New commemorative quarter features Shawnee National Forest

HARRISBURG, Ill. (AP) - A commemorative coin featuring a scene from the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois has entered into circulation.

The United States Mint and park officials introduced the quarter at a ceremony Thursday at Southeastern Illinois College in Harrisburg, about eight miles north of the park.

The (Carbondale) Southern Illinoisan reports (http://bit.ly/1NUBsh6 ) that members of Shawnee Native American tribes also attended.

The coin displays Camel Rock and a red-tailed hawk flying in the sky. It is part of the U.S. Mint's America the Beautiful series.

The 290,000 acres of land along the Ohio River was designated a national forest in 1939.

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Information from: Southern Illinoisan, http://www.southernillinoisan.com