Nebraska America the Beautiful Quarter
The first quarter released in 2015 will be the Nebraska America the Beautiful Quarter. This will represent the twenty sixth release overall for the America the Beautiful Quarters Program, which began in 2010.
The obverse of the quarter will feature a portrait of George Washington that has been restored based on John Flanagan’s original design for the 1932 Washington Quarter. The reverse of the coin will feature images emblematic or representative of Homestead National Monument of America located in Nebraska.
The superintendent of Homestead has stated that they will work with the United States Mint through the design process to develop a design that encompasses the importance of the National Monument and the Homestead Act. It should help people understand the importance and encourage them to learn more.
About Homestead National Monument of America
Have you ever wondered what motivated the early American citizens to leave the heavily populated east coast of the country and venture in to the wild unknown of central and western America? One of the most significant events in the westward expansion was the Homestead Act of 1862. This Act was decreed by the federal government as a way to encourage people to settle down on the wild prairies and mountain areas of the central and western country side of the country by offering them free land if they would just come and live on it.
The passing of the Homestead Act was monumental, people with no money but strong willpower now had the same chance as wealthy people to have their own tract of land, and all they had to do was survive on it. This of course, proved easier said than done in some instances, and the stories of many of the first pioneers, including the famous Laura Ingalls Wilder, are threaded with heartache and loss.
The Homestead National Monument of America was established in March of 1936 as a way to recognize the huge impact that the Homestead Act had on the shape and size of this country. Visitors are welcomed to visit the Homestead National Monument for free in celebration of the act that allowed almost ten percent of the entire mass of the United States to be settled by brave pioneers.
