Released by the US Mint as the fourth strike in 2013 of the series will be the Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine Silver Bullion Coin. These silver bullion coins will honor Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine of Maryland with a design emblematic of the site on their reverse. An official date of issue was not known at the time of this posting.
The US Mint strikes these coins as part of the America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coins™ Program authorized by the America’s Beautiful National Parks Quarter Dollar Coin Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-456). Under that act, the Mint is required to produce silver bullion coins from five ounces of silver that feature obverse and reverse imagery similar to that found on the associated America the Beautiful Quarters® Program.
As such, the obverse of each Fort McHenry Silver Bullion Coin will contain a portrait of George Washington, just like is found on the circulating quarter dollars. This portrait was originally designed by John Flanagan for the 1932 circulating quarter. Found surrounding the portrait will be the inscriptions of UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST and QUARTER DOLLAR.
The reverse will contain the design emblematic of Forty McHenry, as previously mentioned. That design will be surrounded by the inscriptions of FORT MCHENRY , MARYLAND, 2013 and E PLURIBUS UNUM.
As a bullion product of the US Mint, the coins will be sold through the Mint’s network of authorized purchasers. This network obtains the coins in bulk from the Mint and then resells them to the public directly or through other metal and coin dealers for a small premium above the current spot price of the silver they contain.
Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine in Maryland
Congress originally established Fort McHenry as a national park in 1925. Its designation was changed to a national monument and historic shrine on August 11, 1939 and is the only national site to have such a title.
Fort McHenry is probably best known as the location of a historic battle against British naval forces during the War of 1812. The fort successfully defended the Baltimore Harbor during that battle which was witnessed by Francis Scott Key. Key would write a poem of the event entitled The Star-Spangled Banner which would go on to become the national anthem of the United States.
