Owner Comments:
COIN APPEARANCE/CONDITION:
America the Beautiful Series: Washington Quarter - "Great Sand Dunes National Park; Colorado" - Clad Proof Variety
TOP POP: Perfect 70 Proof — PCGS “American Flag” Special Label
*An absolutely stunning, “perfect” proof in all respects. The obverse has a gorgeous deep gold toning, particularly when reflecting light. Oddly, the reverse has no toning at all; but instead, is frosty, brilliant white. — The devices on the Washington obverse seem somewhat grainy; lack of sharp detail; low-relief. However, this seems to be how the issues were actually struck, as one can note this on all Great Sand Dunes Colorado Quarters.*
COIN BACKGROUND:
"The Great Sand Dunes National Park quarter is the fourth of 2014 and the 24th overall in the America the Beautiful Quarters Program. The reverse design features a father and son playing in the sand next to the creek bed. The distinctive mountains and sand dunes are featured in the background." — Credited Source: U.S. Mint
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Every variety, mint mark, and type of the Washington/Great Sand Dunes Colorado National Park “America The Beautiful” Quarter is included in this collection at the grade of 67 or better. All 5 issues are listed as follows:
- 2014-S "Washington/Great Sand Dunes, Colorado" America the Beautiful Quarter - Silver Proof (NGC PF-70 UC)
- 2014-S "Washington/Great Sand Dunes, Colorado" America the Beautiful Quarter - Clad Proof (PCGS PF-70 UC)
- 2014-P "Washington/Great Sand Dunes, Colorado" America the Beautiful Quarter - Business Strike (NGC MS-67)
- 2014-D “Washington/Great Sand Dunes, Colorado" America the Beautiful Quarter - Business Strike (PCGS MS-67)
- 2014-S "Washington/Great Sand Dunes, Colorado" America the Beautiful Quarter - Business Strike (NGC MS-67)
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San Francisco Business Strikes:
Over the course of the series, four mint marks were used on the America the Beautiful quarters. Quarters produced at the Philadelphia and Denver Mints feature the P and D mint marks respectively. In 2010 and 2011, the San Francisco Mint (S mint mark) produced quarters exclusively for the annual Proof Set. In 2012, San Francisco started producing America the Beautiful quarters in the standard circulation finish of the P and D quarters for sale to collectors. On April 2, 2019, the United States Mint announced that the West Point Mint would release 10,000,000 quarters (2,000,000 of each design released that year) with the "W" mint mark. This was the first time the mint mark appeared on a circulating coin.”
NOTE: The West Point Mint did “not” strike the 2014 Great Sand Dunes Quarter since 2019 was the first year they released/struck circulating coinage.
OBVERSE DESIGNER: John Flanagan
REVERSE DESIGNER: Don Everhart
CATALOG NUMBER: KM-569
RARITY: 843,238 (Mintage Number)
COIN DESCRIPTION:
(San Francisco Minted, Proof Strike, 75%Copper-25%Nickel Clad, 5.67 grams, 24.3mm, Round, Reeded Edge)
OBVERSE: United Stated of America / (Portrait of George Washington) / In / God We / Trust / Liberty / S / Quarter Dollar
REVERSE: Great Sand Dunes / (Portrait of Sand Dunes and Father/Son) / Colorado / E Pluribus Unum / 2014
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
"Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is a U.S. National Park located in the San Luis Valley, in the easternmost parts of Alamosa County and Saguache County, Colorado, United States. Originally created as Great Sand Dunes National Monument on March 17, 1932, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve was established by an act of the United States Congress on September 13, 2004. The park includes 44,246 acres, and the preserve protects an additional 41,686 acres. The park contains the tallest sand dunes in North America, rising about 750 feet (230 m) from the floor of the San Luis Valley on the western base of the Sangre de Cristo Range, covering about 19,000 acres. Researchers say that the dunes started forming less than 440,000 years ago." — Credited Source: Land Resource Division, National Park Service