2012-S America the Beautiful Acadia National Park Quarter Clad Proof : A Collector’s Guide

By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek Notes ….

The 2012-S Acadia National Park Quarter Clad Proof is a base-metal collector version of the 2012 Acadia National Park Quarter.

2012 was the third year for the America the Beautiful (ATB) series. That year, the United States Mint struck coins honoring El Yunque National Forest (Puerto Rico), Chaco Culture National Historical Park (New Mexico), Acadia National Park (Maine), Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii), and Denali National Park and Preserve (Alaska).

For the Acadia Quarter, its reverse side pays tribute to the iconic coastal park with a depiction of the Bass Harbor Lighthouse, designed by Barbara Fox and engraved by Joseph Menna, who later became the Chief Engraver of the United States Mint.

Interesting Facts About Acadia National Park

Situated in Maine and overseen by the National Park Service (NPS), Acadia National Park safeguards large portions of Mount Desert Island and its shoreline, along with nearby islands and sections of the Schoodic Peninsula on the mainland.

Founded in 1919, it holds the distinction of being the first national park established east of the Mississippi River.

Spanning 48,419 acres (19,603 hectares), the park hosts a diverse array of regional flora and fauna. It includes Cadillac Mountain, the highest peak along the U.S. Atlantic seaboard at 1,530 feet (466 meters), visible from various points within the area. Beyond its wildlife, Acadia boasts beaches, dunes, forests, and lakes.

Visitors can explore more than 120 miles (193 km) of hiking paths, participate in ranger-guided programs year-round, and attend special events. Popular pursuits also encompass camping, cycling, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, and boating.

Drawing over three million visitors annually from the U.S. and internationally, Acadia is a major attraction. In addition to its scenic landscapes, the park preserves historical sites such as the Bass Harbor Lighthouse, Sieur de Monts Spring (Acadia’s initial settlement location), and Bear Brook.

Collecting the 2012 United States Mint Clad Proof Set

The 2012 United States Mint Clad Proof Set is the base-metal version of the Mint’s annual Proof Set offering. The set included a total of 14 coins, all bearing the “S” mintmark from the San Francisco Mint. The sets were presented in three protective lenses to preserve the coins, accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and an outer cardboard box with a brown-themed design.

The set comprised:

• Five 2012-S America the Beautiful Quarter Clad Proofs: Honoring El Yunque National Forest (Puerto Rico), Chaco Culture National Historical Park (New Mexico), Acadia National Park (Maine), Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii), and Denali National Park and Preserve (Alaska).
• Four 2012-S Presidential Dollars: Featuring Chester Arthur, Grover Cleveland (first term), Benjamin Harrison, and Grover Cleveland (second term).
• One 2012-S Native American Dollar: Depicting the theme of 17th-century trade routes, with a design showing a Native American and a horse in profile.
• One 2012-S Kennedy Half Dollar Clad Proof.
• One 2012-S Roosevelt Dime Clad Proof.
• One 2012-S Jefferson Nickel Clad Proof.
• One 2012-S Lincoln Cent Proof.

The 2012 Clad Proof Set was released on May 7, 2012, through the Mint’s official sales channels at an issue price of $31.95. The final sales figure for the year was reported as 794,002, a decline of nearly 30% from the prior year’s sales. In addition, the Mint sold 148,498 2012-S Clad Quarter Proof Sets, which were offered for $14.95. The low Proof Set sales marked an end to million-plus set sales that had taken place since 1959, and signaled a decline in collector interest

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Market Data and Noteworthy Specimen

2012-S Acadia National Park Quarters sell in coin capsules for about $5 each, which is in line with what one would expect for a retail product from a set that sells for about $60 complete. The majority of the issue’s certified population was graded in the post-launch window, but a trickle of coins continues to come out, most of which grade either 69 or 70. There is scarce recent eBay data to lock in a price, but given the cost of encapsulation, $20 seems about right.

Top Population: PCGS PR70DCAM (722, 9/2025), NGC PF70UCAM (700, 9/2025), and CAC None Graded (9/2025).

• PCGS PR70DCAM: eBay, August 21, 2025 – $19.88. Buy It Now.
• Uncertified Proof: eBay, August 30, 2025 – $4.99. Buy It Now.
• Uncertified Proof: eBay, June 29, 2025 – $5.49. Buy It Now.

Design

Obverse:

A modern reworking of John Flanagan’s Washington Quarter design. Founding Father and first President George Washington’s left-facing bust sits in the center of the coin. Flanagan’s initials JF are visible in the bust truncation. Wrapping clockwise around the top of the coin is the legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. To Washington’s left is the inscription LIBERTY; to his right, the motto IN GOD WE TRUST. The coin’s denomination wraps around the bottom of the coin, written as QUARTER DOLLAR.

Reverse:

The design features a depiction of the Bass Harbor Light House. On the wide border, the following inscriptions appear: ACADIA, MAINE, 2012, and E PLURIBUS UNUM. Barbara Fox and Joseph Menna’s initials appear on the bottom left and bottom right of the design.

Edge:

The edge of the 2012-S Acadia National Monument Quarter Clad Proof is reeded.

Designers

Born in New Jersey in 1865, John Flanagan lived in New York for most of his life. He began working with Augustus Saint-Gaudens in 1884 at the age of 20 and quickly became a well-known sculptor and medallic artist in his own right. Saint-Gaudens made introductions for Flanagan at the United States Mint. While the Washington Quarter was his sole numismatic design, Flanagan designed numerous famous medals and sculptures, including the official medal of the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition, the official Verdun medal gifted to France by the United States Government, and the 1924 bust of Saint-Gaudens. Flanagan was also a member of the American Numismatic Society (ANS).

United States Mint engraver Joseph Menna has more than three dozen coin and medal designs to his credit since joining the Mint in 2005. He became Chief Engraver in 2019 (View Designer’s Profile).

2012-S Acardia America the Beautiful Quarter Clad Proof Coin Specifications

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