The design includes the inscriptions YELLOWSTONE, WYOMING, 2010 and E PLURIBUS UNUM. The obverse (heads) design features the 1932 portrait of George Washington by John Flanagan, which was restored to bring out subtle details and the beauty of the original model. The obverse inscriptions are UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST and QUARTER DOLLAR.

The Yellowstone National Park quarter is currently available in a two-roll set priced at $32.95 and 100-coin bags priced at $35.95 each. To place orders or for more information, visit http://www.usmint.gov/catalog or call 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468). Hearing- and speech-impaired customers with TTY equipment may call 1-888-321 MINT (6468).

New lesson plans based on the America the Beautiful Quarters Program are also available. Created and reviewed by teachers to meet national curricular standards, the plans draw on the new quarter reverse designs to inspire students to learn about the culture, geography and unique heritage and natural beauty of our national parks and sites. For more information about America the Beautiful Quarters Program educational resources, visit http://www.usmint.gov.

Digital images of the Yellowstone National Park quarter are available at http://www.usmint.gov/pressroom/?action=Photo#AmericaTheBeautiful.

For more information on the America the Beautiful Quarters Program, visit http://www.americathebeautifulquarters.gov.

Established in 1872, Yellowstone National Park is the world’s first national park. Located in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, it is home to a large variety of wildlife including grizzly bears, wolves, bison, and elk. Preserved within Yellowstone are Old Faithful and a collection of the world's most extraordinary geysers and hot springs, and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

More information about Yellowstone National Park can be found at http://www.nps.gov/yell/index.htm.

The United States Mint, created by Congress in 1792, is the Nation’s sole manufacturer of legal tender coinage. Its primary mission is to produce an adequate volume of circulating coinage for the Nation to conduct its trade and commerce. The United States Mint also produces proof, uncirculated and commemorative coins; Congressional Gold Medals; and silver, gold and platinum bullion coins.