America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coins
Encyclopedia
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 duplicate exactly—though enlarged—each of the America the Beautiful Quarters. They have been issued by the United States Mint 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 also may be resold at the discretion of the Director of the National Park Service
.
in a restored version of the original portrait used for the 1932 Washington Quarter
but there will be five new reverse designs each year (one in 2021) each depicting a national park or national site (one from each state, the federal district, and each territory).
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 tons
of pressure for each strike and can produce in excess of 1 million coins per year. Silver planchet
s for the series will be supplied by Sunshine Minting
.
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.
Face value
The Face value is the value of a coin, stamp or paper money, as printed on the coin, stamp or bill itself by the minting authority. While the face value usually refers to the true value of the coin, stamp or bill in question it can sometimes be largely symbolic, as is often the case with bullion...
of a quarter dollar
Quarter (United States coin)
A quarter dollar, commonly shortened to quarter, is a coin worth ¼ of a United States dollar, or 25 cents. The quarter has been produced since 1796. The choice of 25¢ as a denomination, as opposed to 20¢ which is more common in other parts of the world, originated with the practice of dividing...
. The coins contain five troy ounces
Troy weight
Troy weight is a system of units of mass customarily used for precious metals, gemstones, and black powder.There are 12 troy ounces per troy pound, rather than the 16 ounces per pound found in the more common avoirdupois system. The troy ounce is 480 grains, compared with the avoirdupois ounce,...
of silver making them the largest silver bullion coins ever issued by the United States Mint
United States Mint
The United States Mint primarily produces circulating coinage for the United States to conduct its trade and commerce. The Mint was created by Congress with the Coinage Act of 1792, and placed within the Department of State...
. The design of the coins duplicate exactly—though enlarged—each of the America the Beautiful Quarters. They have been issued by the United States Mint 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 also may be resold at the discretion of the Director of the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
.
Design
The obverse of all the coins depicts George WashingtonGeorge Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
in a restored version of the original portrait used for the 1932 Washington Quarter
Washington Quarter (U.S.)
The Washington quarter is the present quarter dollar or 25-cent piece issued by the United States Mint. The original coin began to be struck in 1932, and was designed by sculptor John Flanagan....
but there will be five new reverse designs each year (one in 2021) each depicting a national park or national site (one from each state, the federal district, and each territory).
Legislative history
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 pressCoining (mint)
In minting, coining is the process of manufacturing coins using a kind of stamping which is now generically known in metalworking as "coining".A coin die is one of the two metallic pieces that are used to strike one side of a coin...
from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
was installed on March 1, 2010, at the Philadelphia Mint
Philadelphia Mint
The Philadelphia Mint was created from the need to establish a national identity and the needs of commerce in the United States. This led the Founding Fathers of the United States to make an establishment of a continental national mint a main priority after the ratification of the Constitution of...
for use in producing the America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coins. The press provides up to 1,000 tons
Tons
Tons can refer to:* Tons River, a major river in India* the plural of ton, a unit of mass, force, volume, energy or power* short ton, 2,000 pounds, used in the United States...
of pressure for each strike and can produce in excess of 1 million coins per year. Silver planchet
Planchet
A planchet is a round metal disk that is ready to be struck as a coin. An older word for planchet is flan. They are also referred to as blanks.-History:The preparation of the flan or planchet has varied over the years...
s for the series will be supplied by Sunshine Minting
Sunshine Minting
Sunshine Minting, Inc., is a privately held company based in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, that processes silver, gold, and other precious metals. The company is known for its role as a supplier of silver planchets to the United States Mint and as the manufacturer of the private Liberty Dollar...
.
In conjunction with the April 27, 2010, meeting of the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee
Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee
The Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee was established in 2003 to advise the Secretary of the Treasury on coinage-related issues, replacing the Citizens Commemorative Coin Advisory Committee ....
in Philadelphia, committee members were shown examples of the America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coins.
See also
- America the Beautiful Quarters
- American Silver EagleAmerican Silver EagleThe American Silver Eagle is the official silver bullion coin of the United States. It was first released by the United States Mint on November 24, 1986. It is struck only in the one-troy ounce size, which has a nominal face value of one dollar and is guaranteed to contain one troy ounce of 99.9%...
- Silver as an investmentSilver as an investmentSilver, like other precious metals, may be used as an investment. For more than four thousand years, silver has been regarded as a form of money and store of value. However, since the end of the silver standard, silver has lost its role as legal tender in many developed countries such as the...