2010 Hot Springs National Park Quarter Launch Ceremony

The United States Mint will hold a launch ceremony for the Hot Springs National Park Quarter, on April 20, 2010 at 10:00 AM CT. This will be the first coin released in the new America the Beautiful Quarters Program.

The launch ceremony takes place one day after the circulation release date on April 19, 2010. (See 2010 America the Beautiful Quarter Release Dates) This seems to have been done to align the ceremony with the 178th anniversary date of the park. Hot Springs Reservation was created by Congress with the signature of President Andrew Jackson on April 20, 1832. The reservation later became a national park in 1921.

The United States Mint and National Park Service officials will hold the ceremony at the park administration building, located at 101 Reserve Street, Hot Springs, AR. Children under 18 who attend the ceremony will receive a free coin to commemorate the event. Birthday cake will also be served for the park's anniversary.

There will be a coin exchange following the ceremony where attendees can exchange currency for $10 rolls of Hot Springs Quarters. Park sources have indicated an exchange limit $100 per attendee, although the most recently issued US Mint press release does not mention a limit.

A coin forum will be held the evening before the ceremony on April 19, 2010 at 5:00 PM CT. The forum will be held at Quapaw Bath House, 413 Bathhouse Row, Hot Springs, AR.

Will America the Beautiful Quarter launch ceremonies prove to be big draws for coin collectors and park enthusiasts? This first ceremony may set the tone for those that follow.