America the Beautiful

Coins, which commemorate the beauty and history found all over the U.S.

Overview

The United States Mint has been minting America the Beautiful quarters since 2010. The series also includes America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coins, an exact replica of the circulating quarters. The designs for the America the Beautiful Quarters and the America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coins honor national sites and national parks. The silver bullion version is significantly larger and contains 5 ounces of pure .999 fine silver. This program has been wildly successful with speculations of extending the series to 2033. This will be decided by the United States Secretary of Treasury.  

AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL SILVER COINS

 America the Beautiful Quarters Law

The America the Beautiful quarter-dollar coin program was authorized by the Public Law 110-456, or America's Beautiful National Parks Quarter Dollar Coin Act of 2008. This program also instructed the Unites States Mint to strike companion .999 fine silver coins weighing in at 5 ounces with a diameter of 3 inches. The Act was first introduced by Rep. Michael Castle back in June of 2008. The Act was quickly passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. It was officially Public Law 110-456 on December 23, 2008, after former president George W. Bush signed the legislation. Public Law 110-456 authorized the America the Beautiful Quarter series, a 12 year series (2010-2021) which honors United States national parks and national sites. 

 Size

America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coins have a unique size. These very large 3-inch diameter silver bullion coins are .999 fine silver (99.9% fine silver) and weigh 5 ounces. They are a replica of issued America the Beautiful quarters, with a few exceptions: the silver bullion quarters are much larger, with a different metallic composition and edging. A circulating quarter weighs 0.2 ounces (5.670 grams) and is less than an inch in diameter, at .955 inches. Compared to the larger bullion coins, the quarters are significantly smaller. 

 Historically speaking, these bullion coins are the largest coins ever minted by the U.S. Mint. This unique size caused some technical issues during the initial Mint production, delaying the release date to 2010. At this time there were no 5 ounce blanks to use, so the mint had them custom made. Congress also mandated that the coins be 3 inches in diameter, resulting in a paper thin coin. In order to better handle the requirements of these new coins, the U.S. Mint ordered a new coining press from a German firm. Finally, in September of 2010, the Mint began production of the America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coins.

 America the Beautiful Design

The designs for this coin series are inspired by the beautiful National Parks and National Sites in each of the 50 states, Washington D.C., and the five U.S. Territories. Each year, the U.S. Mint releases 5 new national site designs. These are released in the order the national site or park was established.  Public Law 110-456 provides appropriate design criteria for each silver bullion coin in the series. It is stated that each design on the reverse side be emblematic and honor the national site of national park in each jurisdiction deemed most appropriate and significant in natural or historical terms. 

 Deciding what design to strike is an involved process. Once the design candidates are reviewed by the Secretary of Interior, the Chief Executive of the Host Jurisdiction, the Commission of Fine Arts, and the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee, the Mint makes any changes deemed necessary.  At last, the Secretary of the Treasury makes the final selection.

 The Hot Springs America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coin was the first coin released in the bullion series. This design honors the Arkansas State Park. There were four other 2010 dated strikes: Yellowstone, Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, and Mount Hood. Between 2010 and 2021, the U.S. Mint will produce a total of 56 silver coins. As of 2015, there have been a total of 30 silver bullion coins designed by the U.S. Mint. 

 The America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coins share the familiar portrait of George Washington on the obverse (front) side, the same as the one found on circulating quarters. This portrait was debuted on the quarter-dollar in 1932. In 1999, William Cousins modified the original design we see on the quarters today. 

 Unlike the circulating quarters that have a total of 119 reeds on their edge, the edging on the America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coin series is flat with edge lettering, displaying the coin’s fineness and weight. 

 Coin vs. Bullion

There are differences between the coin version of America the Beautiful coins, preferred by collectors, and the bullion version, preferred by investors. One difference is the mint mark found on the obverse side of the coin, under the "In God We Trust" inscription (for example, "P" for the Philadelphia Mint). This mint mark is not found in the bullion version of the coin. Another difference is the finish. The coin version has an uncirculated matte finish, while the bullion version has a more brilliant finish. Aside from these, the size and weight are the most obvious differences between the coin and bullion versions.

 Minting History

In March of 2010, the new German coining press was installed at the Philadelphia Mint. This coining press was specifically installed for the production of the America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coins. This new press was able to meet the coin’s required specifications, providing up to 1,000 metric tons of pressure for each strike. This press is able to produce up to one million coins per year. Sunshine Minting provides the silver planchets used to produce the America the Beautiful bullion coins. 

 Distribution 

The U.S. Mint distributes the America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coins exactly like the American Silver Eagles, which are the only other silver bullion coin produced by the Mint. These coins are not sold directly to the public by the Mint. Instead, the Mint works with dealers, or "Authorized Purchasers," who resell the coins to collectors, investors, and precious metal dealers alike. ITM Trading is a trusted seller of these spectacular coins. We guarantee and insure every transaction made through our website, and are pleased to offer these gorgeous