Prooflike US Type Set
25C AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL (2010-)


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Coin Details

  

Set Details
Origin/Country: United States
Design Description: QUARTER DOLLARS - AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL
Item Description: 25C 2016 D FORT MOULTRIE ATB UNCIRCULATED SET
Grade: NGC MS 67 PL
Owner: physics-fan3.14
 
Winning Set: Prooflike US Type Set
Date Added: 11/27/2017
Research: See NGC's Census Report for this Coin

Owner's Description

Total Graded: 43982
Total Prooflike: 2577
Percentage: 5.8952%

When the immensely popular State Quarter series ended, the follow up in 2010 was the America the Beautiful series, showcasing national parks in each state. The State Quarters were often mundane and boring, but the ATB quarters seem to be trying to make a genuine effort to be attractive, and showcase the beauty or significance of each park. Some are more successful than others, but the effort is appreciated. Prooflike coins are surprisingly hard to find for the first several years of this series, but begin to become more common starting with the issues of 2013 (2015 is incredibly common in PL, for some reason). Before 2015, nearly the entire population of prooflike coins came from the Great Smoky Mountains and the Shenandoah releases. Starting in 2015 (and continuing through the present), each type is actually fairly common in PL. The percentage graded, nearly 6%, is the highest of any other series by a wide margin (including Morgan Dollars at around 3%). 67PL is by far the most common grade; I wouldn’t recommend buying one below that. 68PLs are available, but are often overpriced (if you can get a 68PL for a reasonable price, grab it).

As with the State quarters, the representative ATB in my set is a SC quarter. This coin depicts Forts Moultrie and Sumter, in my hometown of Charleston. I’ve visited these historic sites on numerous occasions. The coin itself is a fairly standard 67PL – good strike, few marks, deep mirrors, etc. But what it represents to me is why this coin is significant.

The coin depicts a Revolutionary war soldier carrying the battleflag of South Carolina, in defiance against the British war ships attacking this crucial fort. Fort Moultrie defended Charleston harbor – if the fort fell, the city fell. However, the fort was constructed of Palmetto logs, and the cannonballs just bounced against the spongy walls of the fort. Fort Moultrie withstood the attack of the British, and successfully repelled the attack. Later, in the Civil War, Fort Moultrie was involved in the Battles of Fort Sumter (both of them) – Fort Sumter is on an island in the harbor, in clear view of Fort Moultrie. When I was growing up, these legendary forts were part of the standard field trip itinerary for schoolchildren. Even as an adult, I occasionally visit them because they are interesting and important parts of our history.

The SC Fort Moultrie coin is even more significant to me, however, because I was able to attend the release ceremony for the coin. Mint officials, Park officials, local numismatic personnel, and citizens all gathered at the fort for a ceremony. There was pageantry from our local military college (The Citadel), bands played, local artists performed, and it was a magnificent display. We gathered on the beach-head in front of the fort, not too far from the scene depicted on the coin. The second picture I have shown here is actually the “official release” of the Fort Moultrie quarter. An official from the mint had a bag of the quarters, and, joined by park officials, they poured the quarters into a bowl and passed them out to all the kids in attendance. The fort today is in the background, featuring an imposing 30 foot wall (upgraded in the early 1800’s into a solid brick structure).

Believe it or not, the Fort Moultrie coin has even more personal significance: Edgar Allen Poe was stationed at Fort Moultrie in the 1830’s. He wrote several famous stories during his time stationed here, including “The Gold Bug”, which was actually set in the area. My last name is Poe (even though I’m not directly related). There is a restaurant near the fort called “Poe’s Tavern,” and I stop in whenever I go to the fort. It is a really cool link to the past, and this coin memorializes both my hometown, and my personal connection to Poe.

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