2012 El Yunque Quarter
The 2012 El Yunque National Forest Quarter will be issued by the United States Mint as the first 2012-dated strike of the America the Beautiful Quarters® Program.
2012 El Yunque National Forest Quarter
These El Yunque Quarters are scheduled to be released into circulation by the Federal Reserve Bank system on January 23, 2012. On that same day, bags and rolls of the quarters struck to circulation quality should also be available from the US Mint.
Showcased on the reverse of the El Yunque Quarter will be a design emblematic of El Yunque National Forest of Puerto Rico. The forest's importance and beauty was acknowledged in 1876 by King Alfonso XII of Spain who set aside the area as a reserve when Puerto Rico was under the control of Spain.
In 1903, with Puerto Rico now under the control of the United States, the area was named the Luquillo Forest Reserve by the General Land Office, becoming a national forest three years later. Its named changed to the Caribbean National Forest in 1935 finally becoming the El Yunque National Forest in 2007.
Today the forest encompasses an area of 28,002 acres and receives hundreds of thousands of visitors a year who enjoy the intense vegetation and many creatures of the region.
El Yunque Quarter Design
The obverse of the El Yunque National Forest Quarter shows a portrait of George Washington, just as all of the other strikes of the America the Beautiful Quarters Program. This portrait was originally completed by John Flanagan for the 1932 circulating quarter dollar and has been featured on quarters ever since. Obverse inscriptions include UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, QUARTER DOLLAR, LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST and the mintmark.
The reverse of the strike contains the design emblematic of El Yunque National Forest. It shows a Coqui tree frog sitting on a leaf and a Puerto Rican parrot both in the dense vegetation of the forest. The design was completed by by United States Mint Artistic Infusion Program (AIP) Master Designer Gary Whitley and sculpted by United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Michael Gaudioso. The reverse also shows the inscriptions of EL YUNQUE, PUERTO RICO, 2012 and E PLURIBUS UNUM.
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US $15.10
El Yunque Quarter Specifications
Mintmark: P, D, S
Composition: 91.67% Copper, 8.33% Nickel
Weight: 5.670 g
Diameter: 24.26 mm
Date of Issue: January 23, 2012
Mintages: Based on Demand
Obverse Designer/Sculptor: John Flanagan
Reverse Designer/Sculptor: Gary Whitley / Michael Gaudioso
