Hawaii residents will be among the first to get their hands on a new quarter featuring a Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park design.
The design on the reverse or tails side depicts an eruption with flowing lava on the East Rift Zone of Kilauea Volcano, along with the inscriptions “Hawai‘i Volcanoes, Hawaii, 2012” and “E Pluribus Unum.”
It is the fourth of five quarter designs for 2012 from the U.S. Mint and the 14th overall in the America the Beautiful Quarters Program, which began in 2010 to honor 56 national parks and other national sites.
The public is invited to attend an unveiling at a ceremonial coin pour 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Kahua Hula, south of the Kilauea Visitor Center. The backdrop for the quarter launch ceremony is the open view of Halemaumau erupting.
“They really exceed the face value of 25 cents,” said Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park spokeswoman Jessica Ferracane. “People can pull a quarter from their pockets and be reminded of this extraordinary destination, and it may inspire people to visit the island of Hawaii and visit Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. And that’s what we’re really excited about.”
“The park is the most visited attraction on the island of Hawaii and oftentimes in the state,” she said.
After a performance by a hula halau, U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye and David Croft, plant manager of the U.S. Mint in Denver, will pour 2,000 newly minted coins from an ipu onto a wooden platter, said Ferracane. Schoolchildren in attendance will receive a free quarter, she said. The public may buy a minimum $10 roll of the new quarters or a maximum 10 rolls for $100.
Individuals from the park and the U.S. Mint contributed to the choice of design, Ferracane said.
“This quarter is really the icing on the cake for this extraordinary year we’ve had,” Ferracane said.
This year marks the 96th birthday of the park.
The new coins will be available at HFS Federal Credit Union while supplies last, or can be ordered from local banks.
Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner selected the list of sites to be honored after consulting with the governor of each host jurisdiction and Secretary of the Interior Kenneth Salazar.
U.S. Mint designs for 2012 also include Denali National Park & Preserve (Alaska), Acadia National Park (Maine), Chaco Culture National Historical Park (New Mexico) and El Yunque National Forest (Puerto Rico).
