2016 Shawnee National Forest Quarter
Thirty-First in the America the Beautiful Quarters Collection
Shawnee National Forest in Illinois is featured on the first of five America the Beautiful Quarters issued by the U.S. Mint in 2016. It is also the thirty-first coin in the complete series that started in 2010 and will eventually include a National Park or other national site in each state, the District of Columbia, and the five overseas U.S. territories.
Shawnee National Forest covers more than 286,000 acres in southern Illinois between the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. The only National Forest in Illinois, it is within a day’s drive of more than 45 million people. It includes farmland that was abandoned during the Great Depression but which was reclaimed as a “New Deal Forest” by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939. Much of the farmland was planted with fast-growing pines by the Civilian Conservation Corps, while the remainder of the forest includes mature hardwood trees.
In addition to forested areas, Shawnee National Forest also features lakes, wetlands that provide a habitat for waterfowl in the Mississippi flyway, several wilderness areas, and beautiful landscapes that are highlighted by the Garden of the Gods Recreation Area. Other popular locations are Cedar Lake, High Knob, and Little Grand Canyon, as well as Ohio River National Scenic Byway, Great River Road National Scenic Byway, and the River to River Trail.
The reverse of the Shawnee National Forest Quarter shows Camel Rock, a famous sandstone rock formation that can be seen from the Observation Trail in the Garden of the Gods. The design also includes natural vegetation in the foreground and a red-tailed hawk above the rocks; the red-tailed hawk is a bird of prey that is commonly seen in the forest.
This is a 4-piece set honoring the State of Illinois. This set includes an Uncirculated Platinum Plated Philadelphia and Denver Illinois Series I State Quarter (issued in 2003) as well as an Uncirculated Platinum Plated Philadelphia & Denver Series II Shawnee National Forest Quarter (issued in 2016). Each quarter in this Series 1 & 2 set is uncirculated and presented in our custom lens display. A certificate of authenticity is included which features a detailed descriptions of each Quarter's design.
Illinois Series 1 & 2 - Four Piece Quarter Set - Platinum
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