The Vicksburg National Military Park Silver Bullion Coin honors the military park in the state of Mississippi and marks the fourth 5-ounce silver strike released by the US Mint in 2011 for the series.
The Vicksburg National Military Park Silver Bullion Coin features the same designs as the circulating quarter version, shown above.
This series is the America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coin™ Program which is struck in the likeness of the circulating America the Beautiful Quarters®. Both of these programs honor sites of national interest from around the United States, the District of Columbia and the five US territories by showcasing reverse coins designs emblematic of the sites honored.
Five coins in each program will be released annually from the US Mint between the debut year 2010 and until the series are scheduled to end in 2021. Each bullion coin is composed of five ounces of .999 fine silver whereas the quarter dollars are struck from the standard clad composition for a circulating quarter.
The US Mint released this strike for sale to its network of authorized purchasers on June 20, 2011. At that time, a minimum mintage of 126,700 was indicated by the Mint, subject to change based on demand. This network is allowed to purchase the coins in bulk from the Mint for the melt value of the strike plus a premium of $9.75 per coin.
It then resells the strike to the public for an additional small premium above the current spot price of the silver they contain. This is the standard procedure for bullion products from the US Mint.
Inscriptions of UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST and QUARTER DOLLAR surround a portrait of George Washington that is featured on the obverse of each America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coin. The portrait was originally completed by John Flanagan and initially used on the circulating quarter dollar in 1932.
A depiction of the U.S.S. Cairo, a Civil War era gunboat is shown on the reverse of the Vicksburg bullion coin. The Cairo is on display at the Vicksburg National Military Park after being salvaged and partially restored. This design was completed by AIP Master Designer Thomas Cleveland and sculpted by United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Joseph Menna and includes the inscriptions of VICKSBURG, MISSISSIPPI, 2011 and E PLURIBUS UNUM.
A collectible five ounce uncirculated version of this coin will also be released by the Mint.
Vicksburg National Military Park in Mississippi
The following information was provided about the military park in Mississippi by the US Mint on its website:
The Vicksburg National Military Park quarter is the fourth released in 2011 and the ninth overall in the America the Beautiful Quarters® Program. The park commemorates one of the pivotal battles of the Civil War — the campaign, siege, and defense of Vicksburg, Miss. Surrender on July 4, 1863, coupled with the fall of Port Hudson, La., split the South, giving control of the Mississippi River to the North.
The museum exhibits at the park depict the hardships of civilians and soldiers during the devastating 47-day siege of the city. More than 1,350 monuments, a national cemetery and the restored Union ironclad gunboat, the U.S.S. Cairo, mark the 16-mile tour road. The U.S.S. Cairo was the first warship sunk by an electronically detonated "torpedo," which ushered in a new age of naval warfare. Vicksburg was first established as a national site on February 21, 1899 (30 Stat. 841).
