The United States Mint and the National Park Service (NPS) will introduce in a ceremony the Gettysburg National Park Quarter Tuesday, January 25, at 11 AM ET, it was announced Monday afternoon. The coin honors the park which is located in the state of Pennsylvania.
The Gettysburg Quarter is the first of the five 2011 America the Beautiful Quarters® (see the 2011 quarter images), and the sixth of the series which debuted last year. It is the first to honor a national military park.
As is the case with most new coin launches, children 18 years old and younger in attendance will receive a new quarter for free while adults may exchange cash for $10 rolls of the coins. The public may purchase bags and rolls of them beginning on Thursday, January 27, at noon ET directly from the US Mint website (http://www.usmint.gov/).
The launch ceremony will occur at:
Gettysburg National Military Park Visitor Center
1195 Baltimore Pike
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 17325
Officials at the ceremony will include:
- B.B. Craig, Associate Director of Sales and Marketing, United States Mint
- Tom Corbett, Governor, Pennsylvania
- Susan Manbeck Corbett, First Lady
- Bob Kirby, Superintendent, Gettysburg National Military Park
- Barbara Finfrock, Vice Chair, Gettysburg Foundation (Master of Ceremonies)
The quarter’s reverse design, by Joel Iskowitz, depicts the 72nd Pennsylvania Infantry Monument, which is located on the battle line of the Union Army at Cemetery Ridge. Inscriptions include GETTYSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, 2011 and E PLURIBUS UNUM.
In addition to the quarters and related products containing them, the US Mint will also release two 5-ounce versions this year bearing the same reverse designs — the 2011 Gettysburg National Military Park Silver Bullion Coin intended for investors and the 2011 Gettysburg National Military Park Silver Uncirculated Coin produced for collectors. Release dates for these 3-inch diameter coins has not yet been published.
At a rate of five releases each year until completed in 2021, the America the Beautiful Quarters Program will honor 56 national sites throughout the U.S. and its territories. Other sites to be honored this year include Montana’s Glacier National Park, Washington’s Olympic National Park, Mississippi’s Vicksburg National Military Park, and Oklahoma’s Chickasaw National Recreation Area.