On April 2, 2019 the West Point Mint made an exciting announcement. The announcement said The United States Mint announced today that it has released the first ever circulating coins with West Point mint marks. Throughout the remainder of the year, two million each of the scheduled 2019 America the Beautiful Quarters will be minted at West Point. The first of these coins bearing W mint marks were mixed in with quarters produced at Philadelphia and Denver and shipped on April 1. As with all circulating coins, the W mint mark quarters will be distributed to banks and financial institutions by the Federal Reserve. The coins will likely begin to appear in circulation within four to six weeks.

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The announcement of the W mint mark quarters coincides with the 227th anniversary of the United States Mint on April 2 and kicks off a program designed to spark a renewed interest in coin collecting. The release also ties in with the American Numismatic Association’s National Coin Week (April 21-27) and parallels a separate initiative that organizers have dubbed “the Great American Coin Hunt.” The coin hunt is a hobby-promoting event sponsored by participating coin dealers across the nation, who have publicly announced plans to place some of their own collectible coins into circulation by using them in commercial transactions during National Coin Week.

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“We want to encourage Americans to consider coin collecting by making the W mint mark quarters only available in general circulation,” said United States Mint Director David Ryder. “We’re fortunate to be able to feature the W mint mark quarters at the same time dealers around the nation are mounting a similar effort to celebrate and promote the hobby of numismatics.”

These would be the second quarters ever made at the West Point Mint. The first-time West Point quarters were put into circulation was from 1977 to 1979 although they are not distinguishable from other quarters because they did not have a mintmark. In 2019 and 2020 the West Point, New York Mint decided to set West Point Quarters into circulation, including two-million of each type of reverse- this is 5 types each year, for a total of ten coins to complete the series. This would be about one percent of the quarters issued for circulation each year.� These quarters have the West Point Mint Mark in the usual position on the obverse of the coin.� The West Point Mint Mark is a W.� In 2020 above the word liberty there is a V75 privy mark for victory 75 years. The privy mark is the shape of the WW2 rainbow pool memorial in Washington D.C.� The West Point Quarters are unique because they are the first quarters ever released into circulation with the West Point Mint Mark.� None of the coins were released in proof or mint sets or mint sets.� The West Point Mint shipped the quarters to the Philadelphia and Denver Mints to be mixed with other quarters before being released into circulation.� This would prevent large hoards from being made.� This means that everyone has a chance to find a West Point Quarter.� The types of reverse on the coins are Lowell (Joel Iskowitz), San Antonio Missions (Chris Costello), War in the Pacific (Joel Iskowitz), American Memorial Park (Donna Weaver), and River of No Return (Emily Damstra), for the 2019 quarters.� The 2020 reverses are Weir Farm (Justin Kunz), Salt River Bay (Richard masters), Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller (Donna Weaver), Tallgrass Prairie (Emily Damstra), and American Samoa (Richard Masters).

I found a Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller West Point Quarter this week. I already had that one, so I gave it to one of my friends that has helped me on my coin journey. He didn't have any West Point Quarters yet. He was excited to get his first!�

I put two pictures of West Point Quarters on this blog post. One has a V75 privy mark and the other doesn't.

If you haven't found a West Point Quarter yet, I hope you start looking and hopefully find one!