Collector-grade coins with reverse designs representing five unique sites made their debut today, Jan. 23, in the U.S. Mint’s annual proof set of America the Beautiful Quarters®.
Priced at $15.95, the quarters are produced at the San Francisco Mint and carry the facility’s ‘S’ mint mark. Their reverses feature designs emblematic of:
- Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan,
- Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Wisconsin,
- Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota,
- Cumberland Island National Seashore in Georgia, and
- Block Island National Wildlife Refuge in Rhode Island
Proof is the U.S. Mint’s highest quality finish. Proof coins are described as having sculpted, frosted foregrounds with mirror-like backgrounds. The blanks used in making them run through a burnishing mill for polishing, get washed and dried by hand, and are manually fed into coining presses. Specially prepared and polished dies then strike each blank multiple times to make the coin.
America the Beautiful Quarters were introduced in 2010. Five new quarters are issued every year with each honoring a different site of national interest. The 2018-dated editions appear as the 41st through 45th in the series. Standard circulating versions will be released into general circulation at regular intervals throughout 2018. (See the 2018 quarter release dates.)
Like all coins of the program, the five in this year’s proof set have the same obverse (heads side) portrait of George Washington. The likeness of the first President of the United States has been featured on the obverse of quarter dollars since 1932 and was originally designed by John Flanagan.
The quarters are encased in a single protective lens to help preserve their finish. A Certificate of Authenticity accompanies each set.
Previous Proof Set
Last year’s set launched on Jan. 5, 2017. Still available for $14.95, its sales through Jan. 14, 2018 total 85,238.
Ordering
The new proof set is available from this U.S. Mint online page, or by calling 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468). There are no mintage, product, or household order limits in place.