Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Quarter
One of the most visually stunning quarters to be released for the year will be the 2012 Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Quarter. This will represent the fourteenth release in the overall series of America the Beautiful Quarters. The order of release is established based when the parks and sites were first federally designated.
Although a final design has not yet been selected by the Treasury Secretary, there has been a strong preference towards one of the five candidate designs. The favorite of both the Commission of Fine Arts and the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee presents a vivid image of a volcano erupting. Other candidates, which were met with less enthusiasm, include native dances in the foreground.
Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park is home to two of the world's most active volcanoes and offers a glimpse at the forces that gave birth to the Hawaiian islands. The area was established as a national park in 1916, after having been a popular tourist attraction during the past few decades. Diverse environments are encompasses within the park ranging from rain forest to eruptive sites.
The United States Mint will release the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Quarters into circulation during the second half of 2012. At an earlier date, numismatic versions of the coin should be available within various collector product offerings. Additionally, a five ounce silver bullion version will be released through US Mint authorized purchasers.