Mark your new 2015 calendars. Officials from the United States Mint and the National Park Service will introduce Nebraska’s Homestead National Monument of America Quarter in a ceremony on Feb. 10.
Surrounding the event are a coin forum, scheduled on the night before the ceremony, and a coin exchange happening immediately after the ceremony. These events are free and open to the public. Also, a free Homestead quarter will be handed out to those who are under 18 years old.
This ceremony offers those who attend the first chance to get the coins, which are the first of five quarters for 2015 and the 26th design in the Mint’s America the Beautiful Quarters® Program. The coins launch into general circulation a day prior to the ceremony, on Feb. 9, but it’ll be months, or possibly years, before they’ll be commonly seen in pocket change across America. Two weeks after the ceremony, on Feb. 24, the Homestead quarters will be available for purchase from the U.S. Mint in bag and roll products.
Designed by Ronald D. Sanders and sculpted by Jim Licaretz, this quarter features three fundamentals of survival that was common to all homesteaders: food, shelter, and water. Food is represented by two ears of corn, shelter by a cabin, and water by a water pump.
Homestead National Monument of America Quarter – Time and Location
Pre-launch activities including music, videos, etc. will begin at 9 a.m. Lasting around 30 to 40 minutes, quarter ceremonies are unique events for children, locals, and enthusiasts who like to get a first glance at new coins. Official dignitaries from the Homestead National Monument of America, the United States Mint, and the state of Nebraska will provide some historical background via short speeches and then unveil the quarter. The ceremony’s location details include:
Date: Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Time: 10 a.m. (CST)
Location:
Beatrice High School
600 Orange Blvd.
Beatrice, NE 68310
The following map shows the location of Beatrice High School:
Coin Exchange
Always a favorite for those attending, the coin exchange occurs right after the quarter ceremony. It offers a venue to swap cash for $10 rolls of the new quarters. There is a one-roll ($10) minimum and a 10-roll ($100) maximum.
Also on Feb. 10, according to the National Park Service’s website, there is an open house and another coin exchange at the Homestead National Monument of America’s Education Center, the same location as the coin forum which is described further below. The open house and coin exchange is scheduled from 1-4 p.m.
Free Quarters to Students at Basketball Game
The Homestead quarter will also be featured later on the 10th during the basketball game between the University of Nebraska and the University of Wisconsin, according to the Beatrice Daily Sun.
"Quarters will be transported to ‘The Vault’, the nickname given to Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln," the local paper reported. "During the game, the Homestead quarter will be introduced and students sitting in the student section will each receive a free quarter."
Coin Forum Prior to Homestead Quarter Ceremony
As mentioned earlier, a free U.S. Mint-hosted coin forum will take place on the evening prior to the quarter ceremony. Coin forums offer opportunities to express views and ask questions about existing, new and upcoming U.S. Mint products. These forums normally last about an hour, depending on the amount and type of questions.
Here are the coin forum’s time and location details:
Date: Monday, February 9, 2015
Time: 6 – 7 p.m. (CST)
Location:
Homestead National Monument of America Education Center
8523 West State Highway 4
Beatrice, NE 68310
The following map shows the location of the education center:
2015 Quarters
The series of America the Beautiful Quarters bear five unique designs each year. Upcoming quarters for 2015 include those honoring Kisatchie National Forest in Louisiana, Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina, Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Delaware, and Saratoga National Historical Park in New York.
When released, the U.S. Mint will offer these 2015 quarters in 40-coin rolls, 2-roll sets, 3-roll sets and in 100-coin bags. They may be ordered online at catalog.usmint.gov.