Yellowstone National Park Quarter Events Kick Off Tuesday

The Yellowstone National Park Quarter, the second of fifty-six coins in the America the Beautiful Quarters™ Program, launches this week.

Yellowstone National Park, located primarily in the state of Wyoming, has the distinction of being named the first national park in the U.S. when it was so designated on March 1, 1872.

However, it is the second site honored in the new quarter series. Hot Springs National Park was the first as it became a protected national site in 1832 (it was designated a national park in 1921).

The two major events this week include:

• Yellowstone National Park Quarter Bags and Rolls Launch June 1, 2010
• Yellowstone National Park Quarter Launch Ceremony on June 3, 2010

The bags and rolls will be offered directly by the United States Mint beginning at noon Eastern Time on Tuesday. 100-Coin Quarter Bags (P) and 100-Coin Quarter Bags (D) are $35.95 each. The two-roll sets that include 40 coins from Denver and 40 coins from Philadelphia are priced at $32.95.

Tuesday is also the day the coins will begin to enter circulation via the Federal Reserve banking system.

The official launch ceremony on Thursday at 10:30 AM Mountain Time will be held at the Old Faithful Inn which is located adjacent to Old Faithful Geyser — the very same geyser depicted on the reverse of the Yellowstone National Park Quarter.

A live web cast of the event will be available at http://www.americathebeautifulquarters.gov for those who can not attend.

In addition to the rolls and bags, coin collectors can find proofs of the new coin within two products released by the Mint earlier this month:

• 2010 United States Mint America the Beautiful Quarters Proof Set™ – $14.95
• 2010 United States Mint America the Beautiful Quarters Silver Proof Set™ – $32.95

Also, through the Mint’s Online Subscription Program there are three other products featuring the Yellowstone quarter that can be ordered now:

• America the Beautiful Quarters™ Three-Coin Set – $13.95
• America the Beautiful Quarters™ Uncirculated Coin Set – $21.95
• America the Beautiful Quarters™ Circulating Coin Set – $9.95

The Mint has yet to announce when these will be available for shipment.

The America the Beautiful Quarters series will continue through to 2021 with a total of 56 different reverse designs that depict 48 National Parks, two U.S. Fish and Wildlife sites, and six U.S. Forest Service sites.