Semi-Numismatic

2013-D ATB Quarter Mount Rushmore National Memorial BU

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In 2013, the United States Mint celebrated one of the nation's most ambitious artistic and engineering feats on a circulating quarter. This Denver-minted coin, bearing the "D" mint mark, honors the Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota. The reverse design transports us directly onto the scaffolding, showing workers as they meticulously shape the monumental faces of Thomas Jefferson and George Washington out of the mountain's rock. The choice of Mount Rushmore for this colossal sculpture, designed by Gutzon Borglum, was highly deliberate. The mountain stands 5,725 feet above sea level and is composed of a remarkably smooth, fine-grained granite. This durable stone is incredibly resistant to the elements, wearing away at a minuscule rate of just one inch every 10,000 years. Borglum, who was born in the Idaho Territory in 1867, led a massive crew through a construction process that began on October 4, 1927, and concluded on October 31, 1941, at a cost approaching 1 million dollars. While the completed monument features four presidents, this specific coin design highlights the early stages of the project focusing on Washington and Jefferson. On the obverse, the coin displays the familiar portrait of George Washington, originally created by sculptor John Flanagan. This side carries the traditional inscriptions "United States of America," "Liberty," "In God We Trust," and "Quarter Dollar." The reverse side is inscribed with "Mount Rushmore," "South Dakota," "E Pluribus Unum," and the year "2013." This brilliant uncirculated quarter offers a wonderful window into a project that permanently reshaped a mountain peak.