Collectors Corner^SM: The Collectibles Marketplace

Collecting the America The Beautiful Quarters, which include such heavenly scenes as those seen on the 2010 Mount Hood Quarter, is one way to honor Keep America Beautiful Month. Courtesy of PCGS TrueView. Click image to enlarge.

What better way to honor Keep America Beautiful Month, which is April, than to collect America The Beautiful Quarters? Keep America Beautiful was founded in 1953 as a non-profit organization dedicated to improving our communities through reducing litter, increasing recycling, and educating people about the importance of taking care of our environment. Originally, Keep America Beautiful got its message out through public-service announcements, but today it utilizes social media to encourage Americans to keep their communities clean. Public-private grants and partnerships help facilitate many of the group’s efforts, with national cleanup days hosted around the country each year.

While it may not take too many people very much encouragement to pick up the untold sums of stray coins that litter streets, sidewalks, and greenways around the United States, it sometimes takes a little more coaxing to change hearts and habits when it comes to keeping our environment clean. It sometimes takes a little extra effort to pitch in trash in waste baskets, recycle eligible materials, and spend a weekend afternoon cleaning up parks, waterways, and beaches during community cleanup events. But what a difference this can make. Remember, the biggest impacts are made when we “think globally” and “act locally.”

America is a beautiful place, especially when we are keeping it clean. And one of the most apropos ways a numismatist can acknowledge this sentiment is to collect America The Beautiful Quarters, an aptly named coin program that ran from 2010 through 2021 and showcases 56 national parks and landmarks across the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the nation’s five territories. These coins feature 56 of the most beautiful public spaces, all of which annually draw countless visitors – each of whom is encouraged to keep these landmarks and parks clean during their visits.

The America The Beautiful Quarters, which illustrate these scenic landmarks and their picturesque settings, are certainly perfect for helping inspire all of us to take better care of our surroundings. The series is also ideal for those who want to honor our nation’s beauty by including these coins in their collections. And the PCGS Set Registry offers no shortage of avenues for those who want to collect the America The Beautiful Quarters, engage in some friendly competition with their fellow collectors, and even achieve honors for their top sets – all for free! During this Keep America Beautiful Month, keep your collection a little more beautiful, too, by building a set of America The Beautiful Quarters on the PCGS Set Registry.