2015-P Blue Ridge Parkway 5 Ounce Silver Coin for Collectors

Collectors looking to buy the third 2015-dated issue in the U.S. Mint’s America the Beautiful Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin series can do so on Tuesday, July 7, with the release honoring Blue Ridge Parkway.

This three-inch coin is composed of five ounces of 99.9% pure silver and goes on sale to the public beginning at Noon (Eastern) at www.usmint.gov.

Blue Ridge Parkway was established in 1936 and runs for almost five hundred miles along the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina and Virginia. It traverses the scenic landscape between Great Smoky Mountains National Park to the south and Shenandoah National Park to the north. The parkway has the distinction of being the most visited National Park Service unit every year from 1946 through 2012.

Blue Ridge Parkway Silver Coin Design

Featured on the reverse of the Blue Ridge Parkway coin is a design showcasing the scenic draw of the area. It depicts the road’s graceful nature as it curves into a tunnel. North Carolina’s state flower, Cornus florida, can be seen in the foreground of the image as it might appear blooming alongside the road.

This design, which first appeared on the Blue Ridge Parkway quarter, was completed by United States Mint Artistic Infusion Program artist Frank Morris and was sculpted by United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Joseph Menna. Inscriptions include BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY, NORTH CAROLINA, 2015, and E PLURIBUS UNUM

John Flanagan’s portrait of George Washington is on the obverse of each issue. This same likeness of the first President of the United States is seen on all America the Beautiful coinage including the related bullion and quarter-dollar programs. Obverse inscriptions include UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, and QUARTER DOLLAR.

An edge inscription found on each coin reads .999 FINE SILVER 5.0 OUNCE.

Silver Coin Specifications

 

As collector pieces, these silver coins are minted to uncirculated quality at the Philadelphia Mint and include a ‘P’ mintmark.

Ordering and Price

The 2015-P Blue Ridge Parkway Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin may be ordered directly from the United States Mint for $149.95. Orders are accepted on the Mint’s website by visiting this product page, or by calling 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468).

Mintage is limited to 30,000. However, no household or order limits are in place.

Bullion Version

The United States Mint also produces a bullion version of this coin as part of its America the Beautiful Five Ounce Silver Bullion Coin series. The 2015 Blue Ridge Parkway Five Ounce Silver Bullion Coin was released on June 22, 2015, and temporarily sold out on the same day. Their sales have yet to resume.

It features identical imagery as found on this uncirculated series but lacks the ‘P’ (Philadelphia) mintmark. Bullion coins are also not sold directly to the public. Instead, they are sold in bulk to authorized purchasers who resell them in smaller quantities to dealers and the public. Each is offered for a small premium above their melt value.

2015 Five Ounce Silver Coins

A total of five different designs will be released this year as part of the America the Beautiful Quarter and five-ounce coin series. 2015 program issues honor the following locations of national interest:

• Homestead National Monument in Nebraska
• Kisatchie National Forest of Louisiana
• Blue Ridge Parkway of North Carolina (this release)
• Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge of Delaware
• Saratoga National Historical Park of New York

The next five-ounce silver uncirculated coin release featuring a reverse design emblematic of Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge is scheduled to appear in October.