The Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park Silver Uncirculated Coin will appear as the fourth of five 2012 dated strikes in the series. This coin honors Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park found in the state of Hawaii. At the time of this posting, no official release date was known.
Each coin in this America the Beautiful Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin™ Program is struck from five ounces of .999 fine silver to a diameter of three inches. The coins are considered the numismatic versions of the US Mint’s America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coins™ series which themselves are larger versions of the associated America the Beautiful Quarters struck as part of the Mint’s America the Beautiful Quarters® Program.
A total of fifty-six coins will be created as part of each series with one strike representing a site of national interest from each state, the District of Columbia and the five US territories. The release order for the coins was dictated by the order in which the site came under the direct control of the federal government with five coins issued annually as part of each series.
All three series will resemble each-other with similar designs. This includes and obverse portrait of George Washington originally designed by John Flanagan for the 1932 circulating quarter dollar. The portrait will be surrounded by the inscriptions of UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST and QUARTER DOLLAR.
The reverse of the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park coins will feature a design emblematic of the park. That design will also include the inscriptions of HAWAII VOLCANOES, HAWAII, 2012 and E PLURIBUS UNUM.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in Hawaii
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park of Hawaii was established in 1916 as the eleventh national park of the United States. Of interest, it was the first one authorized in a territory as Hawaii did not become a state until 1959.
The park protects the area around two volcanoes on the big island of Hawaii – Kīlauea and Mauna Loa. Mauna Loa is the world’s most massive volcano and Kīlauea is considered one of the most active. Those visiting the park will be treated to many thermal features and may even be able to see an active lava flow. Those flows continue to expand the size of the island as they pour into the ocean, cool, and become rock.
