The United States Mint on Thursday released the 2010 Yosemite National Park 5 Oz Silver Uncirculated Coin at 12 noon Eastern Time. The Yosemite coin is struck in collector quality and has an introductory price of $279.95, plus $4.95 for shipping and handling.
As mentioned in an earlier article, only 27,000 were produced, and there is a one coin per household order limit. The uncirculated coins are three-inches in diameter, contain five ounces of .999 fine silver, and sport special edge lettering. The Yosemite design, by Phebe Hemphill, depicts the iconic El Capitan, which rises more than 3,000 feet above the valley floor and is the largest monolith of granite in the world.
High demand was expected and there were some delays for those choosing to place orders early via the United States Mint website at http://www.usmint.gov, but no serious issues were reported. The Mint again forewarned customers with the following statement:
“Because of the anticipated demand for the coins, we expect that our online catalog ordering system will be much slower than usual and may encounter periods of down time," the Mint said on the product’s web page. "We apologize to our customers for any inconvenience and ask them to be patient during this time.”
The United States Mint also indicated that once the coin orders reach the 27,000 marker, it will institute a “waiting list” in case any prior order is cancelled. Orders on the waiting list will not be guaranteed fulfillment and will be notified if the Mint is unable to complete the order. Buyers using credit cards are asked to make sure the information remains current up through shipment time to avoid problems.
The two earlier issues in the America the Beautiful 5 Oz Silver Uncirculated Coin series experienced initial high volume sales of roughly 19,000 each in fewer than 12 hours. Both coins sold out in two weeks. The Mint did use a waiting list for the first Hot Springs National Park Uncirculated Coin, but it did not for the second Yellowstone National Park Uncirculated Coin.
The Yosemite National Park 5 Oz Silver Uncirculated Coins are available to anyone interested in buying them, as they are sold directly by the United States Mint to the public. Each uncirculated coin is encapsulated, packaged in a protective outer box, and accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. The companion Yosemite 5 Oz bullion coin was sold through the Mint’s network of distributors last year. The investment-grade coin sold out with a mintage of 33,000.
In addition to the United States Mint website, buyers may place orders for the Yosemite National Park 5 Oz Silver Uncirculated Coin by calling the Mint’s toll free number 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468).
