2011 Chickasaw America the Beautiful Quarter
The 2011 Chickasaw America the Beautiful Quarter will represent the final release of the year 2011 for the new quarter series created to feature images and scenes from National Parks and National Sites of America. It will be the tenth release of the series overall. The site Chickasaw National Recreation Area was selected as the site to be depicted for the state of Oklahoma.
Although the release of the coin won’t take place until the final months of 2011, the United States Mint has prepared design candidates for review by the Commission of Fine Arts and the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee. The CFA deemed all of the designs unsatisfactory and likened them to mediocre vignettes of park landscapes. The CCAC favored design OK-01, although they did not believe the inclusion of a tourist in the image was a wise choice. The final design will be selected the the Treasury Secretary.
Check back at this page as the year of release approaches for further information on the Oklahoma America the Beautiful Quarter.
About Chickasaw National Recreation Area
The history of the United States will forever be entwined with the legacy of the native people’s that already inhabited the continent when European settlers, first arrived. It is unfortunate that the early interactions with these Native Americans were strained, and for lack of knowledge and tolerance, the early settlers often treated them with far less respect than they deserved. Throughout the years, the American government has slowly come to realize that the legacy of the Native Americans is just as important to understanding the history of this country as is the legacy of the early pioneers. Chickasaw National Recreation Area is one way that the federal government has sought to honor the memory of these native peoples.
During the 1830’s many of the native tribes that were living peacefully in the Southeastern United States were relocated to reservations that the government had designated for them to be able to live out their traditional lifestyles without harm. The wooded hills and areas of southern Oklahoma were one of these areas, and it was here that the Chickasaw Indian Nation was placed.
Later, the Chickasaw Nation sold the land to the federal government as a park. Although this area was originally created as the Sulphur Springs Reservation in 1902, it was dedicated as the Platt National Park in 1906. It has since been renamed again, but still remains one of the most beautiful places to enjoy natural rivers, streams and lakes.
