The Blue Ridge Parkway Silver Bullion Coin will be struck by the US Mint to resemble the circulating Blue Ridge Quarter. Shown on the reverse of the silver bullion coin will be a design emblematic of Blue Ridge Parkway found in the state of North Carolina. No official release date for the silver bullion coin was known at the time of this posting.
These silver bullion coins are struck as part of the America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coins™ Program which all contain designs similar to those found on an associated America the Beautiful Quarters® Program. Both series of strikes were authorized by the same legislation, however, whereas the quarters are intended typically for general circulation, the US Mint strikes the bullion coins from five ounces of .999 fine silver for investors.
Shown on the obverse of each coin in both series is the same portrait of George Washington. John Flanagan initially designed the portrait for the 1932 circulating quarter dollar and it has appeared on the quarters in one form or another ever since. Also shown on the obverse will be the inscriptions of UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST and QUARTER DOLLAR.
The reverse of the coin will contain the Blue Ridge Parkway design selected by the Secretary of the Treasury after a process which initially included several design candidates and input from several organizations. That reverse design will also include the inscriptions of BLUE RIDGE , NORTH CAROLINA, 2015 and E PLURIBUS UNUM.
An edge inscription will also be present on these coins indicating their weight and fineness with .999 FINE SILVER 5.0 OUNCE.
Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina
Blue Ridge Parkway of North Carolina was originally established on June 30, 1936. Its purpose was to connect Shenandoah National Park to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park which it does through its run of 469 miles along the Blue Ridge.
Construction was initially started under with the assistance of several New Deal agencies which were designed to keep young American men working in the 1930’s. However, the parkway was not completed until 1987 when the final section was laid.
