On Thursday, November 17, the United States Mint joined the National Park Service to launch the America the Beautiful Quarters® Program coin honoring Fort Moultrie (Fort Sumter National Monument) in South Carolina.
The coin’s reverse depicts Sergeant William Jasper returning the regimental flag to the ramparts while under attack from British ships.
“This new coin stands as a tribute to the bravery and self-sacrifice of those who believed our fledgling Nation deserved a fighting chance,” said Mint Chief Counsel Jean Gentry.
Additional participants in the ceremony included Barclay Trimble of the National Park Service Southeast Regional Office; Timothy Stone, Superintendent of the Fort Sumter National Monument; Pat O’Neil, Mayor of Sullivan’s Island; Dan Head, Regional Director for U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham; Kathy Crawford, Regional Director for U.S. Senator Tim Scott; Bill Saunders, Regional Director for U.S. Representative Jim Clyburn; and Laurie Turner, Regional Director for U.S. Representative Mark Sanford.
Beautiful weather drew a crowd of 1,000 people, including 300 local schoolchildren. Event highlights included a coin forum the evening before the event; a special firing of reproduction muskets during the ceremony by National Park Service staff in period attire; and a coin exchange, where event attendees traded their cash for $24, 000 in Philadelphia (P) $10 rolls of newly-minted Fort Moultrie (Fort Sumter National Monument) quarters.
Fort Moultrie National Park Quarter Launch Ceremony. Photo Credit: U.S. Mint
The coin forum held in association with the event was attended by 67 people.
The Mint is offering products featuring the Fort Moultrie (Fort Sumter National Monument) quarter for sale directly to the public. To place an order, visit the bureau’s online catalog at http://catalog.usmint.gov/coin-programs/america-the-beautiful-quarters-program/ or call 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468).
The Fort Moultrie (Fort Sumter National Monument) quarter is the 35th release in the United States Mint America the Beautiful Quarters Program, a 12-year initiative to honor 56 national parks and other national sites authorized by Public Law 110-456. Each year, the public sees five new national sites depicted on the reverses of the America the Beautiful Quarters. The Mint is issuing these quarters in the order in which the national sites were officially established.
About the United States Mint
The United States Mint was created by Congress in 1792 and became part of the Department of the Treasury in 1873. It is the Nation’s sole manufacturer of legal tender coinage and is responsible for producing circulating coinage for the Nation to conduct its trade and commerce.
The United States Mint also produces numismatic products, including proof, uncirculated, and commemorative coins; Congressional Gold Medals; and silver and gold bullion coins. The United States Mint’s numismatic programs are self-sustaining and operate at no cost to taxpayers.
