2010-P Yosemite 5 Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin Available

The United States Mint today, June 9, 2011, began selling the 2010-P Yosemite National Park 5 Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin to numismatists and silver enthusiasts.

The large three inch diameter Yosemite uncirculated coin contains five full ounces of the precious metal minted to .999 fine purity. Selling for a price of $279.95, the Mint has limited the amount buyers may order to one per household.

There will be a maximum of 27,000 offered, and if history repeats itself, all of them will sell. The first two 2010 designs in the America the Beautiful 5 Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin series, the Hot Springs and Yellowstone silver coins, sold out in roughly two weeks.

The United States Mint did properly anticipate that there would be some slowness with their ordering system in the early going, as an influx of people made their purchase early. But orders flowed smoothly not too long after the uncirculated coins were released. The majority of them will likely be sold by this evening. Approximately 70% of the 2010 Hot Springs National Park and 2010 Yellowstone National Park silver coins were sold by 9 PM on the day that they were released.

This is not the first round of five ounce coins honoring Yosemite National Park which is located in the state of California. The United States Mint last year produced a bullion version intended for silver investors. It too sold out, last December, with a total mintage of 33,000.

This new silver coin is intended for collectors as it went through a special minting process, and most notably, carries the Philadelphia "P" mint mark. The "P" is located on the obverse under the "IN GOD WE TRUST" motto and to the right of the portrait of George Washington.

The reverse design of the Yosemite uncirculated coin is a duplicate of the Yosemite National Park Quarter and the five-ounce Yosemite bullion coin. It depicts the iconic El Capitan, the largest monolith of granite in the world. The coin’s designer was Joseph Menna and engraver was Phebe Hemphill.

Like other collector coins, the 2010-P Yosemite 5 Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin is encapsulated in a plastic holder to protect its finish and packaged in a black outer box with the Mint’s logo. It also comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.

Purchases can be made online at the United States Mint’s website, http://www.usmint.gov/catalog, or by calling their toll free number 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468).