2011 Gettysburg America the Beautiful Quarter
Design Proposals for the Gettysburg America the Beautiful Quarter
The 2011 Gettysburg America the Beautiful Quarter will represent the sixth release of the new circulating commemorative quarter dollar series. The subject of the reverse design will be Gettysburg National Military Park located in the state of Pennsylvania. The quarter will represent the first release of 2011 for the America the Beautiful Quarter series.
When the site selection was announced by the United States Mint, the Governor of Pennsylvania remarked, “Gettysburg National Military Park - the nation’s most visited Civil War battlefield — is deeply moving and yet extremely beautiful park and a true national and Pennsylvania treasure.”
The United States Mint has already prepared design candidates for the Gettysburg Quarter, which were reviewed by the Commission of Fine Arts and the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee. The final design selection will be determined by the United States Treasury Secretary after considering input from the review of various committees and individuals. The CFA favored design PA-01, while the CCAC preferred PA-03.
About Gettysburg National Military Park
The purpose of national parks is to preserve an area that is special so that it can be enjoyed by future generations. Although many of these national areas are wild and untouched by human hands and meant to teach us about the importance of preserving nature, some are meant to teach us about the bravery and dedication of the Americans that have come before us. Gettysburg National Military Park is the site of an important turning point in he Civil War.
In the summer of 1863, General Robert E. Lee was planning a second and even more aggressive attack on the Union troops that were stationed in the North. Few people realize that Lee’s army was gaining momentum at this point in the war, and many people thought that his attack on Gettysburg would be successful, and the Confederacy might win the war. The Union soldiers stationed at Gettysburg had other ideas. In one of the bloodiest battles in the entire war, with over fifty thousand people dead, Union soldiers stood strong and prevailed.
After this historic battle, President Abraham Lincoln stood at Gettysburg to deliver his famous “Gettysburg Address” which still inspires Americans to protect their country today. It would not be until 1895 when concerned citizens would remind the government of the important events that took place on the field at Gettysburg, that the site would be established as Gettysburg National Military Park.
