WASHINGTON — Because of COVID-19 concerns disrupting the production chain, 2020 Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve quarter dollars won’t be distributed into general circulation until late July or early August, according to U.S. Mint officials.
Todd Martin, acting director of the Mint’s Office of Corporate Communications, told Coin World by email July 8 that 2020-P and 2020-D Salt River Bay quarter dollars, representing the U.S. Virgin Islands, were distributed into circulation as scheduled June 1.
“The Salt River Bay V75/W quarters will be mixed in with shipments in late July and early August,” Martin said.
Meanwhile, thoughts of a tropical escape may come to mind when collectors consider the new United States Mint release celebrating the Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve.
Product options include Salt River Bay quarters in rolls, bags and a three-coin set. These new quarter dollars showcase a reverse (tails side) design honoring the national site in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The St. Croix park is jointly managed by the National Park Service and Government of the United States Virgin Islands. The 1,015-acre park was established by Congress in 1992 to:
“Preserve, protect, and interpret for the benefit of present and future generations certain nationally significant historical, cultural, and natural sites and resources in the Virgin Islands.”
In addition to many archaeological sites, the park contains coral reefs, a submarine canyon and some of the largest remaining mangrove forests in the Virgin Islands.
Salt River Bay Quarter Designs
A single immature red mangrove tree appears as the focal point on the reverse of the Salt River Bay quarter. The design is meant to bring awareness to the park’s endangered mangrove forests and the unique and delicate nature of how the species reproduce in salt water.
Inscriptions on the reverse include “SALT RIVER BAY,” “U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS,” “2020,” and “E PLURIBUS UNUM.” Richard Masters created the design and Joseph Menna sculpted it.
This coin marks the fifty-third of fifty-six strikes in the United States Mint’s America the Beautiful Quarters® Program. Like all other program coins, the obverse (heads side) offers the John Flanagan portrait of George Washington.
Inscriptions around the portrait read “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “LIBERTY,” “IN GOD WE TRUST” and “QUARTER DOLLAR.” Mintmarks are also found on the obverse with “P” for the Philadelphia Mint, “D” for the Denver Mint and “S” for the San Francisco Mint.
Salt River Bay Quarter Three-Coin Set
The newly available Salt River Bay Three-Coin Set includes the following three strikes:
- one 2020-S proof quarter from the San Francisco Mint,
- one 2020-P uncirculated quarter from the Philadelphia Mint and,
- one 2020-D uncirculated quarter from the Denver Mint.
All three coins come attached to a durable presentation card which offers a photographic image of Salt River Bay.
The back of the card offers summary information about the park, the coins themselves and a certificate of authenticity.
The three-coin set is priced at $11.50.
Salt River Bay Quarter Bags and Rolls
Six production options are included in the quarter rolls and bags. All contain circulation quality quarters taken from the production floors of the associated U.S. Mint facility.
Options and pricing are:
| Product | US Mint Production Facility | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 40-coin rolls | San Francisco | $19.75 |
| Two-roll sets | 40 Philadelphia & 40 Denver coins | $34.50 |
| Three-roll sets | 40 San Francisco, 40 Philadelphia, & 40 Denver | $49.25 |
| 100-coin bags | San Francisco | $36.75 |
| 100-coin bags | Philadelphia | $36.75 |
| 100-coin bags | Denver | $36.75 |
The Philadelphia and Denver Mints strike the circulating coinage of the nation, so Salt River Bay quarters from these facilities may eventually be seen in circulation. The San Francisco produced quarters, however, are only minted for numismatic purposes such as for these bags and rolls.
Ordering
Three-coin sets and the quarter rolls and bags may be ordered directly from the U.S. Mint’s online store for America the Beautiful products located here.
This quarter release is the third in the Mint’s America the Beautiful series for the year following coin’s honoring the National Park of American Samoa and the Weir Farm National Historic Site of Connecticut. Two more will follow later this year showcasing designs depicting Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park of Vermont and the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve of Kansas.
“Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National [Historical] Park and Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve America The Beautiful quarters will have V75/W quarters mixed in when they are released by the FRB [Federal Reserve Banks] on August 31 and November 16, respectively. Due to COVID-19, quarters were not distributed via a special process this year as previously planned. They were distributed via the Federal Reserve System’s standard procedures.
https://www.coinworld.com/news/us-coins/2020-w-salt-river-bay-quarter-release-delayed