The Shenandoah National Park Silver Uncirculated Coin will be issued by the US Mint in 2014 honoring Shenandoah National Park of Virginia. This coin is struck as part of the US Mint’s America the Beautiful Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin™ Program. A release date for the coin was not known at the time of this posting.
Like the other strikes of the silver uncirculated coin series, the Shenandoah National Park Coin will be composed of five ounces of .999 fine silver and feature a diameter of three inches. Those specifications may also be found on strikes of the related America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coin™ Program.
In fact, these uncirculated coins are considered the numismatic versions of those bullion coins. The defining differences between the two series include their intended markets. The bullion coins are struck for investors and sold through the Mint’s network of authorized purchasers. These uncirculated coins are intended for collectors and are initially sold directly to the public by the US Mint.
Both contain imagery similar to a third US Mint series – the America the Beautiful Quarters® Program. This includes an obverse portrait of George Washington, the first President of the United States. That portrait will be surrounded by the inscriptions of UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST and QUARTER DOLLAR.
The reverse of this Shenandoah Silver Coin will feature a design emblematic of the national park. That design will also include the inscriptions of SHENANDOAH, VIRGINIA, 2014 and E PLURIBUS UNUM.
Shenandoah National Park in Virginia
Congress established Shenandoah National Park of Virginia on December 26, 1935. The acreage for the park was mostly once farmland which was accumulated by the Commonwealth of Virginia through the use of eminent domain. Once acquired, the land was transferred to the federal government for use as a national park.
Visitors to the park will find many unique recreational opportunities. Among them, and likely the most popular, is a drive along Skyline Drive which runs for 105 miles along the ridge of the mountains offering spectacular views.
