Commems Collection Modern: 1999 Yellowstone National Park 125th Anniversary - Folio

Here's the story of a United States ("US") Mint product offering from the 1999 Yellowstone National Park 125th Anniversary commemorative coin program that doesn't get much attention. The Yellowstone National Park-Ansel Adams Folio.

I've written before about the Yellowstone 125 Anniversary, see it here:

- 1999 Yellowstone National Park.

The Yellowstone National Park-Ansel Adams Folio was a collaborative effort of the US Mint and the US National Archives and Records Administration. It includes 12 Black & White photographic prints of the Park shot by well-known photographer Ansel Adams. The 12 individual prints are housed in a commemorative folder/Folio.

The included images are:

- Old Faithful Geyser (multiple)
- Jupiter Terrace (multiple)
- Fountain Geyser Pool
- Firehold River
- Yellowstone Lake - Mt. Sheridan
- The Fishing Cone - Yellowstone Lake
- Roaring Mountain
- Yellowstone Falls
- Central Geyser Basin

The Yellowstone Folio was one of two such non-coin Folio offerings made by the US Mint in 1999. The other was part of the 1999 200th Anniversary of George Washington's Death Gold Half Eagle program. It features a collection of reproductions of six documents with a direct connection to Washington. As with the Yellowstone Folio, no coin was included. (I might have to post about it at some point.)

The Issue Price of the Yellowstone Folio was $39.50. It did not prove to be very popular among coin collectors - just 1,879 of the Sets were sold. I can envision at least two plausible reasons for the slow sales: 1) the Folio DID NOT include the Yellowstone Silver Dollar (most coin collectors focus on collecting coins vs. related ephemera), and 2) Ansel Adams Yellowstone Park images are fairly common via other commercial packages so the "need" for Adams' fans to acquire the prints was limited.

1999 Yellowstone National Park 125th Anniversary Silver Dollar


1999 Yellowstone National Park 125th Anniversary Folio - Letter


1999 Yellowstone National Park 125th Anniversary Folio - Cover


1999 Yellowstone National Park 125th Anniversary Folio - Ansel Adams Old Faithful Geyser Print


I didn't buy mine directly from the Mint when it was first available, but soon regretted the missed opportunity. As a result, I began searching the secondary market. I admit that my searches were on-and-off, but it took me years to track one of the Yellowstone Folios down. I recently found one in "As New" condition for less than Issue Price - I quickly made the purchase!


For other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, including others about the Modern US Commemorative Coin series, see: Commems Collection