Coin collectors, rejoice:

On Thursday, the United States Mint will unveil a new quarter – the Great Sand Dunes National Park quarter – at a commemorative celebration at the Great Sand Dunes National Park in Mosca.

On Tuesday, excitement about the new coin was already palpable, with $10 rolls of Great Sand Dunes quarters going for $18 on eBay.

In 2010, the U.S. Mint started issuing quarter-dollar coins honoring national parks and other national sites as part of the mint’s “America the Beautiful Quarters” program. The Great Sand Dunes quarter is one of five such quarters to debut in 2014.

Each coin in the series shares a common obverse or “head’s side,” emblazoned with the 1932 portrait of George Washington by John Flanagan.

But the “tail’s side” of the Great Sand Dunes quarter depicts “a father and son playing in the sand next to the creek bed. The distinctive mountains and sand dunes are featured in the background.

Thursday’s event will be free to the public. Organizers said they are expecting to draw hundreds of people.

Herald Staff