In 2010, America the Beautiful quarters debuted. They were released into circulation roughly 1 every 10 weeks over the course of 11 years (from 2010 through 2021).
They’ve been hugely popular!
But there’s another entry into the America the Beautiful Quarters series that you won’t be seeing in circulation.
That’s right, the ATB quarters aren’t the only coins to honor America’s treasured landmarks. The United States Mint is also offering silver bullion coins featuring our nation’s landmark parks.
After much anticipation in the numismatic community, 5-ounce silver versions of the America the Beautiful quarters debuted in 2010 as well — with the U.S. Mint issuing 5 new coins a year.
The first one released was the Hot Springs National Park silver bullion coin on April 19, 2010.
There was much speculation that these silver coins would be released earlier in 2010. However, the U.S. Mint cited difficulty in obtaining the large silver blanks needed for these coins.
Here’s the inside scoop on these large, silver America the Beautiful bullion coins and how you can get one (or more!)
Gigantic Silver America The Beautiful Quarters
Can you imagine a United States quarter measuring 3 inches wide?
That’s what you have with these silver bullion quarters.
These silver America the Beautiful coins are historically large by United States minting standards:
- Packing 5 ounces of .999 fine silver,
- Measuring 3 inches in diameter (over 3 times wider than a regular U.S. quarter), and
- Weighing in at around 20 times heavier than your typical 25-cent piece.
For comparison’s sake, the current Silver Eagle bullion coins each contain just 1 ounce of silver!
If you collect or invest in American Silver Eagles, you might enjoy my latest book – A Guide Book of American Silver Eagles (Whitman Publishing).
Silver America The Beautiful Coin Designs
The designs on these large silver quarters are exactly the same as you’ll find on any of the regular America the Beautiful quarters. There will be a total of 56 coin designs in all.
Of course the designs on the bullion coins are larger, but they are otherwise relatively proportionate.
Unlike regular quarters, however, these bullion versions of the America the Beautiful quarters feature edge lettering. The edge lettering on these bullion coins features the words .999 FINE SILVER and 5.0 OUNCES — to indicate the weight as well as the silver fineness of this bullion coin.
See the release dates and mintage numbers for silver ATB coins.
How To Buy Silver America The Beautiful Bullion Coins
So, you’re probably wondering how to get your hands on one of these ginormous silver America the Beautiful quarters.
Like purchasing uncirculated examples of eBay! Many coin dealers and coin collectors who’ve purchased these coins are turning around and selling them on the ever-popular auction website.
National Park Silver Bullion Coin Prices
Bullion prices change day to day. Plus, silver prices in particular have seen numerous fluctuations in recent months.
That said, if silver bullion prices are about $21 per ounce. This means a 5-ounce silver coin would have roughly $105 of silver in it.
However, any slight fluctuations in silver prices will mean this cost will increase or decrease significantly. Also, the U.S. Mint usually charges more than strict bullion value for its bullion coins.
See the current silver America the Beautiful quarters prices.
Silver Bullion Coin Series Facts
America’s Beautiful National Parks Quarter Dollar Coin Act of 2008 (H.R. 6184), the bill which President George W. Bush signed in December 2008, allowed the U.S. Mint to strike the National Park quarter series for at least 11 years.
However, the language of the bill actually granted permission for the program to continue for an additional 11 years. That means the National Park Silver Bullion coin series could have lasted 22 years — until the 2030s!
Must read: U.S. Bullion Coins – Who Cares?
I’m the Coin Editor here at TheFunTimesGuide. My love for coins began when I was 11 years old. I primarily collect and study U.S. coins produced during the 20th century.
I’m a member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA) and the Numismatic Literary Guild (NLG) and have won multiple awards from the NLG for my work as a coin journalist. I’m also the editor at the Florida United Numismatists Club (FUN Topics magazine), and author of Images of America: The United States Mint in Philadelphia (a book that explores the colorful history of the Philadelphia Mint). I’ve contributed hundreds of articles for various coin publications including COINage, The Numismatist, Numismatic News, Coin Dealer Newsletter, Coin Values, and CoinWeek.
I’ve authored nearly 1,000 articles here at The Fun Times Guide to Coins (many of them with over 50K shares), and I welcome your coin questions in the comments below!
