Vermont Business Magazine In September of 2020 the United States Mint and the National Park Service officially launched the America the Beautiful Quarters Program coin honoring Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park in Woodstock, Vermont, the only national park dedicated to telling the story of conservation history and the evolving nature of land stewardship in America.
The coin depicts a young girl completing the planting of a Norway spruce seedling near an established tree, continuing the life cycle of the forest. The child represents the conservationist, seeking to maintain a sustainable forest for future enjoyment and education.
As part of the dedication ceremony, with funds provided by the Vermont Woodworks Council, the park conducted a competition for the design and crafting of the “coin vessel” by which the newly minted coins would be delivered.
The Birdseye woodshop was awarded the top design and the contract to craft the vessel. Recognized for its creativity and innovation in design, as well as best representing the park, the Birdseye vessel features a shovel with a hollow handle through which the coins pass, to be collected in the hollow of a giant wooden acorn.
The connection to Vermont forests was important to maintain, so all woods used in the vessel were harvested locally. The Ash for the shovel handle, as well as the White Pine for the acorn top were harvested from the park directly. The white oak of the acorn body was donated by Shelburne Farms.
“The motivation for the design was really about aligning with the mission of the park,” said Jesse Dunn, Birdseye woodshop Project Manager and lead designer on the vessel project. “An institution that is able to engage with best practices and environmental impacts, in an industry that is typically quite private and financially driven, is really important and has a direct impact on what we do here every day. I can only hope that those best practices find their way into the common practices of foresters around the state, the region, and the rest of the country because it’s important work.“
- The Making of the Acorn Coin Vessel (video)
- Birdseyevt.com
- Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park Quarter Release Video
- For more information on the US Mint America the Beautiful Series
Source: Birdseye 12.30.2020