Theodore Roosevelt National Parks Quarters
Beginning in 2010 the States Quarter Program is going to be replaced by the National Parks Quarter Program. The National Parks Quarters Program will be active for 10 years similar to the State Quarter Program. However, one interesting twist is that there is some momentum for replacing the picture of George Washington on the quarter to the picture of Theodore Roosevelt.
President Theodore Roosevelt was a huge proponent of creating national parks, including the creation of Yellowstone National Park and Grand Canyon National Park. It would be interesting to honor President Roosevelt’s contribution to the United States national parks by including him on the obverse of these National Parks quarters.
In addition to being the father of the United States National Parks, Teddy Roosevelt ushered in many modern US coin designs. Prior to the Roosevelt Administration, US coinage was dominated by the designs of Charles E. Barber. You had the Barber Dime, Barber Quarter, and Barber Half Dollar all containing the famous Barber coin design. But, President Roosevelt did not like the Barber coin design and he reached out to Augustus Saint Gaudens, Victor David Brenner and Bela Lyon Pratt to create some new coin designs.
I think that it would be great to temporarily remove George Washington from the US quarter. However, I would not want George Washington to be removed forever. I think George Washington deserves to be on our coinage. Maybe, during the National Parks Quarters Program, the United States Mint could produce a George Washington Half Dollar. But, no matter, Theodore Roosevelt National Parks Quarters would be great.
Tags: national parks quarters, saint gaudens coins, state quarters
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Comments (1)
August 21st, 2009 at 1:17 pm
I’m all for Theodore Roosevet/National Parks quarters! and I’d like to seecommemorative half dollars made too!! Along with the state quartes and the National Parks quarters from each state, why can’t we have each state flag, or state bird, on the reverse of the half dollar?! I’d also like to see the presidential portraits on each coin change every now and then!!! I believe that we have 39 former presidents that have passed away, and I wonder why we can’t have a portrait of each president on a coin. Sure, we have the presidential dollar program currently ongoing, but why can’t we also have the same kind of program with the half dollars as well?! The British Mint has new reverse designs on several of their coins every year, and having visited the U.K. several times I can honestly say that I’ve never had a problem idenifying any of their coins! “Change” is good, especially is one branch of the government (the Mint) can make a prfit while doing so!!!