This article presents photos of Minnesota’s Voyageurs National Park quarter, the third of this year’s five coins from the United States Mint’s program of America the Beautiful Quarters®.
Several events supported the release of the quarter depicting Voyageurs National Park, the distinctive area in northern Minnesota that includes forests, lakes, islands, and miles of undeveloped shoreline. Geographically, the park is located on the Canadian Shield with its ancient rocks forming the core of the North American Continent.
On Monday, June 11, the quarter commemorating the site launched into circulation and the U.S. Mint started selling them in rolls and bags. Three days later, on June 14, the U.S. Mint and the National Park Service officially introduced the quarter in a ceremony.
The U.S. Mint in the last few days also started selling a five-ounce version and a three-coin set of the quarters. Then there are earlier released products for collectors that include special proof and uncirculated versions of the quarter, like the:
- Five 2018 proof quarters for $15.95.
- Five 2018 proof silver quarters for $33.95.
- Ten 2018 uncirculated quarters for $12.95.
Proof coins feature foregrounds designs against mirror-like backgrounds. Uncirculated coins, which look most like those in circulation, are produced from burnished blanks and are usually pressed at least twice, resulting in sharper details and more brilliance.
To offer a better look at the Voyageurs quarter, we photographed several proof and uncirculated versions and share them now.
Obverses (heads) are common to all quarters, depicting the 1932 effigy of George Washington by John Flanagan.
America the Beautiful Quarter reverses are emblematic of the national site they honor. The quarter for Minnesota is the 43rd issue in the ATB series and the third of five for 2018.
Designed by Patricia Lucas-Morris and sculpted by Joseph Menna, the Voyageurs National Park quarter shows a common loon with a rock cliff in the background.
It was selected from candidate designs that were developed in consultation with representatives of Voyageurs National Park and reviewed by the Commission of Fine Arts and the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee. Inscribed around the design are VOYAGEURS, MINNESOTA, 2018 and E PLURIBUS UNUM.
Clad 2018-S Proof Voyageurs Quarter Photos
The United State Mint facility in San Francisco produces proof quarters and they carry an ‘S’ mintmark on their obverse. Clad proofs are made from the same composition as regular circulating quarters — 8.33% with the balance copper. Their sharp reliefs and mirror-like backgrounds set them apart from circulating coins.
To compliment those already shown further above, here are two more photos of a clad proof quarter:
Silver 2018-S Proof Voyageurs Quarter Photos
These next four photos show some silver proof quarters, which are also made at the San Francisco Mint and bear an ‘S’ mintmark. The U.S. Mint’s silver coins are struck for numismatic proof sets and are composed of 90% silver and 10% copper.
Clad vs. Silver
It is often hard to quickly notice the difference between clad and silver proof quarters because they have the same finish and diameter of 24.26 mm. Quarters in silver do weigh more at 6.250 grams compared to clad quarters at 5.670 grams.
Instead of using a scale to verify weights, look at a coin’s edge. Clad quarters have a visible copper layer.
2018 Clad Uncirculated Voyageurs Quarter Photos
Uncirculated quarters are made at the Denver and Philadelphia Mints, the same two plants that strike coins for circulation. Here are some photos of uncirculated Voyageurs quarters:
2018 America the Beautiful Quarters
The two earlier released 2018 quarters depict Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan and Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Wisconsin. Two more quarters will be issued later this year with reverse designs emblematic of Cumberland Island National Seashore in Georgia and Block Island National Wildlife Refuge in Rhode Island.
Keep appraised of the latest and past releases from our CoinNews section on quarters.