Yosemite National Park comprises over 760,000 acres of central California, reaching eastward towards the Sierra Nevada mountain range. While not the first designated site, it was central to the national park idea, thanks to the work done by Galen Clark and John Muir. Clark, along with others, advocated for the area to be protected, which culminated with an Act of Congress which created the Yosemite Grant in 1864. This was the first time federal power was used to protect a wilderness area, providing the precedence to later designate Yellowstone as a National Park. Recent efforts to protect and preserve the natural beauty of the site include the installment of two all-electric buses, as well as plans to restricting gas-powered traffic only to guests registered at Yosemite Valley hotels.
The Yosemite National Park Quarter reverse shows El Capitan, a 3,000-foot vertical rock formation. It is one of the most popular locations in the park due to its diverse climbing routes and its year-round accessibility. Another rock formation within the park known as the Half Dome appeared with John Muir on the California State Quarter in 2005.
The circulation release date for the Yosemite Quarter is July 26, 2010. The new quarters will also be available in the following U.S. Mint products:
- in 2-roll sets from the Philadelphia and Denver mints
- in 100-coin bags from the Philadelphia and Denver mints
- as part of the 2010 America the Beautiful Quarter Proof Set and Silver Proof Set
- as part of the 2010 Uncirculated Mint Set
- as part of the 2010 Proof Set and Silver Proof Set
- in the 2010 Yosemite National Park Quarter Three-Coin Set
- as part of the 2010 America the Beautiful Quarters Uncirculated Coin Set
- as part of the 2010 America the Beautiful Quarters Circulating Coin Set
Visit www.usmint.gov for current prices and to order, as well as calling 800-USA-MINT (872-6468).
A launch ceremony for the Yellowstone National Park Quarter is scheduled to take place on July 29, 2010 at 11:00 AM Pacific Time. The ceremony will be held at the park's main visitors center in Yosemite Village in the Yosemite Valley.
Les Peters publishes a coin blog titled Tales of a Lifelong Coin Collector that describes his experiences related to collecting coins.
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For those who are interested, the general public is invited to gather at the Yosemite Valley Visitor’s Center where the launch will take place. There will be live music, special guest speakers, and children under the age of 18 will receive a free Yosemite National Park quarter to commemorate this special day. If you can’t make it to the event, you can check out the live webcast at http://bit.ly/b2Oxmd The webcast starts at 10:55 am (PT).