News Release
U.S. Mint photo by Jill Westeyn
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Contact: Justine Hanrahan, 2105348875
Today, the United States Mint and the National Park Service officially launched the America the Beautiful Quarters® Program coin honoring San Antonio Missions National Historical Park in Texas. Over one thousand visitors from San Antonio and across the country filled the Laurie Auditorium at Trinity University to celebrate the new coin. Over 40 mission descendants, the living legacy of ancestors who helped to build the historic missions, attended the ceremony.The San Antonio Missions National Historical Park Quarter design references the Spanish Colonial Real coin, calling on a classic style to reference the coinage of historic San Antonio. Within the quadrants, the coin depicts four key elements of the park: wheat symbolizes farming; arches and bell symbolize community; a lion represents heritage; and the San Antonio River represents life sustaining resources. This is the fourth America the Beautiful Quarters® Program coin of 2019, and the 49th coin released overall in the program.
In her remarks to the crowd, Mardi Arce, San Antonio Missions National Historical Park Superintendent, said, “What a great day for San Antonio Missions National Historical Park and the State of Texas. This is a beautiful quarter and I am proud to be representing the national park that is on this coin.”
Mint Acting Deputy Director Patrick Hernandez said, “The San Antonio Missions quarter serves as a reminder of the importance of diverse people coming together, sharing their skills and heritage, to form self-sustaining, multicultural communities.”
Additional guest speakers included U.S. Congressman Lloyd Doggett, Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller, and Trinity University President Danny J. Anderson. Bill Taylor, local CBS-affiliate weather chief from KENS 5, served as the emcee. Special thanks to Trinity University for donating the auditorium space for this special event. Mint Artistic Infusion Program member Chris Costello, who designed the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park quarter, received acknowledgement during the ceremony. Video footage of Costello, along with that of Mint Chief Engraver Joseph Menna, discussing their work on the quarter is available on the Mint’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/USMINT.
In addition to the launch ceremony, the public was invited to the Mint’s customary coin forum on the eve of the launch ceremony. Attendees at the coin forum learned about upcoming United States Mint coin programs and initiatives, and expressed views about future coinage.
Following the launch ceremony, attendees exchanged $10 rolls of San Antonio Missions National Historical Park quarters. San Antonio Missions National Historical Park is a unit of the National Park Service in San Antonio, Texas. The missions of San Antonio, established along the San Antonio River in the 1700s, were among the largest concentrations of Spanish missions in North America. They were multicultural communities that helped to lay the foundation for the city of San Antonio. Mission Concepción, Mission San José, Mission San Juan, and Mission Espada are managed by the National Park Service.
In addition to The Alamo, these sites were designated a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site in 2015. Today, the four mission churches are still active churches. San Antonio Missions National Historical Park also includes Rancho de las Cabras, the ranch associated with Mission Espada, in Floresville, Texas.
The America the Beautiful Quarters® Program is a 12-year initiative that honors 56 national parks and other national sites authorized by Public Law 110-456. Each year until 2020, the public will see five new national sites depicted on the reverses (tails sides) of the America the Beautiful Quarters coins, with a final coin scheduled for release in 2021. The Mint is issuing these quarters in the order in which the national sites were officially established.
Last updated: September 6, 2019