SMYRNA, Del. – Senator Coons was on hand on Friday to help unveil the latest in the America the Beautiful quarter series at the Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge. This was special though, as it was Delaware’s very own quarter, featuring the wetlands of Bombay Hook. The quarter features a portrait of George Washington on the heads side and on the tails side, a great blue heron in the foreground and a great egret in the background, just two of the 276 species found at the preserve. This quarter is the 29th of 56 quarters featuring America’s national parks and other landmarks.
“This quarter is a great symbol of the natural beauty we have here in Delaware, as well as an important reminder of the key role Bombay Hook plays in the migration of many of our wildlife. We hope this quarter will remind holders that it’s up to us to protect the environment and the species that rely on it to survive and thrive.”
Former U.S. congressman Mike Castle is widely considered one of the founding fathers of the collectable coins, which started as the state quarter series and continued into the America the Beautiful series. Castle, understanding that the quarter costs four cents to make, and if people collected these quarters taking them out of circulation, the would be a $.21 “float.” The Treasury estimates the quarters program has raised between 4-5 billion dollars.
The quarter was designed by United States Mint Artistic Infusion Program artist Joel Iskowitz and engraved by US Min Sculptor/Engraver Phebe Hemphill.