2012-S El Yunque Quarter Proof
Proof struck at the San Francisco Mint · 1,010,361 made
- Mintage
- 1,010,361
- Metal
- Copper core clad in 75% copper / 25% nickel
- Weight
- 5.67 g
- Diameter
- 24.26 mm
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 2012-S El Yunque Quarter Proof worth?
Age alone gives this coin a small premium, even worn. Sharp details and original surfaces push it higher.
What would make yours worth more:
- Grade and, for proofs, strong cameo contrast
- A die variety or minting error
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 2012-S El Yunque Quarter Proof rare?
- Not especially. The Mint made 1,010,361 for collectors. Most were kept in their original packaging.
- Is the 2012-S El Yunque Quarter Proof silver?
- No. It's copper core clad in 75% copper / 25% nickel. Quarters dated 1964 and earlier are 90% silver.
- Where is the mint mark on a 2012 America the Beautiful Quarter?
- On the obverse, to the right of Washington's ribbon. "W" quarters were struck in 2019 and 2020 and released into circulation in small numbers. On this coin the mark is S, for San Francisco.
- How many 2012-S El Yunque Quarter proofs were made?
- 1,010,361.
What to check on your 2012-S
- Make sure the mint mark really is an S. A worn or filled mark can be misread. It's what separates your coin from the 2012-D (25 million made).
- Judge the grade under good light. Look for luster and freedom from bag marks. "W" quarters in circulation are worth a premium even in average condition.
Proofs from 2012 come with and without frosted devices. Coins with strong contrast are labeled Cameo or Deep Cameo and are worth more.
The story of the 2012-S El Yunque
Elsewhere in US coinage in 2012
The Mint stopped striking Presidential dollars for circulation after the Federal Reserve reported a huge stockpile of unused dollar coins. They were struck for collectors only from 2012.
How to recognize it
The El Yunque design
Puerto Rico's El Yunque National Forest opened the 2012 releases. The reverse shows a coqui tree frog sitting on a leaf with a Puerto Rican parrot perched behind an epiphyte plant. El Yunque is the only tropical rain forest in the U.S. National Forest System. Both animals are native to the island, where the parrot is critically endangered and the tiny frog is known for its two-note call. Gary Whitley designed the reverse and Michael Gaudioso sculpted it.
The America the Beautiful Quarter design
Each reverse shows a national park or other national site, one for every state, the District of Columbia and five territories, with the site's name, its state and E PLURIBUS UNUM. Five designs were issued each year from 2010 to 2020, followed by a final design for the Tuskegee Airmen in 2021. The obverse uses a restored, more detailed version of Flanagan's original Washington portrait.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | America the Beautiful Quarter (2010–2021) |
|---|---|
| Year | 2012 |
| Mint | San Francisco Mint |
| Mint mark | "S" |
| Strike type | Proof |
| Mintage | 1,010,361 |
| Face value | 25¢ |
| Composition | Copper core clad in 75% copper / 25% nickel |
| Weight | 5.67 grams |
| Diameter | 24.26 mm |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Designer | Various (obverse restored from John Flanagan's original) |
Other 2012 America the Beautiful Quarter issues
Mintage: America the Beautiful quarter mintage figures (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.