The bill to produce a new series of National Park Quarters was first introduced on June 4, 2008. The bill passed the House on July 9, 2008 and the Senate on December 10, 2008. Although the merits of another long series of state like quarters has been debated in coin collecting circles, it did not impede the passage of the bill.

Some of the specific features of the new series are as follows:

• A unique reverse design will be created featuring a National Park or National Site in each US state, territory, and Washington, DC.
• Coins will be released in the order the park or site was designated.
• At least 56 quarters will be released over a period of 11 years.
• Optionally, the series can be extended for another round of designs, brining the total to at least 112 quarters over 22 years.
• Oversized replicas minted in 5 ounces of .999 fine silver will be produced for each release.
• The first year for the new series will be 2010.

Not every U.S. State actually contains a national park. Ironically, the bill was introduced by Rep. Michael Castle of Delaware, the only U.S. State which does not contain a national park. The additional term was necessary, in part, so that the program would work for each state and territory within its scope.

The bill contains language which explains the extremely broad definition of a “national site”:

The term “national site” means any site under the supervision, management, or conservancy of the National Park Service, the United States Forest Service, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, or any similar department or agency of the Federal Government, including any national park, national monument, national battlefield, national military park, national historical park, national historic site, national lakeshore, seashore, recreation area, parkway, scenic river, or trail and any site in the National Wildlife Refuge System.

While the state of Delaware will have to invoke the use of a “national site” since they do not have a national park, it will be interesting to see the choices made by other states. Will every state propose designs involving national parks, or will some opt for other “national sites” as allowed by the proposal?

Yellowstone is a fitting choice for the first coin in the proposed National Park Quarter series since it was the first National Park designated in the United States. It was established in 1872. Yellowstone actually extends its boundaries across three states including Montana and Idaho, however the Senate version of the bill officially designates the park to the state of Wyoming.

In the previous State Quarter series, Wyoming was the 44th state released. The order was based on the State’s admission into the Union. It’s citizens will be happy to be the first in the newly proposed series. They can look forward to the coin when the new series begins in 2010.

The National Parks Bill has already been passed unanimously by the House of Representatives. It must still pass the Senate and then be signed by the President in order to become law.