PUBLIC LAW 110–456—DEC. 23, 2008 

AMERICA’S BEAUTIFUL NATIONAL PARKS 

QUARTER DOLLAR COIN ACT OF 2008 


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122 STAT. 5038 PUBLIC LAW 110–456—DEC. 23, 2008 

Public Law 110–456 

110th Congress 

An Act 

To provide for a program for circulating quarter dollar coins that are emblematic 

of a national park or other national site in each State, the District of Columbia, 

and each territory of the United States, and for other purposes. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 

the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘America’s Beautiful National 

Parks Quarter Dollar Coin Act of 2008’’. 

TITLE I—NATIONAL SITE QUARTER 

DOLLARS 

SEC. 101. FINDINGS. 

The Congress finds as follows: 

(1) Yellowstone National Park was established by an Act 

signed by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, as 

the Nation’s first national park. 

(2) The summer and autumn of 1890 saw the establishment 

of a number of national sites: 

(A) August 19: Chickamauga and Chattanooga established as national military parks in Georgia and Tennessee. 

(B) August 30: Antietam established as a national 

battlefield site in Maryland. 

(C) September 25: Sequoia National Park established 

in California. 

(D) September 27: Rock Creek Park established in 

the District of Columbia. 

(E) October 1: General Grant National Park established 

in California (and subsequently incorporated in Kings 

Canyon National Park). 

(F) October 1: Yosemite National Park established in 

California. 

(3) Theodore Roosevelt was this nation’s 26th President 

and is considered by many to be our ‘‘Conservationist President’’. 

(4) As a frequent visitor to the West, Theodore Roosevelt 

witnessed the virtual destruction of some big game species 

and the overgrazing that destroyed the grasslands and with 

them the habitats for small mammals and songbirds and conservation increasingly became one of his major concerns. 

31 USC 5112 

note. 

America’s 

Beautiful 

National Parks 

Quarter Dollar 

Coin Act of 2008. 

31 USC 5101 

note. 

Dec. 23, 2008 

[H.R. 6184] 


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PUBLIC LAW 110–456—DEC. 23, 2008 122 STAT. 5039 

(5) When he became President in 1901, Roosevelt pursued 

this interest in conservation by establishing the first 51 Bird 

Reserves, 4 Game Preserves, and 150 National Forests. 

(6) He also established the United States Forest Service, 

signed into law the creation of 5 National Parks, and signed 

the Act for the Preservation of American Antiquities in 1906 

under which he proclaimed 18 national monuments. 

(7) Approximately 230,000,000 acres of area within the 

United States was placed under public protection by Theodore 

Roosevelt. 

(8) Theodore Roosevelt said that nothing short of defending 

this country in wartime ‘‘compares in importance with the 

great central task of leaving this land even a better land 

for our descendants than it is for us’’. 

(9) The National Park Service was created by an Act signed 

by President Woodrow Wilson on August 25, 1916. 

(10) The National Park System comprises 391 areas covering more than 84,000,000 acres in every State (except Delaware), the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto 

Rico, and the Virgin Islands. 

(11) The sites or areas within the National Park System 

vary widely in size and type from vast natural wilderness 

to birthplaces of Presidents to world heritage archaeology sites 

to an African burial ground memorial in Manhattan and include 

national parks, monuments, battlefields, military parks, historical parks, historic sites, lakeshores, seashores, recreation 

areas, scenic rivers and trails, and the White House. 

(12) In addition to the sites within the National Park 

System, the United States has placed numerous other types 

of sites under various forms of conservancy, such as the national 

forests and sites within the National Wildlife Refuge System 

and on the National Register of Historic Places. 

SEC. 102. ISSUANCE OF REDESIGNED QUARTER DOLLARS EMBLEMATIC OF NATIONAL PARKS OR OTHER NATIONAL SITES 

IN EACH STATE, THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AND EACH 

TERRITORY. 

Section 5112 of title 31, United States Code, is amended by 

adding at the end the following new subsection: 

‘‘(t) REDESIGN AND ISSUANCE OF QUARTER DOLLARS EMBLEMATIC

OF NATIONAL SITES IN EACH STATE, THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, 

AND EACH TERRITORY.— 

‘‘(1) REDESIGN BEGINNING UPON COMPLETION OF PRIOR PROGRAM.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding the fourth sentence of subsection (d)(1) and subsection (d)(2), quarter 

dollars issued beginning in 2010 shall have designs on 

the reverse selected in accordance with this subsection 

which are emblematic of the national sites in the States, 

the District of Columbia and the territories of the United 

States. 

‘‘(B) FLEXIBILITY WITH REGARD TO PLACEMENT OF

INSCRIPTIONS.—Notwithstanding subsection (d)(1), the Secretary may select a design for quarter dollars referred 

to in subparagraph (A) in which— 


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122 STAT. 5040 PUBLIC LAW 110–456—DEC. 23, 2008 

‘‘(i) the inscription described in the second sentence 

of subsection (d)(1) appears on the reverse side of any 

such quarter dollars; and 

‘‘(ii) any inscription described in the third sentence 

of subsection (d)(1) or the designation of the value 

of the coin appears on the obverse side of any such 

quarter dollars. 

‘‘(C) INCLUSION OF DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AND TERRITORIES.—For purposes of this subsection, the term ‘State’ 

has the same meaning as in section 3(a)(3) of the Federal 

Deposit Insurance Act. 

‘‘(2) SINGLE SITE IN EACH STATE.—The design on the reverse 

side of each quarter dollar issued during the period of issuance 

under this subsection shall be emblematic of 1 national site 

in each State. 

‘‘(3) SELECTION OF SITE AND DESIGN.— 

‘‘(A) SITE.— 

‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The selection of a national park 

or other national site in each State to be honored 

with a coin under this subsection shall be made by 

the Secretary of the Treasury, after consultation with 

the Secretary of the Interior and the governor or other 

chief executive of each State with respect to which 

a coin is to be issued under this subsection, and after 

giving full and thoughtful consideration to national 

sites that are not under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior so that the national site chosen 

for each State shall be the most appropriate in terms 

of natural or historic significance. 

‘‘(ii) TIMING.—The selection process under clause 

(i) shall be completed before the end of the 270-day 

period beginning on the date of the enactment of the 

America’s Beautiful National Parks Quarter Dollar 

Coin Act of 2008. 

‘‘(B) DESIGN.—Each of the designs required under this 

subsection for quarter dollars shall be— 

‘‘(i) selected by the Secretary after consultation 

with— 

‘‘(I) the Secretary of the Interior; and 

‘‘(II) the Commission of Fine Arts; and 

‘‘(ii) reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory 

Committee. 

‘‘(C) SELECTION AND APPROVAL PROCESS.—Recommendations for site selections and designs for quarter 

dollars may be submitted in accordance with the site and 

design selection and approval process developed by the 

Secretary in the sole discretion of the Secretary. 

‘‘(D) PARTICIPATION IN DESIGN.—The Secretary may 

include participation by officials of the State, artists from 

the State, engravers of the United States Mint, and members of the general public. 

‘‘(E) STANDARDS.—Because it is important that the 

Nation’s coinage and currency bear dignified designs of 

which the citizens of the United States can be proud, 

the Secretary shall not select any frivolous or inappropriate 

design for any quarter dollar minted under this subsection. 


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PUBLIC LAW 110–456—DEC. 23, 2008 122 STAT. 5041 

‘‘(F) PROHIBITION ON CERTAIN REPRESENTATIONS.—No 

head and shoulders portrait or bust of any person, living 

or dead, no portrait of a living person, and no outline 

or map of a State may be included in the design on the 

reverse of any quarter dollar under this subsection. 

‘‘(4) ISSUANCE OF COINS.— ‘‘(A) ORDER OF ISSUANCE.—The quarter dollar coins 

issued under this subsection bearing designs of national 

sites shall be issued in the order in which the sites selected 

under paragraph (3) were first established as a national 

site. 

‘‘(B) RATE OF ISSUANCE.—The quarter dollar coins 

bearing designs of national sites under this subsection shall 

be issued at the rate of 5 new designs during each year 

of the period of issuance under this subsection. 

‘‘(C) NUMBER OF EACH OF 5 COIN DESIGNS IN EACH

YEAR.—Of the quarter dollar coins issued during each year 

of the period of issuance, the Secretary of the Treasury 

shall prescribe, on the basis of such factors as the Secretary 

determines to be appropriate, the number of quarter dollars 

which shall be issued with each of the designs selected 

for such year. 

‘‘(5) TREATMENT AS NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For purposes of 

sections 5134 and 5136, all coins minted under this subsection 

shall be considered to be numismatic items. 

‘‘(6) ISSUANCE.— 

‘‘(A) QUALITY OF COINS.—The Secretary may mint and 

issue such number of quarter dollars of each design selected 

under paragraph (3) in uncirculated and proof qualities 

as the Secretary determines to be appropriate. 

‘‘(B) SILVER COINS.—Notwithstanding subsection (b), 

the Secretary may mint and issue such number of quarter 

dollars of each design selected under paragraph (3) as 

the Secretary determines to be appropriate, with a content 

of 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper. 

‘‘(7) PERIOD OF ISSUANCE.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), the program established under this subsection shall continue in 

effect until a national site in each State has been honored. 

‘‘(B) SECOND ROUND AT DISCRETION OF SECRETARY.— 

‘‘(i) DETERMINATION.—The Secretary may make a 

determination before the end of the 9-year period 

beginning when the first quarter dollar is issued under 

this subsection to continue the period of issuance until 

a second national site in each State, the District of 

Columbia, and each territory referred to in this subsection has been honored with a design on a quarter 

dollar. 

‘‘(ii) NOTICE AND REPORT.—Within 30 days after 

making a determination under clause (i), the Secretary 

shall submit a written report on such determination 

to the Committee on Financial Services of the House 

of Representatives and the Committee on Banking, 

Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate. 

‘‘(iii) APPLICABILITY OF PROVISIONS.—If the Secretary makes a determination under clause (i), the 

provisions of this subsection applicable to site and 


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122 STAT. 5042 PUBLIC LAW 110–456—DEC. 23, 2008 

design selection and approval, the order, timing, and 

conditions of issuance shall apply in like manner as 

the initial issuance of quarter dollars under this subsection, except that the issuance of quarter dollars 

pursuant to such determination bearing the first design 

shall commence in order immediately following the 

last issuance of quarter dollars under the first round. 

‘‘(iv) CONTINUATION UNTIL ALL STATES ARE HON- ORED.—If the Secretary makes a determination under 

clause (i), the program under this subsection shall 

continue until a second site in each State has been 

so honored. 

‘‘(8) DESIGNS AFTER END OF PROGRAM.—Upon the completion of the coin program under this subsection, the design 

on— 

‘‘(A) the obverse of the quarter dollar shall revert to 

the same design containing an image of President Washington in effect for the quarter dollar before the institution 

of the 50-State quarter dollar program; and 

‘‘(B) notwithstanding the fourth sentence of subsection 

(d)(1), the reverse of the quarter dollar shall contain an 

image of General Washington crossing the Delaware River 

prior to the Battle of Trenton. 

‘‘(9) NATIONAL SITE.—For purposes of this subsection, the 

term ‘national site’ means any site under the supervision, 

management, or conservancy of the National Park Service, 

the United States Forest Service, the United States Fish and 

Wildlife Service, or any similar department or agency of the 

Federal Government, including any national park, national 

monument, national battlefield, national military park, national 

historical park, national historic site, national lakeshore, seashore, recreation area, parkway, scenic river, or trail and any 

site in the National Wildlife Refuge System. 

‘‘(10) APPLICATION IN EVENT OF INDEPENDENCE.—If any 

territory becomes independent or otherwise ceases to be a territory or possession of the United States before quarter dollars 

bearing designs which are emblematic of such territory are 

minted pursuant to this subsection, this subsection shall cease 

to apply with respect to such territory.’’. 

TITLE II—BULLION INVESTMENT 

PRODUCTS 

SEC. 201. SILVER BULLION COIN. 

Section 5112 of title 31, United States Code, is amended by 

inserting after subsection (t) (as added by title I of this Act) the 

following new subsection: 

‘‘(u) SILVER BULLION INVESTMENT PRODUCT.— ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall strike and make 

available for sale such number of bullion coins as the Secretary 

determines to be appropriate that are exact duplicates of the 

quarter dollars issued under subsection (t), each of which 

shall— 

‘‘(A) have a diameter of 3.0 inches and weigh 5.0 

ounces; 

‘‘(B) contain .999 fine silver; 


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PUBLIC LAW 110–456—DEC. 23, 2008 122 STAT. 5043 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 6184: 

HOUSE REPORTS: No. 110–748 (Comm. on Financial Services). 

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 154 (2008): 

July 9, considered and passed House. 

Dec. 10, considered and passed Senate. 

Æ 

‘‘(C) have incused into the edge the fineness and weight 

of the bullion coin; 

‘‘(D) bear an inscription of the denomination of such 

coin, which shall be ‘quarter dollar’; and 

‘‘(E) not be minted or issued by the United States 

Mint as so-called ‘fractional’ bullion coins or in any size 

other than the size described in paragraph (A). 

‘‘(2) AVAILABILITY FOR SALE.—Bullion coins minted under 

paragraph (1)— 

‘‘(A) shall become available for sale no sooner than 

the first day of the calendar year in which the circulating 

quarter dollar of which such bullion coin is a duplicate 

is issued; and 

‘‘(B) may only be available for sale during the year 

in which such circulating quarter dollar is issued. 

‘‘(3) DISTRIBUTION.— ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In addition to the authorized dealers 

utilized by the Secretary in distributing bullion coins and 

solely for purposes of distributing bullion coins issued under 

this subsection, the Director of the National Park Service, 

or the designee of the Director, may purchase numismatic 

items issued under this subsection, but only in units of 

no fewer than 1,000 at a time, and the Director, or the 

Director’s designee, may resell or repackage such numismatic items as the Director determines to be appropriate. 

‘‘(B) RESALE.—The Director of the National Park 

Service, or the designee of the Director, may resell, at 

cost and without repackaging, numismatic items acquired 

by the Director or such designee under subparagraph (A) 

to any party affiliated with any national site honored by 

a quarter dollar under subsection (t) for repackaging and 

resale by such party in the same manner and to the same 

extent as such party would be authorized to engage in 

such activities under subparagraph (A) if the party were 

acting as the designee of the Director under such subparagraph.’’. 

Approved December 23, 2008. 


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