2010-P Yellowstone Five Ounce Silver Coin Error Discovered

NGC on Monday announced the discovery of what could be the first error in the America the Beautiful Five Ounce Silver Coin series. The error was found on a 2010-P Yellowstone National Park Silver Uncirculated Coin, and it is peaking many collectors’ interests.

The Yellowstone silver coin is a collector product that was sold by the United States Mint for $279.95. It debuted on May 17, 2011 and reached a sell out on June 1, 2011 as buyers ordered all 27,000.

Each 2010-P Yellowstone coin is composed of .999 fine silver, has a diameter of three inches and weighs five ounces. Collector five ounce uncirculated coins are given a matte finish on each side that is achieved by using a vapor blasting technique during the manufacturing process. Companion bullion versions that are produced for investors do not have the matte finish or the Philadelphia "P" mintmark. What makes the newly discovered Yellowstone silver coin unique, and an error, is the lack of the matte finish on the reverse.

"The vapor-blasting process is applied after the coins are struck by ‘blasting’ a compressed mixture of water vapor and ceramic media," NGC described in a news statement on Monday. "On this error, only the Washington side was vapor-blasted but the Yellowstone side was untouched. The Washington side therefore resembles a Specimen while the Yellowstone side appears similar to a bullion issue."

The coin’s obverse features the 1932 portrait of George Washington by John Flanagan, which the Mint restored to bring out subtle details and the beauty of the original model. An image of Yellowstone National Park’s Old Faithful geyser and a mature bull bison in the foreground is on the reverse. The entire series of five ounce silver coins replicates the designs of the circulating America the Beautiful Quarters®. The Yellowstone silver coin was the second issue in the series.

NGC said it discovered the error while grading a bulk submission of 2010-P Yellowstone coins. The referenced coin graded at Specimen 69 and the label, shown above, was denoted "With Unfinished Reverse."

Another discovery in the collectible series was found and announced by NGC last week. It involved a 2010-P Grand Canyon National Park Silver Uncirculated Coin. The coin, which is the first known variety found in the America the Beautiful silver coin series, has what NGC calls a "Light Finish" instead of the more granulated matte finish normally found on the collector version five ounce silver coins.