2012 America the Beautiful 5 Ounce Silver Coins Designs Announced

The United States Mint has released the final designs for the five 2012 America the Beautiful Quarters. By extension, the announcement also indicates what designs will be showcased on the associated 2012 America the Beautiful 5 Ounce Silver Bullion Coins (discussed here) and the 2012 America the Beautiful 5 Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coins (discussed here).

Both series of silver coins use the same basic obverse and reverse imagery as seen on the circulating quarter dollars. This includes an obverse portrait of George Washington by John Flanagan and a reverse emblematic of selected sites of national interest from the fifty states of the United States as well as the five United States territories and the District of Columbia.

Honored by the related America the Beautiful programs in 2012 will be El Yunque National Forest of Puerto Rico, Chaco Culture National Historical Park of New Mexico, Acadia National Park of Maine, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park of Hawaii and Denali National Park of Alaska. These national sites represent 11-15 since the coins programs debuted in 2010.

Five new coins are scheduled to appear annually in each series until 2021. In that year, the final of fifty-six new releases will have been issued per series indicating an end to the associated programs.

Both the America the Beautiful 5 Ounce Silver Bullion Coins and the America the Beautiful Silver Uncirculated Coins are composed in five ounces of .999 fine silver to a diameter of three inches. The bullion silver coins are intended for investors and will be released through the United States Mint’s network of authorized purchasers who will sell the coins for a small premium above the current spot price of the five ounces of silver each contains. The uncirculated silver coins are struck for collectors and will be sold directly to the public by the United States Mint. No releases dates have been announced yet for either series of coins.

2012 America the Beautiful 5 Ounce Silver Coin Designs

The following are the final coin designs for each of the 2012 America the Beautiful Silver Coins:

El Yunque National Forest Silver Coins

Shown on the reverse of each El Yunque National Forest Silver Coin will be a design including two creatures indigenous to the area, including a Coqui tree frog and a Puerto Rican parrot. The two creatures are shown surrounded by the tropical flora of the forest.

The reverse also includes the inscriptions of EL YUNQUE, PUERTO RICO, 2012 and E PLURIBUS UNUM. United States Mint Artistic Infusion Program (AIP) Master Designer Gary Whitley designed the reverse which was sculpted by United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Michael Gaudioso.

Chaco Culture National Historical Park Silver Coins

The Chaco Culture National Historical Park Silver Coins will feature a reverse image of two elevated kivas that are part of the Chetro Ketl Complex of the park. Also depicted in the scene will be the north wall of Chetro Ketl and the north wall of the canyon.

CHACO CULTURE, NEW MEXICO, 2012 and E PLURIBUS UNUM are all inscriptions that will be found on the reverse. The design was completed by AIP Master Designer Donna Weaver and sculpted by United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Phebe Hemphill.

Acadia National Park Silver Coins

The Acadia National Park Silver Coins will honor the national park with a reverse design depicting Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse. The lighthouse is set along Acadia’s rough coastline.

Reverse inscriptions on the coin will include ACADIA, MAINE, 2012 and E PLURIBUS UNUM. The reverse was designed by AIP Associate Designer Barbara Fox and sculpted by United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Joseph Menna.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Silver Coins

An eruption of Kilauea Volcano will be shown on the reverse of the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Silver Coins. The eruption shown is depicted as if occurring from the east rift of the volcano.

HAWAI’I VOLCANOES, HAWAII, 2012 and E PLURIBUS UNUM will all be inscribed on the reverse. The design was completed and sculpted by United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Charles L. Vickers.

Denali National Park Silver Coins

Shown on the reverse of the Denali National Park Silver Coins will be Mount McKinley, an iconic presence of the park. The mountain is shown off in the distance with a Dall sheep shown in the foreground.

The reverse of the coin will include the inscriptions of DENALI, ALASKA, 2012 and E PLURIBUS UNUM. It was designed by AIP Master Designer Susan Gamble and sculpted by United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Jim Licaretz.