Gold & Silver Forum - National Park Quarters

Is anyone excited about collecting the proposed National Park Quarter series?

If the bill is passed, quarters would be issued starting in 2010 with designs �emblematic of a national park or other national site in each State, the District of Columbia, and each territory of the United States.� This would result in at least 56 different reverse designs, over 11 years @ 5 coins per year, for the circulating quarter series. There is even a clause in the bill that grants the Treasury Secretary (who has ultimate authority over the U.S. Mint) to mint a second round of national park quarters at his discretion. This means that new national park quarter designs could be coming out every year for 20 years, or until almost 2030.

The U.S. Mint would also have authorization to issue uncirculated, proof and silver versions of each quarter.

The proposal also calls for the production of oversized silver bullion duplicates of each coin. These duplicates would be 3 inches diameter, contain 5 ounces of .999 fine silver, and have edge incused lettering.

As you have probably heard, the 50 States Quarter Program will end this year, and then the new six-quarter D.C. and U.S. Territories Quarter Program will begin and end next year. In addition to The District, the five territories to be honored with coins in this series include the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.