2016 Harpers Ferry National Historical Park Quarter
Thirty-Third in the America the Beautiful Quarters Collection

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park in eastern West Virginia is featured on the third of five America the Beautiful Quarters in 2016. It followed the 2016 coins for Shawnee National Forest in Illinois and Cumberland Gap National Historical Park in Kentucky, and it will be followed by Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota and Fort Moultrie (Fort Sumter National Monument) in South Carolina.

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park occupies 3,645 acres in and around the town of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers; parts of the park also extend into neighboring Maryland and Virginia. The town was the site of a federal armory in the early 1800’s that produced muskets, rifles, and pistols for the U.S. Army. The armory was one of the first factories to streamline production by using interchangeable parts, and it harnessed the power of the rivers to operate the machinery, making it a pioneer in the industrial revolution.

One of the most famous Civil War-era events took place in Harpers Ferry in 1859 when abolitionist John Brown took over the armory in an attempt to lead an uprising of slaves. Brown was unsuccessful, but the armory is now known as John Brown’s Fort and Brown’s quest was immortalized in songs and poems.

During the Civil War, the Battle of Harpers Ferry in 1862 saw 12,500 Union troops surrender to Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson – the largest such surrender of the war. After the war, Storer College was established in Harpers Ferry to educate former slaves and the town became a center for anti-segregation activities. Many of the most historic locations in the town, including John Brown’s Fort, are preserved in the park.

The Harpers Ferry National Historical Park Quarter features a view of John Brown’s Fort. The selected design was one of seven that were submitted by U.S. Mint artists for consideration.

One other suggested design showed a different view of John Brown’s Fort, while three included Jefferson Rock, a rock formation that overlooks the town of Harpers Ferry from a vantage point on the Appalachian Trail as it passes the town. Jefferson Rock was named for Thomas Jefferson, who visited Harpers Ferry in 1783 and who was impressed by the view. Two additional designs paid tribute to the federal armory, and the final design was a view of the town.

This is for a San Francisco Proof quarter in a capsule.

2016 Harpers Ferry Nat'l Historical Park - San Francisco - Proof in Capsule