2017-08-03 Thu

The 2018 quarter dollars features beautiful designs of shorelines, trees and birds. United States Mint officials released the designs at the Mint booth at the ANA World’s Fair of Money in Denver and then shortly thereafter in the image library at the Mint website.

The 2018 coins in the America Beautiful quarter dollars program pay their respect to the natural beauty of the sites in five states located in the East and upper Midwest. The national sites to be recognized in 2018 are Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Wisconsin, Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota, Cumberland Island National Seashore in Georgia and Block Island National Wildlife Refuge in Rhode Island.

All five coins display shoreline scenes, trees and birds that typify the respective sites.

The design representing Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore depicts Chapel Rock and the white pine tree, with the inscriptions PICTURED ROCKS, MICHIGAN, 2018 and E PLURIBUS UNUM. This reverse was designed by Artistic Infusion Program designer Paul C. Balan and sculptured by Mint Sculptor-Engraver Michael Gaudioso.

The design representing Apostle Islands National Lakeshore showcases the sea caves at Devils Island, with the lighthouse in the background and a kayaker paddling in the foreground. Inscriptions are APOSTLE ISLANDS, WISCONSIN, 2018 and E PLURIBUS UNUM. This reverse was designed by AIP designer Richard Masters and sculptured by Mint Sculptor-Engraver Renata Gordon.

The design representing The Voyageurs National Park portrays a common loon with a rock cliff and the inscriptions VOYAGEURS, MINNESOTA, 2018 and E PLURIBUS UNUM. AIP Designer Patricia Lucas-Morris designed the reverse and Mint Sculptor-Engraver Joseph Menna sculpted it.

The design representing Cumberland Island National Seashore depicts a snowy egret perched on a branch on the edge of a salt marsh. Inscriptions are CUMBERLAND ISLAND, GEORGIA, 2018 and E PLURIBUS UNUM. This reverse was designed by AIP Designer Donna Weaver and sculptured by Mint Sculptor-Engraver Don Everhart.

The design for the quarter honouring Block Island National Wildlife Refuge depicts a Black-crowned night-heron, flying over a beach at Cow Cove looking towards Sandy Point. In the background, the North Lighthouse is shown. Inscriptions are BLOCK ISLAND, RHODE ISLAND, 2018 and E PLURIBUS UNUM. This reverse was designed by AIP Designer Chris Costello and sculptured by Mint Sculptor-Engraver Phebe Hemphill.

However, the 2018 quarters’ obverse will continue to feature the portrait of George Washington by sculptor John Flanagan. Required obverse inscriptions are UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, and QUARTER DOLLAR.

Authorized by Public Law 110-456, the America the Beautiful Quarters Program is in its ninth year in the year 2018. The America’s Beautiful National Parks Quarter Dollar Coin Act of 2008 directs the Mint to design, mint, and issue quarter-dollar coins emblematic of a national park or other national sites in each state, the District of Columbia, and the five U.S. territories. In accordance with the Act, the Mint is issuing the new quarters at the rate of five per year until 2020 in the order in which each honoured site was first established. The final coin will be released in 2021.