U.S. Mint art for the top contenders for the Hot Springs quarter design.
Four candidate designs for the reverse of the first National Park quarter were submitted to the U.S. Treasury, the Commission of Fine Arts, and the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee for consideration. The first issue, to be released in early 2010, will honor Hot Springs National Park.
Three of the designs feature views of a park fountain – depicted with trees and park grounds beyond, with an angled view of the Administration Building, and with a straight-on view of the Administration Building’s ornate entrance doors. A fourth candidate design features one of the grand facilities along historic Bathhouse Row.
The Commission of Fine Arts recommended the version which displays the fountain and the entrance doors, while the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee favored the depiction of a fountain with trees in the background. The final decision is made by the Secretary of the United States Treasury.
The candidate designs were created to represent the geological features, rich history and beautiful architecture associated with Hot Springs National Park – which in 1832, during the presidency of Andrew Jackson, became the first federally protected area in the United States.
