Harpers Ferry National Historical Park America The Beautiful Silver Coin Now Available
The United States Mint Introduces the Third Five Ounce Silver Bullion Coin In the 2016 America The Beautiful Series
Sales of the U.S. Mint’s ‘other’ silver bullion coin, the American The Beautiful (ATB) coin are on the rise. The U.S. Mint has sold record amounts of one ounce American Silver Eagle coins from 2013-2015, selling over 133 million ounces. In contrast, sales of five ounce ATB coins from 2013 – 2015 were just 508,000 reflecting 2,540,000 ounces of silver sold.
Through mid June, however, sales of ATB coins are 213,000 reflecting 1,065,000 ounces of silver, or the second highest number of coins and ounces of silver ever sold in since the ATB series was introduced in 2010.
Earlier this month the United States Mint released the third in a series of five 2016 America The Beautiful (ATB) quarters, the Harpers Ferry National Historical Park coin (pictured below). As part of the ATB quarter program, the U.S. Mint also simultaneously produces five ounce silver coins with the same design as the ATB quarters. The Harpers Ferry five ounce “quarter” in the ATB silver coin series honors the park bearing the same name.
The Harper’s Ferry National Historical Park is situated in West Virginia between the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers. Harpers Ferry was the place where Lewis and Clark began their famous westward bound expedition in 1804 of the Louisiana Purchase.
On the Back of the Coin
The Harpers Ferry coin features a depiction of John Browns Fort. The words “E Pluribus Unum” and “West Virginia” are emblazoned on the coin. The coin’s reverse was designed by Thomas Hipschen and sculpted by Phebe Hemphill.
On the Front of the Coin
The ATB silver bullion commemoratives look like giant quarters and even bear a face value of a “quarter dollar”, though the five ounces of silver contained in the coins makes them worth far more.
About The America The Beautiful Coin Series
The America The Beautiful five ounce silver coins were authorized in 2008 under Public Law 110-456. The ATB coins are five ounces of .999 fine silver and are exact replicas of the designs of the America the Beautiful quarters ($.25) minted for general circulation. The ATB five ounce silver coins even have stamped on them “quarter dollar” on the obverse. ATB five ounce coins are the first five ounce silver coins ever produced by the U.S. Mint.
Each year since 2010, the U.S. Mint has produced five different designs of America the Beautiful coins. The reverse of the ATB coins features various depictions of U.S. National Parks or other national sites. The obverse of the ATB coins looks like a U.S. quarter featuring a portrait of George Washington. Indeed, the ATB series includes U.S. quarters intended for general circulation with face values of twenty five cents that are produced in the same design as their five ounce silver commemorative counterparts.
The ATB quarter program is a 12-year initiative that will honor 56 national parks and other national sites by 2020.
Limited Mintage
The widely anticipated Harpers Ferry coin follows the Cumberland Gap and Shawnee National Forest coins issued in 2016. Since 2010, the five ounce ATB silver coins have seen very limited mintages. Mintages have ranged from a low of 20,000 to a high of 126,000. The Shawnee National Forest coin sold 105,000 and the Cumberland Gap coin sold 75,000, To date, 33,000 Harpers Ferry coins have been sold.
Last year the U.S. Mint produced just 212,000 ATB coins from the five different designs. In contrast, the U.S. Mint produced 47 million one ounce American Silver Eagle coins in 2015.
Because of their limited mintages, the ATB silver commemoratives often sell out quickly and in later years sell for higher premiums over the value of their silver bullion content.
Later this year, the U.S. Mint will release two more ATB designs: The Theodore Roosevelt National Park and Fort Moultrie at Fort Sumter National Monument.
The First Two Coins of the America The Beautiful Series
This article by BGASC is not, and should not be regarded as, investment advice or as a recommendation regarding any particular course of action.