US Mint 2011 Silver Proof Set Launches January 25

Collectors may begin ordering the 2011 United States Mint Silver Proof Set at noon Eastern Time (ET) on January 25.

US Mint 2011 Silver Proof Set

The dime, half-dollar and quarter-dollar coins in the set are all struck in lustrous 90 percent silver, commonly referred to as "coin silver."

This year's set includes the second group of commemorative quarter-dollars in the America the Beautiful Quarters® Program honoring Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania; Glacier National Park in Montana; Olympic National Park in Washington; Vicksburg National Military Park in Mississippi; and Chickasaw National Recreation Area in Oklahoma.

The 2001 Silver Proof Set also includes the fifth set of coins in the Presidential $1 Coin Program honoring Presidents Andrew Johnson, Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes and James Garfield; one Native American $1 Coin; one Kennedy half-dollar; one Jefferson five-cent coin; one Roosevelt dime; and one Lincoln cent.

All coins bear the "S" mint mark of the United States Mint at San Francisco.  A Certificate of Authenticity signed by the Director of the United States Mint is included with each set.

The 2011 United States Mint Silver Proof Set is priced at $67.95.  Orders will be accepted at http://www.usmint.gov/catalog or at 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468).  Hearing- and speech-impaired customers with TTY equipment may order at 1-888-321-MINT (6468).  A shipping and handling fee of $4.95 will be added to all domestic orders.

Collectors may also acquire the United States Mint Silver Proof Set by enrolling in the Online Subscription Program, through which specific products are charged and shipped to the customer automatically as each set is released.  For information about this convenient ordering method, visit http://www.usmint.gov/catalog.

Note:  To ensure that all members of the public have fair and equal access to United States Mint products, orders placed prior to the official on-sale date and time of January 25, 2011, noon ET, shall not be deemed accepted by the United States Mint and will not be honored.  For more information, please review the United States Mint's Frequently Asked Questions, Answer ID #175.

The United States Mint, created by Congress in 1792, is the Nation's sole manufacturer of legal tender coinage. Its primary mission is to produce an adequate volume of circulating coinage for the Nation to conduct its trade and commerce. The United States Mint also produces proof, uncirculated and commemorative coins; Congressional Gold Medals; and silver, gold and platinum bullion coins.

[Coin Collecting News editor: For more information on the 2011 Silver Proof Set, also check out this site's page:  2011 Silver Proof Set.]

Related posts:

2011 US Mint Proof Set Launches January 11US Mint 2011 Presidential $1 Coin Proof Set Launches February 22Tagged as: Proof Sets, United States Mint

View the original article here

2011 US Mint Proof Set Launches January 11

Collectors may begin placing their orders for the 2011 United States Mint Proof Set at noon Eastern Time (ET) on January 11, 2011.

US Mint images of 2011 Silver Proof Set, 2011 Mint Set, and 2011 US Mint Proof Set

This year's set, priced at $31.95, includes the second set of coins to be released through the America the Beautiful Quarters® Program.

These quarters feature reverse designs honoring Gettysburg National Military Park (Pennsylvania); Glacier National Park (Montana); Olympic National Park (Washington); Vicksburg National Military Park (Mississippi); and Chickasaw National Recreation Area (Oklahoma).

The annual set also includes Presidential $1 Coins honoring Andrew Johnson, Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes and James Garfield; a new Native American $1 Coin; and the Kennedy half-dollar, Jefferson five-cent, Roosevelt dime, and Lincoln one-cent coins.

The popular United States Mint Proof Set contains coins that are manufactured using specially prepared, highly polished dies.  The coins are extraordinarily brilliant, with sharp relief and a mirror-like background.  A frosted, sculpted foreground gives them a special cameo effect.  The coins are sealed in three protective lenses to showcase and maintain their exceptional finish.  A Certificate of Authenticity is included with each set.

Orders will be accepted at http://www.usmint.gov/catalog or at 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468).  Hearing- and speech-impaired customers with TTY equipment may order by calling 1-888-321-MINT (6468).  All domestic orders will be assessed a shipping and handling fee of $4.95 per order.

The United States Mint Proof Set is also available through the Online Subscription Program.  For more information about this convenient ordering method, please visithttp://www.usmint.gov/catalog.

Note:  To ensure that all members of the public have fair and equal access to United States Mint products, orders placed prior to the official on-sale date and time of January 11, 2011, noon ET shall not be deemed accepted by the United States Mint and will not be honored.  For more information, please review the United States Mint's Frequently Asked Questions, Answer ID #175.

Information about the United States Mint is available at http://www.usmint.gov.

The United States Mint, created by Congress in 1792, is the Nation's sole manufacturer of legal tender coinage and is responsible for producing an adequate volume of circulating coinage for the Nation to conduct its trade and commerce. The United States Mint also produces proof, uncirculated and commemorative coins; Congressional Gold Medals; and silver, gold and platinum bullion coins.

[Coin Collecting News editor: For more information on the Gettysburg National Military Park Quarter, also check out this site's page: 2011 US Mint Proof Set.]

Related posts:

US Mint 2011 Silver Proof Set Launches January 25US Mint 2011 Presidential $1 Coin Proof Set Launches February 22Tagged as: Proof Sets, United States Mint

View the original article here

US Mint Launches Grand Canyon National Park Quarter in Ceremony

The United States Mint today, with help from National Park Service officials, marked the release of the Grand Canyon National Park quarter.

Grand Canyon National Park Quarter

Highlights of the event included a ceremonial coin pour, performances by the Pollen Trail Dancers, a local Native American troupe, and a coin exchange at which members of the public swapped their currency for $10 rolls of the new quarter. 

Children 18 years old and younger received a new Grand Canyon National Park quarter to commemorate the event.

"The United States Mint is honored to be connecting America to its most significant natural treasures through the America the Beautiful Quarters® Program," said United States Mint Director Ed Moy.  "The new Grand Canyon National Park quarter design echoes the ancient grandeur of this wondrous place."

The design on the coin's reverse (tails side) features a view of the granaries above the Nankoweap Delta in Marble Canyon near the Colorado River, which were used for storing food and seeds.  Inscriptions on the reverse are GRAND CANYON, ARIZONA, 2010and E PLURIBUS UNUM.

The design on the coin's obverse (heads side) features the 1932 portrait of George Washington by John Flanagan, restored to bring out subtle details and the beauty of the original model.  Inscriptions on the obverse are UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST and QUARTER DOLLAR.

"The introduction of a Grand Canyon quarter is a momentous occasion in the human story of the park; so we were thrilled when the Nankoweap granaries were chosen as the design for the reverse side," said Steve Martin, Superintendent of Grand Canyon National Park.  "The use of the granaries really seems to connect the coin and today's event to the thousands of years of human history reflected in archeological sites throughout the canyon."

The Grand Canyon National Park quarter is the fourth coin released through the United States Mint America the Beautiful Quarters Program, a multi-year initiative to honor 56 national parks and other sites in each state, the District of Columbia and the five U.S. territories.

Each year through 2020, the United States Mint will issue five new quarters in the order in which the honored site was first established as a national site.  One final coin will be released in 2021.

The United States Mint began offering 100-coin bags and two-roll sets containing the new Grand Canyon National Park quarter on September 20.  Collectors may order these products at http://www.usmint.gov/catalog or at 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468).  Hearing- and speech-impaired customers with TTY equipment may order by calling 1-888-321-MINT (6468).

Additional information about other America the Beautiful Quarters Program product options, including subscriptions, is also available.

Free lesson plans based on the America the Beautiful Quarters Program are available at the United States Mint's Web site.  Created and reviewed by teachers to meet national curricular standards, the plans draw on the new reverse designs to inspire students to learn about the culture, geography, unique heritage and natural beauty of our national parks and other national sites.  For more information about America the Beautiful Quarters Program educational resources, visit:  http://www.usmint.gov/kids/teachers/.

The Grand Canyon was first established as a national site on February 20, 1893.  A powerful and inspiring landscape, the Grand Canyon overwhelms our senses through its immense size - 277 river miles long, up to 18 miles wide and a mile deep.

Although first afforded Federal protection in 1893 as a forest reserve and later as a national monument, the Grand Canyon did not achieve national park status until 1919, three years after the creation of the National Park Service.  Today Grand Canyon National Park receives close to five million visitors every year - a far cry from the 44,173 visitors the park received in 1919.

The United States Mint, created by Congress in 1792, is the Nation's sole manufacturer of legal tender coinage.  Its primary mission is to produce an adequate volume of circulating coinage for the Nation to conduct its trade and commerce.  The United States Mint also produces proof, uncirculated and commemorative coins; Congressional Gold Medals; and silver, gold and platinum bullion coins.

For more information about the America the Beautiful Quarters Program, visit:  www.americathebeautifulquarters.gov.

Additional information about Grand Canyon National Park can be found at: http://www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm.

###

[Coin Collecting News editor: For more information on the quarter, to include images of the original design candidates, check out Grand Canyon National Park Quarter on sister site http://americabeautifulquarters.com/]

Related posts:

Grand Canyon National Park Quarter Launch InformationGrand Canyon National Park Quarter Rolls AvailabilityTagged as: Quarters, United States Mint

View the original article here