American History Immortalized in Silver

When it comes to silver bullion produced by the U.S. Government, American Eagles and 90% junk silver often come to mind first. However, 5-ounce America the Beautiful coins are not to be forgotten. “ATBs” are extremely popular among investors, due to their nationally significant designs that feature everything from national parks to historic sites. Following the immensely popular State Quarter program, there was significant demand for a follow-up series—thus the ATB series was born.

A Brief History of the America the Beautiful Series

You may recall, in the late 1990s, the United States Mint introduced the State Quarter program. Starting in 1999, a series of 50 different circulating Quarter Dollars was released—each honoring a different state of the union. Five different issues were struck each year for ten years. The program was a tremendous success; it created literally millions of new coin collectors by introducing unprecedented variety to America’s circulating money.

The public was sad to see the State Quarter program conclude in 2009, but the U.S. Mint has an exciting follow-up series. It launched the “America the Beautiful” program in 2010 to honor America’s national parks and historic sites. The concept was basically the same as the State Quarter program, except each coin would honor a different national park. In addition, the Mint surprised the numismatic world with a first-ever 5-ounce silver coin. These giant silver coins featured the same designs as the circulating quarters, but were struck instead as 5-ounce coins.

Just like the silver American Eagle, 5-ounce ATBs are struck by the United States Mint in .999 silver. Their weight, purity, and content are guaranteed by the Federal Government, and all ATBs are eligible for precious metals IRAs. While these impressive silver coins share many qualities with the silver Eagle, there is one major difference: rarity. As a whole, ATB mintages are tiny compared to those of silver Eagles. Whereas tens of millions of silver Eagles are released each year, many ATBs have miniscule production figures.

Mintages Below 50,000 Coins Each

The new ATBs enjoyed immediate success among collectors and investors and have enjoyed continued success year after year. Despite this tremendous demand, mintages have remained small. The reason, simply put, is production capacity. These massive 5-ounce silver coins are made using a special press at the Philadelphia Mint that was custom-ordered from Germany. It is capable of exerting up to 1,000 metric tons of pressure for each strike. Whereas 1-ounce silver Eagles can be manufactured in massive quantities at three different facilities (Philadelphia, West Point, and San Francisco), the Mint’s ability to strike ATBs is extremely limited.

This phenomenon is reflected in the production figures. A typical ATB issue has a mintage in the 20,000 to 50,000 coins range; this is miniscule compared to most modern coins. The market is beginning to notice these absurdly low mintages, and, as a result, the 2010 and 2012 issues have zoomed to $175 to $300 per coin (i.e., 2 to 3.5 times melt value). Despite the increase in price, many outstanding buys remain elsewhere in the series, and several scarce issues remain buyable for a modest premium over melt.

So far this year, the U.S. Mint has released three of the five 2017 ATB issues:

1. Effigy Mounds National Monument: This fascinating Iowa site preserves over 200 prehistoric mounds constructed by the Native Americans in the first millennium AD. The final mintage was just 35,000 coins.
2. Ozark National Scenic Riverways: Created in 1964, this 80,000-acre national park is a popular Missouri recreational area and beautiful wildlife preserve. The final mintage was just 20,000 coins (tied for lowest in series).
3. Frederick Douglass National Historic Site: This coin displays the Washington, D.C., home of the famous abolitionist, writer, and statesman Frederick Douglass. The final mintage was just 20,000 coins (tied for lowest in series).

Effigy Mounds ATB

These 2017 releases have two common threads: they quickly sold out at the U.S. Mint and have miniscule mintages. In fact, the Douglass and Ozark issues are tied for the lowest in the entire series! It’s worth noting that the 2012 Denali and 2012 Hawaii ATBs have the exact same mintage of 20,000 coins. Today, those two coins sell for $225 to $350 each—or double to triple their melt value!

A Portrait of America in Your Hands

ATB coins are well-known for unique designs that change each year, which means they often carry higher premiums due to their rarity and collector value. But, you can still lock in low-mintage 2017 ATB coins at a low premium. We have tube sets (i.e., 10 coins per issue) of ATBs available at pricing exclusive to ASI readers.

1. Effigy Mounds coins for $1,150 per tube of 10 coins*
2. Ozark Riverways coins for $1,300 per tube of 10 coins*
3. Frederick Douglass coins for $1,450 per tube of 10 coins*

These tubes are straight from the U.S. Mint and are taken directly from sealed boxes; as such, they’re in pristine condition. We also have exactly one set of three sealed monster boxes available on a first come, first served basis.

Whether you’re a collector looking to own a unique U.S. Mint product or a long-term investor, these coins represent an outstanding opportunity to add limited mintage, historically significant coins to your portfolio. America the Beautiful 5-ounce coins are among the most interesting and attractive bullion coins in production—and quite possibly one of the very best values, too! To add these beautiful American coins to your portfolio, call us at 800-831-0007 or email us. Be sure to ask your Preferred Client Relations representative about pre-ordering the upcoming Ellis Island ATB coin, the fourth coin in this series.

*Prices subject to change based on market fluctuation and product availability. Prices reflected are for cash, check, or bank wire. Offer expires Friday, September 1, 2017.