National Park Quarter Proposal
On June 4, 2008, a bill was introduced which would create a new series of circulating quarter dollar coins. National Park Quarters would be issued with rotating reverse designs emblematic of one national site in each US State, Territory, and the District of Columbia.
This program follows the highly successful 50 State Quarters Program and has already generated some excitement from coin collectors and the general public. This site will provide you with up to date information on the proposed series.
National Park Quarter Series
If the bill is passed, quarters would be issued with designs “emblematic of a national park or other national site in each State, the District of Columbia, and each territory of the United States.” This would result in at least 56 different reverse designs for the circulating quarter series.
Designs for the National Park Quarters would be selected by the Secretary of the Treasury, who would consult with the Secretary of the Interior and the governor of each state.
The proposal also calls for the production of oversized silver bullion duplicates of each coin. These duplicates would be 3 inches diameter, contain 5 ounces of .999 fine silver, and have edge incused lettering.
National Park Quarter Schedule
The National Park Quarters would be issued starting in 2010 after the conclusion of the 50 State Quarters Program and the additional issues for the District of Columbia and US Territories. The coins would be issued at a rate of five new designs per year, resulting in a duration of over 11 years.
At the option of the Secretary of the Treasury, the program could be extended for a second cycle. This would mean the program could potentially include 112 coins and run for over 22 years.
Proposal Status
The Bill known as H.R. 6184: America’s Beautiful National Parks Quarter Dollar Coin Act of 2008 was introduced in the House on June 4, 2008 and passed unanimously on July 9, 2008. Another version of the bill S. 3214 was introduced in the Senate on June 26, 2008.
The bill must pass votes in both the House of Representatives and the Senate and then be signed by the President in order to become law.