2012 America the Beautiful Quarters Silver Proof Set

The 2012 America the Beautiful Quarters Silver Proof Set™ will be one of two annual coin sets released by the United States Mint that contain 90% silver coins.

U.S. Mint image of the 2012 America the Beautiful Quarters Silver Proof Set

Scheduled with a release date of January 10, 2012, at an expected price of $41.95, the set includes five coins representing the circulating 2012 America the Beautiful Quarters® for the year. Each America the Beautiful quarter is struck to proof quality from 90% silver at the U.S. Mint’s facility in San Francisco. Specifically, the set will contain quarters honoring:

• El Yunque National Forest of Puerto Rico
• Chaco Culture National Historical Park of New Mexico
• Acadia National Park of Maine
• Hawaii Volcanoes National Park of Hawaii
• Denali National Park of Alaska

These sets are extremely popular with collectors and are generally obtained for their numismatic value. However, an intrinsic melt value is inherent in each set owing to the 0.904 ounces of silver contained in the five quarters.

The America the Beautiful Quarters Program debuted in 2010 and will see five coins released annually from 2010 until 2021 when the last of fifty-six coins are issued. These strikes contain reverse designs emblematic of selected sites of national interest from around the United States and its territories. One site was chosen from each state, the District of Columbia and the territories.

The quarter obverses showcases a portrait of the first President of the United States, George Washington, as designed by John Flanagan. The same portrait has been used on the quarter dollar in one form or another since 1932.

Included in the 2012 America the Beautiful Quarters Silver Proof Set is the eleventh through the fifteenth strikes in the series, all struck from 90% silver. These coins are briefly described below.

2012-S El Yunque Quarter

El Yunque National Forest is located in the United States territory of Puerto Rico. It will be included on the reverse of the quarter with a design emblematic of the location.

El Yunque was originally established as the Luquillo Forest Reserve in 1903 and became a national forest in 1906. It had been set aside years before, however, by King Alfonso XII of Spain when Puerto Rico was still a colony of that country. In 2007, President George W. Bush signed an executive order changing the name to its current title to better reflect the wishes of those in Puerto Rico.

2012-S Chaco Culture Quarter

Shown on the reverse of this quarter will be a design showcasing a portion of the Chaco Culture National Historical Park located in the state of New Mexico. It was originally established by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1907 as the Chaco Canyon National Monument.

However, its history dates back over a thousand years to the Ancient Pueblo peoples who used to call the area home. They created the largest buildings in North America here which would retain that distinction until the dawn of the industrial revolution in the 1800’s.

2012-S Acadia Quarter

Acadia National Park of Maine will be featured on the reverse of this coin. The park was originally established as Sieur de Monts National Monument in 1916. Its status was changed to a national park in 1919 and it took its current name in 1929.

A large portion of the infrastructure in the park is owed to philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, Jr. who financed many projects located there. This includes over 50 miles of carriage trails which are still in use today.

2012-S Hawaii Volcanoes Quarter

The reverse of the Hawaii Volcanoes Quarter will showcase the national park located in the state of Hawaii. The park was originally established on August 1, 1916.

The park features Kīlauea, one of the most active volcanoes in the world, and Mauna Loa, one of the most massive. Visitors to the park are often able to see volcanic activity occurring in real life as lava flows into the ocean expanding the size of the island.

2012-S Denali Quarter

Denali National Park of Alaska will be showcased on the reverse of this coin with a design emblematic of the park. Congress originally created Denali as Mount McKinley National Park in 1917 but its name was changed in 1980 to Denali to reflect the local peoples name for the massive mountain found within its boundaries.

The Park, and the preserve attached to it, consists of 9,492 square miles. However, it is only accessible by road from a 91-mile stretch, most of which is not even paved.

2012 America the Beautiful Quarters Silver Proof Set Specifications