The United States Mint on Tuesday, August 23, made available the Glacier Quarter Three-Coin Set for a price of $14.95.
The set is the seventh issue in the America the Beautiful Quarters® product series and the second 2011-dated release after the Gettysburg Three-Coin Set launch on July 27. The three quarters within the newest set share a reverse design that honors Glacier National Park which is located in the state of Montana.
The Three-Coin Set is produced for coin collectors as it contains numismatic quarter-dollars including:
- a proof 25c piece from the United States Mint at San Francisco
- an uncirculated 25c piece from the United States Mint at Philadelphia, and
- an uncirculated 25c piece from the United States Mint at Denver
The quarter was released into circulation and made available for order by the United States Mint in bags and rolls on April 4. It was ceremoniously launched on April 13 at a high school gymnasium not far from the rugged mountains, treasured wilderness, and historic chalets that draw millions of visitors a year to the park.
The coin’s reverse portrays a mountain goat clamoring on the rocky slopes of the park’s high country with an iconic view of the northeast slope of Mount Reynolds in the background. Inscriptions include GLACIER, MONTANA, 2011 and E PLURIBUS UNUM. It was designed by Barbara Fox and sculpted by Charles L. Vickers.
Quarter Mintages, Latest U.S. Mint Sales Figures and Order Details
Mintage figures reveal that 61.6 million of the coins were produced in total, split out with 31.2 million from the Denver Mint and 30.4 million from the Philadelphia Mint. The total currently ranks as the third scarcest in the America the Beautiful Quarters series. The 2011-P Glacier quarter actually ties with the 2011-P Gettysburg and 2011-P Olympic quarters as the scarcest by mint facility.
The United States Mint continues to offer the first six sets at the same $14.95 price. They are popular products for coin collectors, based on sales figures. As of Monday, August 22, buyers have snapped up:
- 19,057 of the Hot Springs Quarter Three-Coin Set,
- 19,200 of the Yellowstone Quarter Three-Coin Set,
- 16,819 of the Yosemite Quarter Three-Coin Set,
- 16,302 of the Grand Canyon Quarter Three-Coin Set,
- 13,958 of the Mount Hood Quarter Three-Coin Set, and
- 13,768 of the Gettysburg Quarter Three-Coin Set
Each may be purchased from the United States Mint website at www.usmint.gov/catalog, or its toll free number 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468).
Remaining and Related Quarter Product Releases in 2011
While subject to change, this year’s three remaining sets have the following scheduled availability dates:
- Olympic on September 20, 2011
- Vicksburg on October, 19, 2011
- Chickasaw on December 20, 2011
The Glacier coin is one of at least 56 that will be issued through 2021 that honor American national parks and other sites throughout the U.S. and its territories.
Glacier National Park, also known as the "Crown of the Continent," is located in northwest Montana in the Northern Rocky Mountains. It is the place where two million annual visitors go to witness majestic glaciers in the continental U.S. These thousand-year-old glaciers carved out multiple pristine lakes, including the 10 mile wide Lake McDonald, as well as several spectacular valleys. Many travelers will take the scenic "Going-to-the-Sun Road" through the interior of the park, which takes them near Mount Reynolds and provides numerous opportunities to observe the park’s wildlife.
The United States Mint has also produced five-ounce, .999 fine silver coins featuring the same designs as those on the quarter. The Glacier National Park Silver Bullion Coin was sold to the Mint’s network of Authorized Purchasers beginning on April 25. All 126,700 sold out. The collector version, the Glacier National Park Silver Uncirculated Coin is expected out later this year.