By Doyle Irvin, American Forests

2016 National Park Service 100th Anniversary Commemorative Gold Coin. Credit: U.S. Mint.

This year marks the 100^th anniversary of the National Park Service. Founded in 1916 by President Woodrow Wilson, the National Park Service is dedicated to the protection of our incredible outdoors. At its inception, the service was given responsibility for the 35 existing national parks, then managed by the Department of the Interior. Since then it has grown to encompass more than 400 areas in the United States, comprised of roughly 84 million acres across all 50 states. Today, the service employs more than 20,000 employees in the interest of safeguarding American history for future generations. Do you enjoy exploring our national parks? Do you want to contribute to the National Park Service?

To commemorate the 100^th anniversary of the National Park Service, U.S. Congress authorized the minting of limited edition silver, gold and clad coins depicting important National Park locations and historical figures. Included on the coins are such recognizable icons as Theodore Roosevelt and John Muir, two of the most influential figures involved in the conservation of precious American wildernesses. The two are depicted in front of Yosemite National Park’s Half Dome, where the President and environmentalist spent two weeks sleeping under the stars during the trip that convinced Roosevelt to declare the valley as a protected refuge. The coins also portray Yellowstone’s Old Faithful geyser and the symbolic logo of the National Park Service, among other important images.

These commemorative coins are unique amongst those created by the U.S. Mint Commemorative Coin Collection because the proceeds go directly towards the preservation of our National Parks. The purchases of these coins help protect our valuable national resources for the enjoyment of future generations. They are available for purchase online and in person at participating park locations. But, time is running out! This is a limited time offer to collect these valuable heirlooms that symbolize your contribution to our beautiful wilderness.