America the Beautiful Quarters

In addition to photography, one of my hobbies happens to be coin collecting (as if I needed more expensive things to buy other than camera equipment ). I was happy to hear that to follow up the first statehood series in the coming years the US Mint will be releasing quarters featuring a park on federal land (NPS, USFS, etc.) from each state. The first five designs were released yesterday. Starting with the Arkansas Hot Springs coin, they will begin to circulate in April.

The coins will be minted in order of the featured park's initial founding as a national site. The park selected for Wyoming was Yellowstone (2010), Arizona's was Grand Canyon (2010), Colorado's was Great Sand Dunes (2014), Utah's was Arches (2014), New Mexico's is Chaco (2012) and Montana's is Glacier (2011).

Here's a link to the first five designs:
http://www.americathebeautifulquarters.gov/

Here's a list of parks to be featured on the quarters:
http://www.usmint.gov/mint_programs/atb/?action=siteRegister

Fun! It's cool that they chose the Nankoweap ruins view for Grand canyon; still iconic, but less cliched than the basic rim views. I'll look forward to the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness for Idaho (2019).

It just pisses me off that they're expanding the line after I've got all the state quarters in a handy little die-cut folder. Now I gots nowheres to put all the US territory quarters and whatnots! But this is pretty friggin' cool. Sand Dunes on a quarter? Who'da thought?

Great idea. Although they are using the San Antonio Missons for Texas. Sure seems like they should have used Big Bend. The missions are neat, but the wilds of Big Bend are spectacular. Oh well, yet another example of keeping one of the 5 best national parks secret!

Sand Dunes on a quarter?

youre right, Todd--they should be on a $20 gold piece

Stan, will you be getting credit for providing the image for the coin?