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US Mint unveils special quarter honoring San Antonio’s missions

The special coin is the 49th in the America the Beautiful Quarters program.

SAN ANTONIO — You may want to take a closer look at your change! A new quarter featuring a San Antonio landmark is now available.

The Missions National Historical Park is represented with this design that has elements of a Spanish colonial coin. It’s on the new quarter that’s a part of the America the Beautiful Quarters Program. It’s the fourth in the series to be released this year and the 49th overall.

You can now purchase the coins from the U.S. Mint website. Prices start at $18.95 for a roll of 40 quarters and go up to $46.95 for three rolls. Bags with 100 coins are also available for $34.95.

A special launch and exchange event will be held Thursday, September 5 at 10 a.m. at Trinity University's Laurie Auditorium. In exchange for $10, you can receive a roll of these special quarters! For more information, visit the U.S. Mint website.

The description for the limited-time item on the U.S. Mint website reads:

The San Antonio Missions are a reminder of one of Spain’s most successful attempts to extend its territories north from New Spain (present-day Mexico) in the 1700s.

The San Antonio Missions made up one of the largest concentrations of Spanish missions in North America during the 1700s and helped create the foundation for the city of San Antonio. The missions were built as walled compounds containing the church, living quarters, workshops, storerooms, and fortified towers. The blending of cultures is reflected in the 18th century Spanish architecture and indigenous designs.

The missions were built close together because of the natural resources found near the San Antonio River. Construction of aqueducts and irrigation canals (acequias) brought water to the missions, sustaining farming and ranching. The missions’ toolmaking, carpentry, looming, spinning, and masonry further contributed to the community’s ability to be self-sustaining.

The missions are surrounded by residential and commercial areas, demonstrating both their modern-day success and unbroken connection with the past.

The reverse (tails) design depicts elements of the Spanish Colonial Real coin to pay tribute to the missions. Within the quadrants are symbols of the missions: wheat symbolizes farming, the arches and bell symbolize community, a lion represents Spanish cultural heritage, and a symbol of the San Antonio River represents irrigation methods and life-sustaining resources. Inscriptions are "SAN ANTONIO MISSIONS," "TEXAS," "2019," and "E PLURIBUS UNUM."

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