The United States Mint and the National Park Service in April will officially introduce the newest America the Beautiful Quarter which depicts Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. The Gap is located at the border between Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia. Kentucky selected the site for commemoration on its quarter.
This year’s second quarter ceremony takes place at the park’s visitor center on April 11, 2016. There’s a coin forum held the evening prior to it, and a coin exchange right after it. All three events are open to the public and free.
Cumberland Gap quarters will also enter circulation beginning in April but it can take months, sometimes years, before they’ll appear regularly in commerce, since Federal Reserve Banks distribute coins to financial institutions without regard to specific design.
The launch ceremony offers everyone an early opportunity to get the second of five 2016 quarters, which is the 32nd of 56 scheduled in the U.S. Mint program of America the Beautiful Quarters.
Quarter Launch Ceremony – Time and Location
Tending to last from about 30 to 40 minutes, official quarter launches are unique events for locals, coin collectors, and children. Formal dignitaries provide some historical background with their short speeches, and then they unveil the quarter and hand out free ones to school-aged children in attendance.
The event’s location details follow:
Date: Monday, April 11, 2016
Time: 11:00 a.m. (ET)
Location:
Cumberland Gap National Historical Park Visitor Center
Pinnacle View Rd
Middlesboro, KY 40965
The following map shows the location of the park’s visitor center.
Coin Exchange
The coin exchange starts right after the ceremony, at the same location. Home Federal Bank will sponsor the event. 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 collector forum, hosted by the United States Mint, offers an opportunity to express views and ask questions about existing, new and upcoming coin products. Coin forums usually last about an hour.
Here are the coin forum’s time and location details:
Date: Sunday, April 10, 2016
Time: 3-4 p.m. (ET)
Location:
C.V. Whitney Convention Center
Pine Mountain State Resort Park
1050 State Park Road
Pineville, KY 40977
The following map shows the location of the park.
Rolls and Bags of Quarters
The United States Mint will also sell Cumberland Gap quarters direct to the public. Beginning on April 4, the Mint will offer them in 40-coin rolls, 2-roll sets, 3-roll sets and 100-coin bags, at prices that range from $18.95 to $34.95. They will be available at catalog.usmint.gov. These product releases will be covered here on CoinNews.
2016 Quarters
Introduced in 2010 and scheduled to last until 2021, the U.S. Mint’s series of America the Beautiful Quarters presents five unique designs every year. The first 2016-dated release commemorated Shawnee National Forest in Illinois. The next three for 2016 celebrate Harpers Ferry National Historical Park in West Virginia, Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota, and Fort Moultrie in South Carolina.
Looks like the guy is sound asleep and doesn’t know which end on the rifle is which. They also forgot to show the cork and string for that extra large diameter barrel on that pop gun.
Joe C –
Too funny! Actually he is a trick shot expert & is pointing the rifle behind him to shoot an apple off Annie Oakley’s head while his eyes are shut. Just a quarter to watch what happens! If she lives, she gets free passage across the Cumberland Gap, otherwise she will have a gap in her skull. Fun times! Lol
-NumisDudeTX
Joe – That was hilarious.
Seth – That was dark.
Haha.
Ignoramus has the horn backwards and on the wrong side. Lots more wrong with this
Good eye, Daryle. I missed that one. How about that ladies hat he’s wearing?