New State Quarters Program Awaits Signature
Update: The National Parks Quarters bill was signed into law on Dec. 23, 2008.
Coin World is reporting in its Dec. 29 issue that the National Parks Quarters program (HR 6184) has now passed the Senate by unanimous consent. The bill had passed the House in July, but things didn't look too good as it sat in Senate committee month after month. Now that both houses have approved it, the bill merely awaits the president's signature to become law (which is expected.)
The National Parks Quarters program is basically another 50 State Quarters®-type series. Quarters will be issued by the U.S. Mint at the rate of five per year until everyone has their turn. The way the bill is written, the program will issue 55 coins over 11 years, because Washington, D.C. and the U.S. territories are included. But which territories?
The bill stipulates that the term "state" is defined according to section 3(a)(3) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act. Section 3(a)(3) reads:
STATE --- The term "State" means any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, any territory of the United States, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, the Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
According to this definition, there should be 57 quarters instead of 55. The bill doesn't stipulate which territories are included, other than what is given here, but it may be that two of these territories have no national parks or national historic sites.
Which brings me to my next point: The bill clearly states that the design candidates for inclusion must be "emblematic of national parks or other national sites." If the states are allowed to propose any appropriate site of national historic or natural significance, and assuming the Treasury Secretary permits their choice (he has the final say), then a more appropriate title for this bill might have been "The National Historic Sites and Parks Quarters" or something similar.
Title notwithstanding, my research into this bill indicates that the "national historic site" language was necessary because Delaware doesn't have any U.S. National Parks. But rather than write the bill as the sponsors clearly intended, to honor national parks above all else and then provide an explicit exception for Delaware, it seems the whole thing ended up a bit muddled. After all, we still have the question of why we have 55 quarters and 57 places to be honored...
I really don't mean to be critical of the bill's author(s) or sponsors, I just really have an aversion to gray areas and loopholes in laws and legislation. It seems that someone always finds a way to exploit these openings, to just about everyone's regret. Mike Castle, (R-Delaware), the bill's main sponsor, has done a great deal for our hobby through the years with his legislation. When most bureaucrats in Washington saw the State Quarter program proposal as risky and potentially confusing to Americans, Castle stood up for it and was instrumental in shepherding it through the Byzantine congressional labyrinth of successful bill passage.
Castle did the same for this National Parks Quarters bill, and I think many in our hobby are breathing a lot easier now, because some experts feared that when the State Quarters program ended, people would lose interest in collecting and coin prices would begin trending downward. Now that we have something to fill the void left by the State Quarters, it's our job to get out there and rally some excitement about the new series. Maybe the 5-ounce .999 fine, 3-inch in diameter silver bullion coins (with edge lettering!) based on the Parks Quarters will help.
You didn't know about the 5-ounce silver bullion coins in this bill? Find out what other interesting stuff it contains!
- National Parks Quarters Program Facts
What do you think of this new program? Are you ready to start collecting another run of State Quarters? Do you think the coin market would have suffered without some kind of follow-up to the State Quarters? Share your thoughts in the "Comments" section below!
Comments
I’m not an avid coin collector and I’m not nearly as excited by the parks quarters as I was about the state and presidential dollars. I’m actually looking forward to the end of the states program as I’m getting tired of constantly looking for the coins I need. I think there may be others that got excited but are now losing interest. To me, the parks quarters don’t really come across as something new and exciting like the state and presidents coins did.
I’ll definitely get some of the silver ones. Cool stuff.
Mark
It would appear that the function if the US Mintis not to produce coins for commerce but to produce product for eBay merchants. THe National Prks coin program is a disgrace, it is based on coin industry lobbyists paying of congress to continue making coins of very little collectible value. The State Quarter program was fun and unique, but now it is just being overdone and overblown. I will quit buying uncirc sets form the mint now that they are going up to 30 or more coins, It is just greed and pushing a good thing too far. These programs will wind up killing he hobby but will make a lot of money for the dealers. I guess that is where we are at these days.
The coin collector feedback I have heard about the National Park and Site Quarters has been predominantly negative. I think the best summation I have seen stated is that the concept of rotating circulating coinage designs has “jumped the shark.”
Personally, I am trying to see a bright side to this. When I think back over the 50 State Quarters program, some my favorite designs have featured National Parks. The designs this go-round might actually be much more impressive.
I want to know when the state quarters first started. I have one dated 1999 and I did not think that program started until later. Any help appreciated. Thanks
The State Quarters started in 1999. See the US Mint website for full mintage numbers or look at Wikipedia. Even Google would provide this information.
http://www.usmint.gov/mint_programs/?action=50_state_quarters_program
http://www.usmint.gov/about_the_mint/coin_production/index.cfm?action=production_figures
I tend to think of the value of the program this way…
How many young numismatists started in the hobby due to the state quarters program? How many young people will start collecting because of park quarters? Answers: Many and probably many.
Now…
How many established, older numismatists collected non-error state quarters for themselves? How many established, older numismatists will collect non-error park quarters? Answers: Few and probably few.
In my opinion, these modern coin programs are well designed for the youth, and not the established collector. While there may be better ways to grow the hobby, a new quarters program is better than no program for youngsters.
Hmmmm “Over-Kill” comes to mind. I’m thinking that it’ll create less interest by most collectors. I was actually hoping that they’d go back to a regular quarter using a new design & stick with that for several more years which in turn would make the State-Hoods all that more coveted since they were limited. As another comment above stated a lot of the State-Hoods already have the Parks theme on them. How many birds, trees, fish, etc. will be on the new series & how many ways can ya make them look unique?
Now here’s a concept… How’s about ya put the new designs on “Dimes”. Now that would be cool & would stimulate interest in a whole new direction, since the dime has been the same for eons, now. I know the dime is smaller, but how much room do you need to stamp a fish or a bird on it? hmmm?
Just another opinion &
Thanks for listening.
President Bush just signed the bill into law today (Tuesday, December 23).
A blatant ripoff of the public to make money for the mint. No excuse for these coins ever being manufactured
A very bad idea, in my opinion. Special coins have to be limited to generate real interest. 50 state program was clearly outlined and enjoyed by many, and it should have been left as it was. A new quarter design should have been implemented upon the program completion to stay for decades. Now there’s a never ending new bunch of quarters every year, the interest is gone as it becomes too hard to track all those new coins which are becoming less unique and far less desirable.
If I didn’t complete the state quarters program, where do i go to do so? thank you.