The official launch ceremony for the 2012 Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park Quarter will take place on Wednesday, August 29, 2012.
2012 Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park Quarter
It will begin at 1:30 PM Hawaii time on the Big Island at the park’s Kahua Hula, south of the Kilauea Visitor Center on Crater Rim Drive. While the ceremony is free to the public, park entrance fees will apply.
As Master of Ceremonies, Stephanie Donoho of County of Hawaii Tourism will welcome everyone to the event and introduce the speakers:
- David Croft, Plant Manager of the United States Mint at Denver, and
- Cindy Orlando, Superintendent of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park.
Also attending the quarter’s ceremonial launch will be Daniel Inouye, United States Senator for Hawaii.
Coin Exchange
Following the ceremony, HFS Federal Credit Union will host a coin exchange. All ceremony attendees will be able to buy $10 rolls of the Hawaii Volcanoes quarter at face value. There will be a one-roll minimum ($10) and a 10-roll maximum ($100). Only cash will be accepted.
Getting the quarter rolls postmarked with the August 29, 2012 date at the post office inside Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park might be difficult for collectors since its retail hours end at 1 PM. At the time of this writing, the plan is to allow collectors to drop off their quarter rolls at the post office in the town of Volcano with zip code 96785, three miles from post office in the park. It should be noted that the post office in Volcano closes at 3:30 PM, and its address is 19-4030 Old Volcano Highway.
Coin Forum
The night before the launch ceremony and coin exchange, the United States Mint will host a coin forum for the public. It will be held on Tuesday, August 28, at 7:00 PM at the Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park.
The forum is casual and allows the public to ask U.S. Mint officials questions about U.S. coins or voice their views about American coinage. Often times, the U.S. Mint will announce upcoming coin programs and initiatives at the forum.
Circulation Release
Hawaii Volcanoes quarter’s official release date from the U.S. Mint is a few days earlier, on August 27. It is the same day that the quarters will be released into circulation via banks. Since many banks will not have the new coins — they cannot order quarters by a specific design, coin collectors may find that the easiest way to acquire them is by ordering them directly from the Mint in 100-coin bags and two-roll sets.
Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park is the fourth national site to be honored in 2012 and the 14th overall in the America the Beautiful Quarters® Program. The federal government established the area as a national site on August 1, 1916, making the park 96 years old. Kilauea, the world’s most accessible and active volcano, is featured on the coin’s reverse design.
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