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2011 America the Beautiful 5 Ounce Silver Coin Designs
December 30, 2010 by Darrin Lee Unser · 4 Comments
Since the 2010 America the Beautiful 5 ounce Silver Bullion Coins are now officially in the distribution channels for sale to the public, now is a good time to start thinking about the 5 ounce 2011-dated strikes of the series which include the investment-grade 2011 America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coins and the numismatic or collector 2011 America the Beautiful Silver Uncirculated Coins.
2011 America the Beautiful 5 Ounce Silver Coin Designs (See Larger Images Below)
2011 will be the second year of the America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coins™ Program and the associated releases of the uncirculated versions.
The 2011 issues commemorate five different sites, including Gettysburg National Military Park of Pennsylvania, Glacier National Park of Montana, Olympic National Park of Washington, Vicksburg National Military Park of Mississippi and Chickasaw National Recreation Area of Oklahoma.
These five locations are the sixth through the tenth of fifty-six total sites that will be honored by the programs which call for five issues per year until 2021.
While few details about next year’s issues have been released by the US Mint, much can be inferred from other readily available information. This includes the designs that will be found on the obverse and reverse of the coins as they are based on the Mint’s 2011 America the Beautiful Quarters® which the US Mint unveiled earlier this month. (Until now, only images of the coin design candidates had been available.)
2011 America the Beautiful 5 Ounce Silver Coin Designs
The following are the final coin designs for each of the 2011 America the Beautiful 5 Ounce Silver Coins:
Gettysburg National Military Park Silver Coins
Gettysburg National Military Park Silver Coin Designs
The reverse of each Gettysburg National Military Park Silver Coin will contain an image of the 72nd Pennsylvania Infantry Monument found on the battle line of the Union Army at Cemetery Ridge which is within the boundaries of the present-day military park.
A cannon is shown in the foreground of the design which was completed by United States Mint Artistic Infusion Program (AIP) Master Designer Joel Iskowitz and sculpted by United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Phebe Hemphill.
This was the chosen design of the Citizen’s Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) which is one of two organizations charged with providing input on American coinage to the United States Mint.
Also included on the quarter design, and likely to be a part of the silver bullion coin are the inscriptions of GETTYSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, 2011 and E PLURIBUS UNUM.
Glacier National Park Silver Coins
Glacier National Park Silver Coin Designs
AIP Associate Designer Barbara Fox completed the design for the reverse of the Glacier National Park Silver Coin which was sculpted by United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Charles Vickers. It shows a mountain goat climbing over the rugged landscape of the park with the northeast slope of Mount Reynolds depicted off in the distance.
The Commission of Fine Arts (CFA), the second body chosen to provide input on pending American coinage, concurred with the CCAC that this design was the best of the options provided for Glacier National Park and added that it "provides a desirable foreground feature that gives scale to the sweeping vista of the glaciated landscape."
Along with the design, the reverse should include the inscriptions of GLACIER, MONTANA, 2011 and E PLURIBUS UNUM.
Olympic National Park Silver Coins
Olympic National Park Silver Coin Designs
For the Olympic National Park Coins, one of the area’s most iconic creatures is shown – a Roosevelt Elk. The elk is found standing on a gravel bar of the Hoh River as it flows to the side of the animal with a far-off view of Mount Olympus given in the background.
This design happened to be the favorite among both the CCAC and the CFA with the advisory committee commenting that it "found the combination of the park’s wildlife and scenery to be especially compelling."
It was designed by AIP Master Designer Susan Gamble and sculpted by United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Michael Gaudioso and should include the inscriptions of OLYMPIC, WASHINGTON, 2011 and E PLURIBUS UNUM.
Vicksburg National Military Park Silver Coins
Vicksburg National Military Park Silver Coin Designs
The fourth silver strikes released for the year will be the Vicksburg National Military Park Silver Coins which will showcase a depiction of the American Civil War gunboat USS Cairo which was partially restored and now on display at the military park.
The design shows the boat as it would have appeared steaming down the Yazoo River during the war and was the favorite of the Citizen’s Coinage Advisory Committee which stated "in addition to the quality of its composition, has the virtue of showcasing the historical significance of the Navy in the Civil War."
This design was completed by AIP Master Designer Thomas Cleveland and sculpted by United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Joseph Menna and should also include VICKSBURG, MISSISSIPPI, 2011 and E PLURIBUS UNUM for inscriptions.
Chickasaw National Recreation Area Silver Coins
Chickasaw National Recreation Area Silver Coin Designs
Finally, the last 2011 America the Beautiful Silver Coins will honor the Chickasaw National Recreation Area. The design of this coin shows the limestone Lincoln Bridge which was dedicated in the park on the centennial of the birth of the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, and thus named after him.
The bridge is a favorite scenic spot found within the recreation area. This design is the work of AIP Master Designer Donna Weaver and sculpted by United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Jim Licaretz and will most likely also contain the inscriptions of CHICKASAW, OKLAHOMA, 2011 and E PLURIBUS UNUM.
On the obverse of all of the silver coins will be a portrait of George Washington. John Flanagan originally designed the portrait for the quarter dollar in 1932 and it has appeared on the quarter ever since, with some modifications. As these coins are based on the quarter designs, the portrait of the first President of the United States is included on them as well.
Some changes may occur to the specifications for the silver coins from their inaugural year 2010 releases to these 2011 strikes. That is because Congress authorized new specifications for the series after the 2010 coins were already minted. (Read Coin Modernization Law Changes Silver Eagles and ATB Bullion Coins.) No longer must the designs of the bullion coins be exact duplicates of the quarter dollars, but instead may be "likenesses." Also, the 2010 coins were required to have an edge inscription showing their weight and fineness which has been eliminated. Accordingly, the US Mint may choose to modify the designs to place the weight and fineness as an inscription on the obverse or reverse instead.
Finally, the diameter of the strikes may go from the 3.0 inch required of the 2010-dated coins to somewhere in the range of 2.5 to 3.0 inches.
WHERE DO I PURCHASE THESE COINS?
From what I have seen, the authorized distributors are holding onto the coins and not responding to inquiries — waiting on prices to rise or figuring out how to charge the highest price while still remaining in compliance with the new guidelines? I thought distributors were supposed to distribute. As usual with anything related to the Mint, it is the citizens that pay through the nose.
I saw the Home Shopping Network offering them for $5,000 a set yesterday evening (January 5th). They said they had 210 sets. This system is working out great for the middle men.
I called the Mint and was told to call (202) 354-7500 if I had a complaint. I was told this was the office in charge of bullion coins. There was a recording, but you can leave a message.
One of the United States Mint’s authorized purchasers (CNT) finally put its 2010 America the Beautiful 5 oz silver coins on sale today (March 8, 2011). A buyer was required to call a toll free number between 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. [EST] in order to purchase the coins. My buddy and I called the number for the complete 2 hour period. We were on separate telephone lines and averaged about 6 calls per minute with redial buttons. This amounts to 4 man hours of calling and a total of 1440 telephone calls. We never got through.
This is the process the United States Mint has allowed for the distribution these coins. These authorized purchasers are under the auspices of the Mint. This is a ridiculous process and a prime example of the inefficiency of the United States government. Who ever devised this process should lose their job (and let’s not forget our congressmen). And to think, the government is now in control of healthcare – if that does not scare you, then you don’t have a brain.
APMEX.com and Providentmetals.com are both great places to purchase them online.