America's Beautiful National Parks Quarter Dollar Coin Act of 2008
PL 110-456 (H.R.6184), enacted 12/23/2008

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 estab-
lished 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 Presi-
dent’’. 
(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 con-
servation 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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122 STAT. 5039 
PUBLIC LAW 110–456—DEC. 23, 2008 
(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 cov-
ering more than 84,000,000 acres in every State (except Dela-
ware), 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, histor-
ical 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 EMBLEM-
ATIC 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 PRO-
GRAM.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Notwithstanding the fourth sen-
tence 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 Sec-
retary 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 TERRI-
TORIES.—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 Sec-
retary 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.—Rec-
ommendations 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 mem-
bers 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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122 STAT. 5041 
PUBLIC LAW 110–456—DEC. 23, 2008 
‘‘(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 pro-
gram 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 sub-
section 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 Sec-
retary 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 sub-
section, 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 comple-
tion 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 Wash-
ington 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, sea-
shore, 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 terri-
tory 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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122 STAT. 5043 
PUBLIC LAW 110–456—DEC. 23, 2008 
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. 
‘‘(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 numis-
matic 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 subpara-
graph.’’. 
Approved December 23, 2008. 
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