Coin of the Month

Olympic National Park Quarter

Hello there, friends!  I'm here to present to you the Olympic National Park quarter as our Coin of the Month.  If you're looking at the coin's photo there on the side, you'll notice a mountain, a forest, and a river, which remind us of the beauties of this huge wilderness park.

It's also hard to miss the handsome elk stepping into the river.  Let me introduce to you this majestic animal (in case you haven't already met)!

This is one of Olympic's proud residents, known as a Roosevelt elk (or, more formally, Cervus elaphus roosevelti).  It was named after President Theodore Roosevelt, who helped set the lands of this park aside for everyone's enjoyment. 

The Roosevelt elk is the largest kind of elk in North America (much larger than the black-tail deer that often live in its neighborhood).  What's more, Olympic National Park is home to the largest wild herd of these elk in the Pacific Northwest. 

You can tell that the elk on the coin is a male because of his antlers.  Both males and females have dark brown heads and pale brown bodies, but males are larger and have antlers. 

An elk like this one wanders a wide range of habitats, from high mountain meadows down to lowland rain forests, where food abounds.  He dines mainly on ferns, shrubs, and lichens from the rain forest.  In the meadow, he munches on meadow grasses.  That's not my idea of a tasty dish, but...to each his own!

I hope you've enjoyed meeting the star of the Olympic National Park quarter!  Read more about this park and its quarter on the Olympic National Park quarter page.

—Inspector Collector