Chickasaw National Recreation Area Quarters will launch as expected on Wednesday, November 16, at 11:00 a.m. CT, but the United States Mint has announced that the ceremony location has changed to Vendome Well, a popular attraction in the Chickasaw National Recreation Area. The Chickasaw quarter ceremony was originally scheduled at the Point at the Lake of the Arbuckles.
Coin forum details have also been provided by the Mint. Occurring on the day before the ceremony, Tuesday, November 15, coin enthusiasts can learn about forthcoming United States Mint products and ask about existing ones. Scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. CT, the location for the coin forum is the Travertine Nature Center Auditorium, also located in the Chickasaw National Recreation Area. Anyone interested is invited to attend the free event hosted by the United States Mint.
Coin forums run for about an hour, but can go longer depending on the amount of audience interaction. Most coin release ceremonies last from 30-40 minutes. After the ceremony, children in attendance who are 18 years old and younger will receive a new Chickasaw quarter for free while adults can exchange cash for rolls of the coins. For those not at the ceremony, rolls and bags of the quarters will be available for purchase directly from the United States Mint website at http://www.usmint.gov/ and through its toll free phone 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468). The Mint will begin accepting orders at 12:00 noon ET on November 16. Chickasaw quarter two-roll sets will be priced at $39.95 while 100-coin bags will be available for $49.95.
The Chickasaw quarter is the fifth and final 2011 issue and the tenth in the America the Beautiful Quarters® series. It honors the national area located in the state of Oklahoma. The reverse of the quarter, designed by Donna Weaver and sculpted by Jim Licaretz, features Lincoln Bridge which is located within the national area. The limestone bridge was dedicated in 1909 to celebrate the centennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth. Reverse quarter inscriptions include CHICKASAW, OKLAHOMA, 2011 and E PLURIBUS UNUM.
The America the Beautiful Quarters program will celebrate at least 56 national parks or national sites throughout the U.S. and its territories. The program kicked-off in 2010 and is scheduled to last until the year 2021.