2013-S Mount Rushmore America the Beautiful Quarter : A Collector’s Guide

By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek Notes ….
 

Not every modern U.S. coin with an “S” mintmark is a Proof. Some product offerings from the United States Mint include uncirculated business-strike versions of circulating coins that may be of heightened interest to collectors. As part of the America the Beautiful Quarters program in 2012, the San Francisco Mint produced the first business-strike quarters it had made since 1954, and it has continued to do so to this day.

As to the subject of this profile, San Francisco struck over one million 2013-S America the Beautiful Mount Rushmore National Memorial Quarters representing South Dakota, which were available only in bags and rolls. Though like Proof coins, one may accidentally enter circulation from time to time.

The Mount Rushmore National Memorial Quarter – An Important Coin

The Mount Rushmore National Memorial Quarter is an important landmark in the Mint’s aesthetic history, featuring arguably the best depiction of the monument on a United States coin. The quarter was the last of five circulating commemorative quarters released in 2013 and the 20th entry in the 56-coin series, which was authorized by Public Law 110-456 and ran from 2010 through 2021.

The design features the mega-sculpture that dominates Mount Rushmore National Memorial in the Black Hills of Lakota Territory. Actually entitled Shrine of Democracy, sculptor Gutzon Borglum managed its creation from 1927 through its 1941 completion. “Mount Rushmore” has been an icon of American patriotism ever since.

Previously, the sculpture appeared on the 1991 Mount Rushmore Golden Anniversary commemorative clad half dollar, silver dollar, and gold $5 coins. The quality of art and design produced by the Mint has improved greatly over the last few decades, though to be fair, so have its technological capabilities.

Still, some objects are notoriously difficult to depict on a numismatic canvas, and Mount Rushmore is among these. From its size creating issues of scale and POV to its cliché status as a visual touchstone, truly creative decisions needed to be made for the 2013 quarter. Future Chief Engraver Joseph Menna proved himself up to the task.

Instead of a head-on view of the entire monument, Menna brings our eye in close, showing members of Borglum’s crew working on the faces of Thomas Jefferson (foreground) and George Washington. This not only commemorates the American artists and laborers who realized the sculpture but also reveals the work’s enormous scale. By altering the usual POV by almost 90 degrees, Menna adds depth to the coin’s central motif. The feat was ingenious enough for the 2013 Mount Rushmore Quarter to earn the Coin of the Year, Best Circulating Coin award from Krause Publications in 2014, besting 92 other coins in international competition.

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Market Data and Noteworthy Specimens

Sales for bags and rolls containing the 2013-S Mount Rushmore National Memorial Quarter opened at noon on November 5. The Mint then held an official launch ceremony on November 6 at the National Guard Armory in Custer, South Dakota. Nick Clifford, the last surviving worker on the monument, was in attendance. Acting Associate Director for Manufacturing David Croft represented the Mint. The general public was invited to exchange $10 for new quarter rolls.

As of November 2024, PCGS reports 189 grading events for the business-strike 2013-S Mount Rushmore America the Beautiful Quarter, with a top population of eight examples graded MS70. NGC reports 566 grading events, with 21 coins graded a top pop MS68. CAC Grading, a new full-service grading company, has yet to grade any.

Top Population: PCGS MS70 (8, 11/2024), NGC MS68 (21, 11/2024), and CAC N/A (0:0 stickered:graded, 11/2024).

• NGC MS68 #3853147-002: “The Centurion Collection,” GreatCollections, June 3, 2018, Lot 582267 – View.

• PCGS MS67 #28921732: “Erasmus Hall Registry Set of America the Beautiful Quarters,” GreatCollections, September 26, 2021, Lot 1034154 – View. First Strike label.
• PCGS MS67 #41508087: GreatCollections, June 6, 2021, Lot 998280 – View.
• NGC MS67 #3862550-009: GreatCollections, March 28, 2021, Lot 963340 – View. America’s National Treasures: South Dakota – Mount Rushmore label (#259, retired).
• NGC MS67 #3911341-008: GreatCollections, February 7, 2021, Lot 915484 – View. America’s National Treasures: South Dakota – Mount Rushmore label (#259, retired).
• PCGS MS67 #29284966: GreatCollections, January 29, 2017, Lot 413340 – View. Flag label.
• NGC MS67 #3862550-016: GreatCollections, June 8, 2014, Lot 200598 – View. America’s National Treasures: South Dakota – Mount Rushmore label (#259, retired).

• NGC MS66: eBay, October 24, 2024, Lot 156446545365 – $4. America’s National Treasures: South Dakota – Mount Rushmore label (#259, retired).

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2013-S Mount Rushmore America the Beautiful Quarter Design

Obverse:

Based on the John Flanagan design, a bust of President and Founding Father George Washington faces left; Flanagan’s initials JF appear on the bust truncation. The legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA wraps around the central design close to the rim, and the denomination QUARTER DOLLAR is at the bottom. The word LIBERTY is inscribed horizontally to the left of Washington’s neck. The national motto IN GOD WE TRUST is inscribed to the right of Washington’s hair in three lines. An S mintmark representing the San Francisco Mint is above the “R” in DOLLAR.

Reverse:

The reverse depicts a close-up scene of a man suspended in a harness using a hammer and chisel to work on Thomas Jefferson’s face at Mount Rushmore. Another worker stands on scaffolding connecting Jefferson’s head to Washington’s. A wide frame surrounds the design, presenting the inscription MOUNT RUSHMORE at the top, and SOUTH DAKOTA, 2013, and the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM at the bottom. Designer Joseph Menna’s initials JFM appear under the scaffold just above the “TA” of DAKOTA.

Edge:

The edge of the 2013-D Mount Rushmore Quarter is reeded.

Coin Specifications

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