Denali National Park and Preserve
A wild land holding North America's highest peak; the reverse features a Dall sheep and Denali.
Denali National Park and Preserve is a vast wild land in the state of Alaska that holds the highest mountain in North America. It is a place where mountains, plains, and wildlife come together as nature untouched, barely reached by human hands.
The reverse of the coin depicts a Dall sheep with Mount Denali rising behind it. It is a scene of a white sheep standing in front, with a high mountain spreading out behind.
The Dall sheep is a white-furred animal that lives in rugged mountains, a wild creature that represents the harsh nature of Denali. This animal and the high peak behind it together show just how grand and pure a wild land this is.
Denali’s protection began on February 26, 1917, and it has long preserved North America’s highest peak and the surrounding wilderness. It is a place devoted to leaving nature as it is, rather than reshaping it to suit people.
When you look at the sheep and the mountain on the coin, you feel as though you are standing on the cold, clear, vast plains of Alaska. In a sense, this small quarter leads you to Alaska, the wild land.