In 2010, the United States Mint will begin issuing the America the Beautiful 5 ounce silver bullion coins. This brand new series will feature the designs of the America the Beautiful Quarters, struck in five ounces of .999 fine silver. There has been a high level of interest in the new bullion product, both from precious metals investors and coin collectors.
Authorization for the bullion coins comes from Public Law 110-456 America’s Beautiful National Parks Quarter Dollar Coin Act of 2008. This law authorized both the new series of circulating commemorative quarter dollars as well as the accompanying silver bullion investment product.
The America the Beautiful Silver Bullion coins are required to have a composition of .999 fine silver, bullion weight of 5 ounces, and diameter of 3 inches. Designs will be exact duplicates of the corresponding quarters, resulting in the issuance of 56 different designs representing National Parks and sites in each state, territory, and the District of Columbia.
All inscriptions on the silver bullion coins will be identical to those on the quarters, including the denomination “quarter dollar.” The edge of the bullion coins will contain the information on the fineness and weight of the coins as incused edge lettering.
Availability and Sales
The America the Beautiful silver bullion coins will be distributed through the United States Mint’s network of authorized purchasers. This is the same network currently utilized to distribute the US Mint’s other gold and silver bullion products. The authorized purchasers can order the coins directly from the Mint based on the market price of silver plus a fixed mark up. The coins are then resold to other bullion dealers, coin dealers and the public.
Under the authorizing legislation, the US Mint may make the coins available to authorized purchasers no sooner than the first day of the calendar year in which the corresponding quarter dollar coin is issued. The bullion coins may only be available for sale during the year in which the quarter is issued.
The first five releases of the series will feature Hot Springs National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, and Mount Hood National Forest. The exact release date for these coins has not yet been provided by the US Mint, although by law, the coins can only be sold during the 2010 calendar year.
Silver Bullion Coins
The America the Beautiful silver bullion coins will be mark a significant change for the US Mint’s bullion coin offerings. Until now, silver bullion coins were only available in one ounce bullion weight, through the American Silver Eagle program. The US Mint will join other world mints in providing a larger sized weight to provide a greater variety of investment options.
With an array of 56 different designs issued over the course of 12 years, the new series will create a stunning display of the beauty and diversity of America’s National Parks and sites. Since each coin contains 5 troy ounces of silver, the complete series will also represent a sizable investment in silver.
This site will provide information on each release of the series with updated information as the series progresses. Stay tuned for future updates!