2010-D America the Beautiful Grand Canyon National Park Quarter : A Collector’s Guide

By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek Notes …..

The selection of Grand Canyon National Park for commemoration in the America the Beautiful Quarter series was, in many respects, an inevitability. The canyon is more than a landmark; it is a globally recognized symbol of natural grandeur, a testament to the immense power of geological forces, and a cornerstone of the American conservation movement. The challenge was not in the assignment of creating a Grand Canyon quarter, but how to reduce such an immense natural feature into the small canvas that a 24.3 millimeter coin can provide.

To accomplish this task, U.S. Mint Medallic Artist Phebe Hemphill focused on a specific feature within the park: the Nankoweap Granaries, which is located within Marble Canyon, in the northernmost section of the Grand Canyon, looking out toward the Colorado River. By placing the cliff face in the center of the coin, Hemphill’s design allows the familiar profile of the canyon and the Colorado River to provide the rest of the design with a sense of scale and movement. It’s quite an accomplishment in coin art.

This design choice represents a powerful and intentional reframing of the Grand Canyon’s public narrative. By focusing on a man-made archaeological site, the U.S. Mint elevated the park’s identity beyond that of a purely geological spectacle. It was a conscious decision to highlight the deep and enduring human history of the canyon, paying homage on national currency to the millennia of indigenous civilization that predates the establishment of the park by centuries.

Carving a Wonder: The Geological Saga of the Grand Canyon

The story of the Grand Canyon is, in fact, two distinct geological narratives operating on vastly different timescales. The first is the story of the rocks themselves, an ancient saga of deposition, transformation, and continental collision. The second is the more recent, and scientifically dynamic, story of the Colorado River carving its path through this ancient stone.

The foundation of the canyon’s walls reveals a staggering chronology of Earth’s history. At the very bottom of the Inner Gorge, the dark, contorted Vishnu Schist and Elves Chasm gneiss represent the region’s basement rocks, formed nearly two billion years ago when volcanic islands collided with the proto-North American continent. These rocks were subjected to immense heat and pressure, metamorphosing into the crystalline structures visible today. Above them lies a significant gap in the geological record known as the Great Unconformity, a period of erosion that erased hundreds of millions of years of history. The story resumes with the deposition of the Grand Canyon Supergroup between 1.25 billion and 730 million years ago, followed by the layered Paleozoic sedimentary rocks that form the iconic, multi-hued cliffs of the upper canyon. These layers—sandstones, shales, and limestones—were deposited in warm, shallow seas and coastal environments that repeatedly advanced and retreated across the continent over hundreds of millions of years. The uppermost layer, the cream-colored Kaibab Limestone that forms the rim, is a relatively youthful 270 million years old. This vertical sequence of nearly 40 major rock layers provides one of the most complete and studied geological cross-sections on the planet.

While the rocks are ancient, the canyon itself is a comparatively recent geological feature. For decades, the prevailing consensus held that the Colorado River began carving the Grand Canyon approximately 5 to 6 million years ago. This “young river” theory posits that a combination of factors created a perfect storm of erosional power. The critical catalyst was the Laramide orogeny, a mountain-building event that began around 75 million years ago and was responsible for the creation of the Rocky Mountains. This tectonic activity caused the entire Colorado Plateau to be uplifted by as much as 5,000 to 10,000 feet (1,500 to 3,000 meters). This dramatic uplift steepened the gradient of the ancestral Colorado River, increasing its velocity and thus its ability to cut through the rock layers. Wetter climates further accelerated the process during the ice ages, which increased the volume of water in the river system, and by the opening of the Gulf of California around 5.3 million years ago, which lowered the river’s base level and intensified the rate of down-cutting. By 1.2 million years ago, the canyon had been carved to nearly its present depth.

However, this straightforward narrative has been complicated by more recent research, leading to a more nuanced and complex understanding of the canyon’s genesis. Some studies suggest that portions of the canyon may be significantly older. A 2008 study, for instance, used uranium-lead dating on calcite deposits in caves throughout the canyon to suggest origins as far back as 17 million years ago. This has fueled a scientific debate that has led to the emergence of the “composite canyon” theory. This model proposes that the modern Grand Canyon is not the result of a single, continuous carving event but is instead an amalgamation of several distinct, older canyon segments that were formed at different times and later connected by the through-flowing Colorado River. Under this hypothesis, segments like the “Hurricane” may have formed 50–70 million years ago, while the “Eastern Grand Canyon” was cut 15–25 million years ago. The final integration of these segments into the single, massive waterway we see today occurred in the last 5 to 6 million years, aligning with the traditional timeline. This more complex model does not invalidate the importance of the Colorado River’s recent work but rather frames it as the final, integrating chapter in a much longer and more intricate geological saga.

The coin’s design, depicting the immense depth and layered walls, is therefore a visual monument not just to the power of a river, but to the symbiotic relationship between tectonic uplift and erosion—a partnership of continent-shaping forces that has played out over tens of millions of years.

From Natural Wonder to National Park: A Legislative Journey

For millennia before it became a subject of geological study or a destination for tourism, the Grand Canyon was a home, a sacred place, and a lifeline for numerous Native American peoples, who have continuously inhabited the area for thousands of years. The first documented European sighting is credited to members of the Spanish expedition led by Francisco Coronado in 1540, but its remote and formidable nature kept it largely outside the sphere of European exploration for another three centuries. It was not until the mid-19th century, with the westward expansion of the United States, that systematic exploration began. American geologist John Wesley Powell led a pioneering expedition through the canyon’s entire length in 1869 and is credited with popularizing the name “Grand Canyon” in the 1870s.

The journey to formally protect this natural wonder was a long and arduous one, mirroring the evolution of the American conservation movement itself. The first legislative attempt to establish Grand Canyon National Park was made in 1882, when Senator Benjamin Harrison introduced a bill to that effect. The bill failed, as did subsequent attempts he made in 1883 and 1886. At the time, the national ethos was still heavily focused on settlement and resource extraction, and the idea of setting aside such a vast area for preservation alone was not yet widely accepted.

A gradual shift in national values began to take hold at the turn of the century, championed by forward-thinking leaders. As president, Harrison succeeded in taking a smaller but significant step, establishing the Grand Canyon Forest Reserve in 1893. The cause of preservation found its most powerful advocate in President Theodore Roosevelt. A frequent visitor to the canyon, Roosevelt used his executive authority to provide further layers of protection, creating the Grand Canyon Game Preserve by proclamation in 1906 and, most importantly, designating over 800,000 acres as the Grand Canyon National Monument in 1908. In his speech at the canyon in 1903, Roosevelt famously implored, “Let this great wonder of nature remain as it now is. You cannot improve on it. The ages have been at work on it, and man can only mar it”.  

Despite Roosevelt’s actions, the ultimate goal of national park status remained elusive. Senate bills to create the park were introduced and defeated again in 1910 and 1911. The final victory in this 37-year legislative struggle came on February 26, 1919, when Congress passed the act establishing Grand Canyon National Park, which was signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson. Administration of the new park was assumed by the National Park Service, which had been created three years earlier in 1916. The park’s international significance was formally recognized in 1979 when it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This protracted journey from an unprotected wilderness to a celebrated national park reflects a profound shift in American identity. The creation of the park was a triumph of a new conservation ethic, a national declaration that some places are so magnificent and so irreplaceable that they must be preserved for all time.

The 2010 quarter is thus a numismatic monument to this ideal and to the decades of political struggle that enshrined it in law.

2010 America the Beautiful Quarters Emission Sequence

The America the Beautiful Quarters Program was a twelve-year commemorative coin program that ran from 2010 to 2021. Over the course of that period, the United States Mint issued 56 quarters, five a year from 2010-2020, and one final design in 2021. In 2010, the program commenced with the release of the Hot Springs National Park Quarter from Arkansas on April 19, marking the inaugural coin in the series and celebrating the nation’s oldest federal reserve established in 1832.

This was followed by the Yellowstone National Park Quarter from Wyoming on June 1, highlighting the world’s first national park founded in 1872. Next came the Yosemite National Park Quarter from California on July 26, commemorating the iconic Sierra Nevada landscape protected since 1890. The sequence then spotlighted the Grand Canyon National Park Quarter from Arizona, issued on September 20 as the fourth coin, featuring a striking depiction of the canyon’s Nankoweap Delta and the Colorado River on its reverse, symbolizing the vast geological wonder preserved as a national park since 1919 and emphasizing its role in showcasing America’s natural heritage through numismatic art.

The year concluded with the Mount Hood National Forest Quarter from Oregon on November 15, rounding out the emissions and honoring a Pacific Northwest volcanic landmark designated in 1892.

• • • Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas) – April 19, 2010
    • Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming) – June 1, 2010
    • Yosemite National Park (California) – July 26, 2010
    • Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona) – September 20, 2010
    • Mount Hood National Forest (Oregon) – November 15, 2010

The 2010-D Grand Canyon National Park Quarter Launch Ceremony

While the official release of the coin had taken place the day prior, the Grand Canyon National Park Quarter launch ceremony, co-hosted by the United States Mint and the National Park Service, took place on Tuesday, September 21, 2010, at 1:30 p.m. Mountain Standard Time at scenic South Rim of the park, in the historic area between the Hopi House and Verkamp’s Visitor Center, providing a spectacular real-world backdrop for the numismatic celebration.

U.S. United States Mint Director Ed Moy and Grand Canyon National Park Superintendent Steve Martin delivered remarks, highlighting the coin’s role in connecting Americans to their natural heritage. The ceremony featured a traditional performance by the Pollen Trail Dancers, a local Native American troupe, and a ceremonial coin pour symbolizing the quarter’s debut. Attendees included members of the public and children 18 and younger, who each received a free Grand Canyon quarter.

The 2010 United States Mint Uncirculated Coin Set Satin Finish Coins

The 2010-D Grand Canyon Quarter exists in several forms: Business strikes were produced at the Philadelphia and Denver Mints, Proof versions in silver and clad were produced at San Francisco, and Satin Finish coins were produced at Philadelphia and Denver for the annual U.S. Mint Uncirculated Coin Set.

The 2010 United States Mint Uncirculated Coin Set, often referred to by collectors simply as the “2010 Mint Set,” was officially released to the public on July 15, 2010, with an issue price of $31.95 ($47.63 in 2025 inflation-adjusted dollars).

This comprehensive set contained 28 coins in total, representing uncirculated examples of every circulating coin design issued during the year from both the Philadelphia and Denver Mints. The coins were housed in two protective blister-pack folders: one containing the 14 coins bearing the “P” mint mark of Philadelphia, and the other containing the 14 coins with the “D” mint mark of Denver. The set included the 2010 Lincoln Cent (with its new Union Shield reverse), Jefferson Nickel, Roosevelt Dime, Kennedy Half Dollar, Native American Dollar, the four 2010 Presidential Dollars (honoring Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, and Abraham Lincoln), and, of course, the five inaugural America the Beautiful Quarters, including the Grand Canyon issue.

Today these sets sell for about $30.

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Market Data and Noteworthy Specimens

Top Population: PCGS MS68 (2, 9/2025). NGC MS68 (17, 9/2025). CAC None Graded (9/2025).

• NGC MS67: eBay, September 1, 2025 – $24.95. Buy It Now.
• PCGS MS67: eBay, July 30, 2025 – $39.95. Buy It Now.
• PCGS MS66: eBay, July 19, 2025 – $4.25. 3 bids.
• U.S. Mint Uncirculated Roll: eBay, August 21, 2025 – $24.95. Buy It Now.

Satin Finish Market Data and Noteworthy Specimens

This data set represents coins attributed to the 2010 Mint Set coins. These coins typically come in a higher state of preservation based on the Mint’s production methods and quality control.

Top Population: PCGS SP69 (46, 9/2025). NGC MS69 (62, 9/2025). CAC None Graded (9/2025).

• PCGS SP69: eBay, August 26, 2025 – $32.14. 3 bids.
• PCGS SP68: eBay, August 10, 2025 – $14.99. Buy It Now.
• ANACS MS68: eBay, August 4, 2024 – $6. Buy It Now.

Design

Obverse:

Based on the John Flanagan design, George Washington is centered on the coin and faces left. JF’s initials on the bust truncation. Wrapping around the design, close to the rim, at the top: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; at the bottom: QUARTER DOLLAR. LIBERTY is inscribed horizontally to the left of Washington’s neck. IN GOD WE TRUST is inscribed to the right of Washington’s hair in a stacked configuration. The mintmark denotes the mint of manufacture; in this instance, a D mint mark for Denver is located above the R in DOLLAR.

Reverse:

The design depicts a cliff-face showing the Nankoweap Granaries, which is located within Marble Canyon, in the northernmost section of the Grand Canyon. The Colorado river flows through the scene. The inscriptions on the reverse are “GRAND CANYON” arched across the top, “ARIZONA” and “2010” below it, and the national motto “E PLURIBUS UNUM” at the bottom. Phebe Hamphill’s initials are located in the bottom right of the design.

Edge:

The edge of the 2010-D Grand Canyon Quarter is reeded.

Coin Specifications

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