America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coins
United States | |
Value | 0.25 U.S. dollar |
---|---|
Mass | 155.5 g (5.00 troy oz) |
Diameter | 76.2 mm (3 in) |
Thickness | 3.25 mm (0.128 in) |
Edge | Plain with incuse inscriptions |
Composition | 99.9% Ag |
Years of minting | 2010–present |
Obverse | |
Design | George Washington |
Designer | John Flanagan (1932 version) from a 1786 bust by Houdon / William Cousins (modification to Flanagan's design) |
Design date | 1999 |
Reverse | |
Design | Yellowstone |
Designer | Don Everhart |
Design date | June 1, 2010 |
The America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coins comprise a series of silver bullion coins with a face value of a quarter dollar. The coins contain five troy ounces of silver, making them the largest silver bullion coins ever issued by the United States Mint. The design of the coins duplicates exactly—though enlarged—each of the America the Beautiful Quarters. They have been issued since 2010 and will continue to be issued until at least 2021. The coins are available for sale during the year in which their corresponding circulating coin is issued. The coins are distributed by the United States Mint's network of authorized bullion dealers, and may be resold at the discretion of the Director of the National Park Service.
Differences between uncirculated and bullion versions
There are three main differences between the uncirculated and bullion versions of the coin:
- The uncirculated coin comes with a certificate of authenticity from the Mint and is placed inside a plastic capsule and then in a box; the bullion version is shipped in tubes of 10 coins. The tubes are shipped by the mint in "monster boxes," ten tubes to a box, and the contents are sold at the retailer's discretion.
- Uncirculated coins are vapor blasted after minting, giving them a matte finish, while bullion coins have a shinier finish.
- Under the "In God We Trust" inscription, the uncirculated coins feature a "P" symbol representing the Philadelphia mint whereas the bullion coins do not have a mint mark.
Design
All coins in the series feature a common obverse depicting George Washington in a restored version of the portrait created by John Flanagan for the 1932 Washington Quarter, while the reverse feature five individual designs for each year of the program (one in 2021), each depicting a national park or national site (one from each state, the federal district, and each territory ). Unlike the reeded edge of the normal quarter, the silver coins have a smooth edge inscribed with the coin specifications: .999 FINE SILVER 5.0 OUNCE.
Legislative history
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The program is authorized by Title II of the America’s Beautiful National Parks Quarter Dollar Coin Act of 2008.
Minting history
A new coining press from Germany was installed on March 1, 2010, at the Philadelphia Mint for use in producing the America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coins. The press provides up to 1,000 metric tons (1,100 short tons) of pressure for each strike and can produce in excess of 1 million coins per year. Silver planchets for the series will be supplied by Sunshine Minting.[1]
In conjunction with the April 27, 2010, meeting of the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee in Philadelphia, committee members were shown examples of the America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coins.[2]
Coins released to date in the Series
Year | No. | State/territory | Site | Bullion Mintage[3] | Uncirculated Mintage |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2010 | 1 | Arkansas | Hot Springs National Park | 33,000 | 27,000 |
2 | Wyoming | Yellowstone National Park | 33,000 | 27,000 | |
3 | California | Yosemite National Park | 33,000 | 27,000 | |
4 | Arizona | Grand Canyon National Park | 33,000 | 26,019 | |
5 | Oregon | Mount Hood National Forest | 33,000 | 26,928 | |
2011 | 6 | Pennsylvania | Gettysburg National Military Park | 126,700 | 24,625 |
7 | Montana | Glacier National Park | 126,700 | 20,856 | |
8 | Washington | Olympic National Park | 104,900 | 18,398 | |
9 | Mississippi | Vicksburg National Military Park | 58,100 | 18,594 | |
10 | Oklahoma | Chickasaw National Recreation Area | 48,700 | 16,827 | |
2012 | 11 | Puerto Rico | El Yunque National Forest | 24,000 | 17,314 |
12 | New Mexico | Chaco Culture National Historical Park | 24,400 | 17,146 | |
13 | Maine | Acadia National Park | 25,400 | 14,978 | |
14 | Hawai'i | Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park | 20,000 | 14,863 | |
15 | Alaska | Denali National Park | 20,000 | 15,225 | |
2013 | 16 | New Hampshire | White Mountain National Forest | 35,000 | 20,530 |
17 | Ohio | Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial | 30,000 | 17,707 | |
18 | Nevada | Great Basin National Park | 30,000 | 17,792 | |
19 | Maryland | Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine | 30,000 | 19,802 | |
20 | South Dakota | Mount Rushmore National Memorial | 35,000 | 23,547 | |
2014 | 21 | Tennessee | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 33,000 | 24,710 |
22 | Virginia | Shenandoah National Park | 28,000 | 28,451 | |
23 | Utah | Arches National Park | 22,000 | 28,434 | |
24 | Colorado | Great Sand Dunes National Park | 22,000 | 24,103 | |
25 | Florida | Everglades National Park | 34,000 | 22,732 | |
2015 | 26 | Nebraska | Homestead National Monument of America | 35,000 | 21,286 |
27 | Louisiana | Kisatchie National Forest | 42,000 | 19,449 | |
28 | North Carolina | Blue Ridge Parkway | 45,000 | 17,461 | |
29 | Delaware | Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge | 45,000 | 17,309 | |
30 | New York | Saratoga National Historical Park | 45,000 | 17,563 | |
2016 | 31 | Illinois | Shawnee National Forest | 105,000 | 18,781 |
32 | Kentucky | Cumberland Gap National Historical Park | 75,000 | 18,550+ | |
33 | West Virginia | Harpers Ferry National Historical Park | 38,000 | 17,928+ | |
34 | North Dakota | Theodore Roosevelt National Park | 39,200 | 18,658+ | |
35 | South Carolina | Fort Moultrie (Fort Sumter National Monument) | 27,800+ | TBA |
See also
Notes
- ↑ Numismatic News (February 26, 2010). "Press Purchased for New Silver Coins". Numismaster.com. Archived from the original on 9 March 2010. Retrieved March 2, 2010.
- ↑ Harper, Dave (April 28, 2010). "CCAC Makes History on Twitter". Buzz with Dave Harper. Numismatic News. Archived from the original on 16 May 2010. Retrieved April 29, 2010.
- ↑ "Bullion Sales/Mintage Figures - 2016 America the Beautiful Silver Bullion 5 oz Coins Bullion". United States Mint. Retrieved 30 November 2016.