The Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Silver Uncirculated Coin will be issued by the US Mint as the first 2018 release of the America the Beautiful Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin™ Program. Shown on the reverse of the silver uncirculated coin will be an image honoring Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in the state of Michigan. As of this posting, a release date for the coin was not known.
Aside from marking the first 2018 release of the series, this Pictured Rock Coin also marks the first of the program to honor a national lakeshore. Previous releases in the fifty-six coin series have honored sites of national interest like national parks, national memorials, national forests, etc.
This series of coins is struck as the numismatic versions of the America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coin™ Program and features similar specifications. This includes being composed of five ounces of .999 fine silver, diameters of three inches and obverse and reverse imagery taken from an associated series of circulating quarter dollars. Those quarters are struck as part of the America the Beautiful Quarters® Program.
Shown on the obverse of all of the America the Beautiful coins is a portrait of George Washington, as designed by John Flanagan. The portrait has been in use on quarter dollars in one form or another since 1932 making it easily recognizable to anyone with a familiarity with American coins. Surrounding the portrait will be the inscription of UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST and QUARTER DOLLAR.
The reverse will contain the design emblematic of the national lakeshore. The reverse will also include the inscriptions of PICTURED ROCKS, MICHIGAN, 2018 and E PLURIBUS UNUM.
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore of Michigan was officially established on October 15, 1966. The lakeshore runs for forty-two miles along the shore of Lake Superior along the upper peninsula of the state.
The site gets its name from a 15-mile section of the shoreline which contains colorful sandstone cliffs which can reach heights of up to 200 feet above the level of the lake below. Those wishing to visit the area may want to consider checking into some sort of water transportation as the shoreline is only accessible in three locations by road.
