Vicksburg National Military Park Quarter

United States Mint image

The 2011 Vicksburg National Park Quarter represents the fourth release of the year for the new series featuring National Parks and National sites from across America. This will represent the 9th release of the overall series which began in 2010. The site of Vicksburg National Military Park was selected for the state of Mississippi.

The park commemorates one of the pivotal battles of the Civil War – the campaign, siege and defense of Vicksburg, Miss. Surrender on July 4, 1863, coupled with the fall of Port Hudson, LA, split the south, giving control of the Mississippi River to the North. The museum exhibits at the park depict the hardships of civilians and soldiers during the devastating 47 day siege of the city.

Vicksburg National Military Park was established in 1899 to commemorate the siege and defense of Vicksburg. The park includes more than 1,000 historic marks, monuments, and cannons. The park is also the site of Vicksburg National Cemetery, which holds the remains of more than 17,000 soldiers.

The United States Mint originally prepared four design candidates for the Vicksburg National Park Quarter. These were reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee and Commission of Fine Arts with different recommendations from each. The final design decision made by the Secretary of the Treasury matched the recommendation of the CCAC.

The reverse image depicts the U.S.S. Cairo on the Yazoo River as it would have been seen when it served the U.S. Navy during the Civil War. Inscriptions are VICKSBURG, MISSISSIPPI, 2011 and E PLURIBUS UNUM. Design candidates were developed in consultation with representatives of Vicksburg National Military Park