This year’s third America the Beautiful Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin is no longer available. The collector coin featuring Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina had been listed on the United States Mint website as unavailable. On Thursday, the U.S. Mint officially declared they sold out.
Sales kicked off for the 3-inch, .999 fine silver coin on July 7, 2015. Collectors grabbed 15,295 in the first six days. More recently, sales through Sunday totaled 17,454. Expect this tally to change slightly through the next week or two.
Update: United States Mint sales figures through Nov. 2 have the coin up 34 to 17,488. The chart below was updated.
The U.S. Mint facility in Philadelphia strikes collector and bullion Blue Ridge Parkway five ounce silver coins. Both feature the same designs, which are larger versions of the companion Blue Ridge Parkway quarter. The bullion coins have a brilliant finish while collector coins have a matte uncirculated finish. The collector editions also carry the ‘P’ mint mark of the Philadelphia Mint.
(See photos of the Blue Ridge Parkway coins.)
Contrasting Mintages
As it stands now, the 2015-P Blue Ridge Parkway Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin has the lowest total in the collector series since the 2012 coin honoring Denali National Park in Alaska. That five ouncer ended with sales of 15,225. In contrast, the bullion version of the Blue Ridge Parkway coin ended with sales of 45,000, the highest of its product line since issues from 2011.
Demand drives mintage ratios for the two types of coins, and they have changed. This year, it sharpened for the bullion coins yet weakened for the collectible uncirculated coins.
The U.S. Mint capped the bullion to uncirculated mintages for 2015 at 65,000 per design. The combined totals for the Blue Ridge Parkway coins are about 2,500 shy of that limit. Had sales been stronger for the uncirculated coin following its launch week, the Mint would have likely produced the maximum.
Upcoming Design and Latest Sales Figures
Four designs in the series of America the Beautiful coins have launched for 2015. The final design this year commemorates Saratoga National Historical Park in New York. The U.S. Mint will begin selling rolls and bags of the Saratoga quarter on Nov. 30, 2015. The bullion five ounce version is also expected to launch on the 30th. The collector uncirculated coin is scheduled for release on Dec. 3, 2015.
Below are sales for the bullion and collector coins. Products with an asterisk (*) are no longer available. All collectible sales figures are unaudited as last reported by the U.S. Mint.
2010-2015 Sales of ATB Five Ounce Silver Coins
| Bullion (Investor) | Uncirculated (Collector) | |
| 2010 Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas) | 33,000* | 27,000* |
| 2010 Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming) | 33,000* | 27,000* |
| 2010 Yosemite National Parks (California) | 33,000* | 27,000* |
| 2010 Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona) | 33,000* | 26,019* |
| 2010 Mount Hood National Park (Oregon) | 33,000* | 26,928* |
| 2011 Gettysburg National Park (Pennsylvania) | 126,700* | 24,625* |
| 2011 Glacier National Park (Montana) | 126,700* | 20,856* |
| 2011 Olympic National Park (Washington) | 104,900* | 18,398* |
| 2011 Vicksburg National Park (Mississippi) | 58,100* | 18,594* |
| 2011 Chickasaw National Park (Oklahoma) | 48,700* | 16,827* |
| 2012 El Yunque National Park (Puerto Rico) | 24,000* | 17,314* |
| 2012 Chaco Culture National Park (New Mexico) | 24,400* | 17,146* |
| 2012 Acadia National Park (Maine) | 25,400* | 14,978* |
| 2012 Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii) | 20,000* | 14,863* |
| 2012 Denali National Park (Alaska) | 20,000* | 15,225* |
| 2013 White Mountain National Forest (New Hampshire) | 35,000* | 20,530* |
| 2013 Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial (Ohio) | 30,000* | 17,707* |
| 2013 Great Basin National Park (Nevada) | 30,000* | 17,792* |
| 2013 Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine (Maryland) | 30,000* | 19,802* |
| 2013 Mount Rushmore National Memorial (South Dakota) | 35,000* | 23,547* |
| 2014 Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Tennessee) | 33,000* | 24,710* |
| 2014 Shenandoah National Park (Virginia) | 25,000* | 28,451* |
| 2014 Arches National Park (Utah) | 22,000* | 28,434* |
| 2014 Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado) | 22,000* | 24,103* |
| 2014 Everglades National Park (Florida) | 34,000* | 22,732* |
| 2015 Homestead National Monument (Nebraska) | 35,000* | 19,887 |
| 2015 Kisatchie National Forest (Louisiana) | 42,000* | 18,278 |
| 2015 Blue Ridge Parkway (North Carolina) | 45,000* | 17,488* |
| 2015 Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge (Delaware) | 45,000* | 15,930 |
| 2015 Saratoga National Historical Park (New York) | N/A | N/A |
Mike,
I have seen some reports that the bullion Great Sand Dunes mintage was 22,000. Not sure if there is a way to check on that or not. And I guess 100 doesn’t make much of a difference. Thanks for keeping us up to date.
Mike,
Thank you for this update. I have seen different ” sale numbers” for many of the “collector” coins from the numbers cited here; however, as you state; “collectible sales figures are unaudited as last reported by U.S. mint.” When will there be audited “final sales”? Why does it take the Mint years to know what they have sold?
Thank you, Mike.
David, confirmed. Thanks. The mintage is 22,000 for the Great Sand Dunes bullion piece. The table above is corrected.
Chuck –
They’re probably well set up to count the number sold but I expect returns are more likely handled by hand and out of the system and as in any bureaucracy paperwork takes forever to process and by hand as well. Not an excuse and not acceptable in this day and age but a plausible explanation anyway.
Thank you Mike.
Jim,
If they can not determine the number of returns for years sounds like there could be a “security” issue with such returns. Sounds just like the IRS mailing hundreds of refunds to one address.
No wonder that the real U.S. debt is way over $100 trillion but they say it is “only” about $18 trillion. Like you say not acceptable.
Thanks for this report.
So what happened with the other 2500 blue ridge that were not sold in either category? That many defective?
“The current authorized limit for both numismatic and bullion 2015 America the Beautiful Five Ounce Silver Coins-Blue Ridge Parkway is 65,000 coins across both options. An announced maximum mintage limit of 30,000 coins has been issued for the America the Beautiful Five Ounce Blue Ridge Parkway Uncirculated Coin. However, based on demand, the United States Mint has the flexibility to mint and issue more than the minimum of 35,000 America the Beautiful Five Ounce Blue Ridge Parkway Silver Bullion Coins so long as we do not exceed the 65,000 coin limit.” . … You mean the expedited the whole 65,… Read more »
5 oz Bombay will sell out soon.! Blue Ridge UNC sold at Ebay for $295,
This is sure win ATB 5oz, as 2012 Hawaii issue
Sweet on the Blue Ridge got 2 rolls of Unc for like 895…premiums have been jacked up lately–> real of fake we’ll SEE