The United States Mint will offer bags and rolls of quarters honoring Block Island National Wildlife Refuge in Rhode Island starting on November 13th. This coin is the fifth and final release of 2018 in the America the Beautiful Quarters Program.
The Block Island National Wildlife Refuge design depicts a black-crowned night-heron flying above a view from the beach at Cow Cove that looks towards Sandy Point. The North Lighthouse is seen in the background.
Block Island quarters will enter general circulation on Tuesday, Nov. 13, but it could take many months before they are used in regular commerce, because Federal Reserve Banks distribute coins to financial institutions without regard to their designs.
The Block Island National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1973, is located 12 miles off the southern coast of Rhode Island and sits on a terminal moraine shaped by glacial till deposits creating rolling dunes. Covering 133 acres, it is a critical migratory bird stopover point on the Atlantic coast, with fruit-bearing shrubs providing essential food for the species of birds that come to rest there. These wild lands are known internationally for spectacular bird watching and breathtaking barrier beaches.
