Chickasaw National Recreation Area 5 Oz Silver Uncirculated Coin Launches

On Thursday, February 9, 2012 the United States Mint began selling the 2011-P Chickasaw National Recreation Area Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin for $204.95.

The Chickasaw silver uncirculated coin commemorates the national recreation area centrally located in the state of Oklahoma. In total, there will be 56 national sites honored in the America the Beautiful coin series. The first coins were dated 2010 and the final one will be dated 2021. The sites have already been selected in every state, U.S. territory and the District of Columbia.

The Chickasaw National Recreation Area Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin is the last 2011-dated strike and the tenth in the America the Beautiful Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin™ series. The debut was postponed to early 2012 since the U.S. Mint did not issue any of the collectible uncirculated silver coins until the spring of 2011. With the short time frame and wanting to keep at least some distance between their releases, the Mint only had time to schedule the first eight coins that year.

Chickasaw Coin Ordering Details – No Order Limits

Orders may be placed directly from the United States Mint website at http://www.usmint.gov/catalog or by calling the bureau directly at 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468). As with all domestic orders, a shipping and handling fee of $4.95 will be charged.

There are no household limits for the latest uncirculated coin as there had been for the others. Previous 2011 issues had an initial limit of five coins per household for the first few months. The only restriction for the Chickasaw coin is its maximum mintage of 35,000.

Uncirculated Coin Specifications and Designs

These large coins have 3 inch diameters and contain a full five ounces of .999 fine silver. Their thickness is only 0.16 inches with edge letterings that read .999 FINE SILVER 5.0 OUNCE. In order to scribe on the edges, the U.S. Mint had to purchase special machinery, and then several trial runs later were able to master the challenging feat.

The obverse and reverse designs are the same as the circulating Chickasaw National Recreation Area Quarter and include the QUARTER DOLLAR inscription. The circulating quarters were released last November.

The reverse of the uncirculated coin bears a design that was created by United States Mint Artistic Infusion Program (AIP) Master Designer Donna Weaver and engraved by United States Mint Medallic Sculptor Jim Licaretz. It features the popular 1909 limestone Lincoln Bridge nestled among the trees. The obverse design bears John Flanagan’s 1932 portrait of George Washington.

Making this numismatic piece a collectible are the special touches. Each uncirculated coin is given an uncirculated finish and the ‘P’ mint mark, denoting the United States Mint facility in Philadelphia. The packaging consists of the U.S. Mint’s logo on a black outer box with a black felt interior, holding the coin encapsulated in a hard, clear plastic protective holder. A Certificate of Authenticity is also included.

Sales Expectations

Previous 2011-dated releases had slower starts (~10,000 orders in the first several days) than the first five coins in the series. Pricing is a factor since each one is more than $200. The shortened release times has not helped either. Ten of these five ounce uncirculated coins have launched between April 28, 2011 and February 9, 2012.

2010 and 2011 5 Oz Silver Uncirculated Coin Issues

The first five uncirculated coins are no longer available. They honored:

• Hot Springs National Park, AR
• Yellowstone National Park, WY
• Yosemite National Park, CA
• Grand Canyon National Park, AZ
• Mount Hood National Forest, OR

Coins six through nine are still for sale by the U.S. Mint. They feature:

• Gettysburg National Military Park, PA
• Glacier National Park, MT
• Olympic National Park, WA
• Vicksburg National Military Park, MS

Matching five ounce bullion versions of the sites listed above have already been released by the United States Mint, plus the Chickasaw bullion coin. Bullion coins, however, are sold by the U.S. Mint to a special network of Authorized Purchasers (AP).

The AP’s buy the coins and then sell them to other coin and precious metal dealers as well as the public for investment purposes. The bullion and uncirculated strikes differ in several ways. In particular, bullion issues do not have the special finish of the uncirculated coin and are mintmark-free.

Chickasaw National Recreation Area Background

People have been flocking to the land now known as Chickasaw National Recreation Area for centuries to enjoy its mineral springs and streams amongst its shady woodlands. Some came to relax, others sought fun, and still more craved the water’s medicinal qualities. In an effort to save and preserve the water as well as the natural beauty in the area, the Chickasaw and Choctaw Indian Nations sold the first 640 acres to the Department of the Interior which led to its official establishment as a national site on July 1, 1902.

Thanks to many park development projects constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) during the Great Depression, visitors can enjoy a variety of recreational and outdoor activities. Swimming, auto touring, and hiking are only a few.

Visit http://www.nps.gov/chic/index.htm for more information about the park.