Today, February 3, 2012, the United States Mint made available for direct purchase El Yunque National Forest Quarters for Puerto Rico, the first of the America the Beautiful Quarters featuring a 2012 date.

Federal Reserve Banks began deploying the quarters for circulation use back on January 23, but today the US Mint has released them through its bag and roll products, meaning coin collectors and other enthusiasts do not have to wait for the coins to show up in change or at local banks and can instead buy them immediately.

Additionally, it is often difficult to find circulating coins produced in both Philadelphia and Denver since an area tends to get them from one or the other. The US Mint has El Yunque National Forest Quarters available from both of the minting facilities. Of course, there is a downside in buying from the Mint. It will cost more.

The US Mint is offering a two-roll set of 80 quarters — 40 from Denver and 40 from Philadelphia — for $32.95, or a $7 premium. 100-coin bags may be ordered that are filled with quarters from either location. These will cost $34.95, or a $15 premium.

Bags and rolls of El Yunque National Forest Quarters may be ordered from the US Mint website at http://catalog.usmint.gov/.

As mentioned, El Yunque National Forest Quarters are the first issues of the year. Others will be released in staggered intervals, including the Chaco Culture National Historical Park Quarter for New Mexico, the Acadia National Park Quarter for Maine, Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park Quarter for Hawaii and Denali National Park Quarter for Alaska.