Quarter Dollar 2013 Fort McHenry, Coin from United States - detailed information

The Quarter Dollar is a United States coin worth 25 cents. It has been produced on and off since 1796 and consistently since 1831. From its inception until 1964, the denomination was issued in silver; it underwent several design changes, including finally the silver Washington quarter (1932 - 1964) featuring the first President of the United States on the obverse and the American Eagle clutching a bunch of arrows on the reverse. Initially meant as a one-year design to commemorate 200 years since the birth of George Washington in 1932, the obverse became the definitive design for the denomination and has been used ever since. The reverse was issued in this form until 1998, after which time a large number of circulating commemoratives started being issued instead; the State Quarters series of 50 coins featuring each State was issued from 1999 to 2008; in 2009, a six-coin series represented the District of Columbia and five US territories.

The America the Beautiful Quarters Program (abbreviated ATB) running from 2010 until 2021 was then introduced; it is a 56 quarter-dollar coin series featuring designs depicting national parks and other national sites in each state, federal district or territory.

The Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine quarter is the fourth to be released in 2013 and the 19th overall in the America the Beautiful Quarters Program; it was released on 26 August 2013 and represents the state of Maryland.

Fort McHenry - the birthplace of the United States national anthem - was named for James McHenry, the nation’s second Secretary of War. Following the burning of the nation’s capitol and other federal buildings in August 1814, British forces attacked Baltimore. Francis Scott Key, a poet-lawyer, witnessed the September 13-14 bombardment of Fort McHenry while under British guard on an American truce ship in the Patapsco River. Seeing his country’s flag still flying over the fort the next morning, he was moved to pen “The Star-Spangled Banner". Fort McHenry was first established as a national site on March 3, 1925 (43 Stat. 1109).

Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine (Maryland) Quarter Dollars issued in 2013 have now been in circulation for 11 years.