San Antonio Missions Quarters for Texas Released

The United States Mint started accepting orders today for rolls and bags of quarters honoring San Antonio Missions National Historical Park in Texas.

Available products include 2-roll sets, 3-roll sets, 40-coin rolls, and 100-coin bags. They include circulating quality quarters pulled directly from the U.S. Mint’s production floors in Philadelphia, Denver and San Francisco.

San Antonio Missions were instrumental in the founding of the City of San Antonio. Established in the early 1700s, they were among the largest concentrations of Spanish missions in North America.

"After 10,000 years, the people of South Texas found their cultures, their very lives under attack. In the early 1700s Apache raided from the north, deadly diseases traveled from Mexico, and drought lingered. Survival lay in the missions," the National Park Service describes. "By entering a mission, they forswore their traditional life to become Spanish, accepting a new religion and pledging fealty to a distant and unseen king."

The frontier missions were designed to be self-sustaining, providing protection and a means to spread Christianity.

San Antonio Missions Quarter Designs

San Antonio Missions quarter reverses (tails side) depict elements of the Spanish Colonial Real coin to pay tribute to the missions. Inside designed quadrants are symbols of the missions: wheat symbolizes farming; the arches and bell symbolize community; a lion represents Spanish cultural heritage; and a symbol of the San Antonio River represents irrigation methods and life-sustaining resources. Inscriptions around the design include "SAN ANTONIO MISSIONS," "TEXAS," "2019," and "E PLURIBUS UNUM."

U.S. Mint AIP member Chris Costello created the reverse design and U.S. Mint Chief Engraver Joe Menna sculpted it. In the following Mint video, Menna and Costello talk briefly about their work on the coin.

John Flanagan’s portrait of George Washington is seen on coin obverses (heads side). This design, with some modest revisions, has appeared on every quarter issued by the United States since 1932.

Inscriptions include "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA," "LIBERTY," "IN GOD WE TRUST," and "QUARTER DOLLAR." Obverses also have a mintmark denoting where they were made with a "P" for Philadelphia, a "D" for Denver and an "S" for San Francisco.

Quarter Roll and Bag Products

Six unique products are available containing the quarters. These are:

The Philadelphia and Denver Mints routinely produce the nation’s circulating coinage for commerce. San Antonio Missions quarter from both of these plants will eventually make their way into change, as well as a limited number of quarters from West Point Mint. (Read about the discovery of San Antonio Missions quarters released early.) Quarters produced at the San Francisco Mint will not, however, as this facility strikes coins only for inclusion in products for collectors such as these rolls and bags.

Official Release Ceremony, Coin Exchange and Coin Forum

An official San Antonio Missions quarter release ceremony is scheduled for next week on Thursday, Sept. 5, at 10:00 a.m. CT. The event will be held at Trinity University Laurie Auditorium, One Trinity Place, San Antonio, TX 78212.

On the evening before the ceremony, Sept. 4, the U.S. Mint will host a coin forum at the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park Visitor Center from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Ordering Quarter Rolls and Bags

Buy quarter rolls and bags from the U.S. Mint’s online section of America the Beautiful coin products, found here, or by calling 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468).

2019 America the Beautiful Quarters

This coin is the fourth of five in 2019 and the forty-ninth overall from the United States Mint America the Beautiful Quarters® Program. The 56-coin series by 2021 will honor a national site in each state, the District of Columbia and the five U.S. Territories.

Release dates for this year’s five quarters follow.

America the Beautiful Five Ounce Silver Coins

The U.S. Mint also strikes large silver coins bearing the same basic quarter designs. They are produced from 5 ounces of 99.9% fine silver to a diameter of 3 inches.

Five-ounce options include bullion editions intended for investors that are sold through the U.S. Mint’s network of authorized purchasers and uncirculated version meant for collectors that are available directly from the U.S. Mint. The San Antonio Missions Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin goes on sale Thursday, Aug. 29, for $154.95.