Jan. 21--The U.S. Mint is set to release a new coin featuring the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois.
The coin is part of the America the Beautiful Quarters program.
The reverse of the quarter portrays a close-up of Camel Rock, one of the famous sandstone rock formations in the Garden of the Gods recreation area. Vegetation sits in the foreground and a red-tailed hawk flies overhead. The inscriptions include "Shawnee" along the top, "Illinois" on the lower left side, and "E Pluribus Unum" on the lower right.
The image was designed by Utah artist Justin Kunz, according to the U.S. Mint.
The Shawnee quarter will be introduced in a ceremony Feb. 4 in Deaton Gymnasium at Southeastern Illinois College. The event starts at 10 a.m. and is free to the public. Visitors will be able to buy $10 rolls of the new Shawnee quarters.
Other quarters being released this year will feature national landmarks throughout the country, including Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, Theodore Roosevelt National Park and Fort Sumter National Monument.
cdrhodes@tribpub.com
