The 29th coin from the U.S. Mint’s series of America the Beautiful Quarters launches this month. Mark your calendar for Sept. 18. That’s when Delaware’s Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge quarter officially gets introduced.
To kick-off the weekend, a U.S. Mint-hosted coin forum will be held the night before the quarter ceremony, and then a coin exchange right after it. These events are free and open to the public.
Bombay Hook quarters actually start their journey into circulation on Sept. 14, but it can take from months to years before they’ll regularly appear in commerce. The launch ceremony offers an early opportunity to get the coins featuring the second to last quarter design of 2015.
Quarter Ceremony – Time and Location
Lasting around 30 to 40 minutes, quarter ceremonies are unique events for children, locals, and coin collectors. Official dignitaries provide some historical background via short speeches, and then they unveil the quarter and hand out free ones to those who are under 18 years old.
The ceremony’s location details follow:
Date: Friday, September 18, 2015
Time: 10 a.m. (ET)
Location:
Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center
2591 Whitehall Neck Road
Smyrna, DE 19977
The entrance fee will be waived to introduce people to the Refuge. It’s open from 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset. The following map shows the location of the Visitor Center.
Here’s an outline of the events for the day:
10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. – Ceremony
11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. – Music – Leilani Wall
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon – Coin Exchange – $10.00 minimum, $100.00
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – Friends of Bombay Hook Information Table
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – Tours of the Refuge
Coin Exchange
The coin exchange begins immediately after the ceremony. Dover Federal Credit Union will set up tables at the event and then anyone can trade cash for $10 rolls of the new quarters. There is a one-roll ($10) minimum and a 10-roll ($100) maximum.
Coin Forum Evening Prior to Quarter Ceremony
A coin forum hosted by the United States Mint will take place the evening prior to the quarter ceremony. These forums offer opportunities to express views and ask questions about existing, new and upcoming U.S. Mint products. Coin forums usually last about an hour, depending on the amount and type of questions.
This coin forum is Thursday, Sept. 17, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. The location is also at the Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center.
Rolls and Bags of Quarters
On Sept. 30, the U.S. Mint will offer Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge quarters in 40-coin rolls, 2-roll sets, 3-roll sets and 100-coin bags, at prices ranging from $18.95 to $34.95. They will be available at catalog.usmint.gov.
Coverage of these product releases will be offered here on CoinNews.net.
2015 Quarters
The U.S. Mint’s America the Beautiful Quarters® Program presents five unique designs each year. The last quarter release for 2015 will commemorate Saratoga National Historical Park in New York. Earlier 2015 quarters honor Nebraska’s Homestead National Monument, Louisiana’s Kisatchie National Forest, and North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Parkway.