On Tuesday, September 20, the United States Mint released the Olympic Quarter Three-Coin Set for a price of $14.95.
The three-coin set is the eighth released in the America the Beautiful Quarters® product series and the third 2011-dated issue. It was preceded this year by the Gettysburg and Glacier sets. Honoring Olympic National Park which is located in the state of Washington, the three quarters featured in the newest set share the same reverse design.
While not exactly cheap, the Olympic Quarter Three-Coin Set is attractive for coin collectors because it contains the following numismatic quarters:
- 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
Olympic’s quarter was released into circulation on June 13 and was made available for order by the United States Mint in bags and rolls the same day. One day later, the United States Mint and National Park Service ceremoniously released the quarters at City Pier in Port Angeles with local students and many other observers in attendance.
The coin’s reverse depicts a Roosevelt elk on a river bar of the Hoh River. A classic scene of Mount Olympus is shown in the background. Inscriptions are OLYMPIC, WASHINGTON, 2011 and E PLURIBUS UNUM. It was designed by Susan Gamble and sculpted by Michael Gaudioso.
Quarter Mintages, Latest U.S. Mint Sales Figures and Order Details
At last count, United States Mint production figures revealed that 61 million Olympic coins were produced in total, split out with 30.6 million from the Denver Mint and 30.4 million from the Philadelphia Mint. Presently, the total ranks as the most scarce in the America the Beautiful Quarters series. The 2011-P Olympic quarter is in a three-way tie with the 2011-P Gettysburg and 2011-P Glacier quarters as the scarcest by mint facility.
The United States Mint still offers all seven prior sets at the same $14.95 price. Collectors continue to spend money on them, making them a popular product for a smaller set. As of Monday, September 19, buyers have purchased:
- 19,223 of the Hot Springs Quarters Three-Coin Set,
- 19,437 of the Yellowstone Quarters Three-Coin Set,
- 17,021 of the Yosemite Quarters Three-Coin Set,
- 16,510 of the Grand Canyon Quarters Three-Coin Set,
- 14,178 of the Mount Hood Quarters Three-Coin Set,
- 14,462 of the Gettysburg Quarters Three-Coin Set, and
- 12,140 of the Glacier Quarters Three-Coin Set.
Each of these sets may be ordered from the United States Mint website (www.usmint.gov/catalog), or its toll free number 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468).
Scheduled and Related Quarter Product Releases in 2011
This year’s five sets had or have the following scheduled release dates:
- Gettysburg on July 27, 2011
- Glacier on August 23, 2011
- Olympic on September 20, 2011
- Vicksburg on October, 18, 2011
- Chickasaw on December 20, 2011
The Olympic 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.
Olympic National Park was first established as a national site on February 22, 1897, in an effort by conservationists to preserve the beauty of its forests and glacier-crowned mountains. As the federal boundaries expanded, more resource-rich lands and elk herds became protected. Today the park is considered an International Biosphere Reserve by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and a World Heritage Site.
The United States Mint has also produced five-ounce, .999 fine silver coins featuring the same designs as those on the quarter. The Olympic National Military Park Silver Bullion Coin was made available to the Mint’s network of Authorized Purchasers beginning in May. The collector version, the Olympic National Park Silver Uncirculated Coin, is expected out later this year.