LITTLETON - The White Mountain National Forest commemorative quarter, the latest addition to the America the Beautiful Quarters Program from the U.S. Mint, may be small enough to fit is spurring an effort to help sustain the beauty of the New Hampshire landscape.

Littleton Coin Company, located in the White Mountain region, has teamed up with the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests to celebrate the spirit of land stewardship. The company donated $10,000 to the Forest Society, including $2,000 worth of a limited-edition package of the White Mountain quarter.

The White Mountain National Forest quarter features an engraving of the view of Mount Chocorua across Chocorua Lake at the eastern gateway of the mountains. The America the Beautiful program is releasing five new quarters a year until 2020, each with a design on its reverse side that represents a national site. The program began in 2010.

Company officials and employees also will be volunteering time to the Forest Society's land stewardship program, with volunteers from the company participating in a spring cleanup at one of the Forest Society's 172 reservations. The nonprofit group, founded in 1901, has 52,611 acres within its forest reservations, and holds conservations easements on more than 100,000 more acres.

Littleton Coin is one of the largest employers in the Littleton area, with around 300 employees, and is one of the largest collectible firms specializing in coins and paper money in the country, with an extensive mail-order catalogue.

"The new quarter is a great opportunity to recognize the value the White Mountains represent to the quality of life of New Hampshire residents and visitors alike," said Jack Savage, spokesman for the Forest Society. "The funds will help support our ongoing conservation efforts, and we will use the custom-packaged coins to help promote our initiatives."

syoungknox@newstote.com