Chaco Canyon quarter debuts

Chaco Canyon quarter unveiled

By Ryan BoetelAn image of Chaco Canyon's north wall and two ancient community spaces is in pockets across the country.

The United States Mint launched the 12th coin in the series of America the Beautiful quarters in front of a crowd of about 250 people at Chaco Culture National Historic Park on Thursday.

The Mint is launching five quarters per year that depict a state's national park or monument.

The Federal Reserve ordered 31.2 million quarters that show Chaco Canyon on the tails side, said Gordon Hume, a spokesman for the Mint. The quarters only will be made for the rest of the year and the reserve will determine how many will be made.Comment:  If you've seen Chaco Canyon, there's no one image that represents the whole site. Therefore, this design does a good job of capturing the place.

For more on Native-themed currency, see 2012 Sacagawea Dollar Reverse Unveiled and Chickasaw Quarter Debuts.