Issued as the fourth of five 2017-dated strikes of the US Mint’s America the Beautiful Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin™ series will be the 2017 Ellis Island America the Beautiful Silver Uncirculated Coin. A design on the reverse of the coin will be emblematic of Ellis Island National Monument of New Jersey, operated as part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument.
This coin is struck by the US Mint as the numismatic version of the Ellis Island Silver Bullion Coin released by the Mint as part of its America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coins™ Program. As such, this uncirculated coin features the same basic specifications and designs as those bullion coins.
Like the bullion coins, the Ellis Island Uncirculated Coin is struck from five ounces of .999 fine silver. It also features the extremely large diameter of three inches. An edge inscription on each piece indicates the coin’s weight and fineness with "999 FINE SILVER 5.0 OUNCE."
Despite being similar in specifications and designs, the uncirculated series is offered for sale to the public in a different manner than the associated bullion coins. The bullion series is struck for investors and is sold through the Mint’s network of authorized purchasers for a small premium above the current spot price of the five ounces of silver in each.
These uncirculated coins, being struck for numismatic purposes, are initially sold directly to the public by the US Mint. They also typically carry a much larger numismatic premium over and above any associated melt value.
The designs on the uncirculated coins are nearly identical with the designs on the bullion coins. The only definitive way to tell the difference between the coins of the two series is to look for a mintmark. The uncirculated coins have a ‘P’ mintmark indicating they were struck at the US Mint’s facility in Philadelphia. The bullion coins have no mintmark.
Shown on the obverse of all America the Beautiful coins is a portrait of George Washington, by John Flanagan. The image of Washington was originally designed for use on the circulating 1932 quarter dollar and has appeared on the quarters, with minor variations, ever since.
The reverse of the coin contains the designs emblematic of the selected site of national interest, in this case Ellis Island National Monument, and is originally created for the associated America the Beautiful Quarters® Program. The final design for the strike should be unveiled by the US Mint sometime in late 2016.
Ellis Island National Monument in New Jersey
Ellis Island National Monument is located on Ellis Island, off the coast of New Jersey in New York Harbor. The monument was officially established on October 15, 1966 as part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument.
The site commemorates the importance of Ellis Island to the development of the United States. Millions of immigrants passed through the Immigration Center operated on the island from 1892 until 1954.
It is estimated that one third of the population of the United States can trace its ancestry through Ellis Island.
The National Park Service uses the following descriptive paragraph for Ellis Island:
America’s "Golden Door"
They came seeking freedom, opportunity, new lives. Over 12 million immigrants passed through the doors of Ellis Island between January 1, 1892 and November 1954, hoping to achieve the "American Dream". These people have woven their way into the fabric of American life. They have helped create the America we know today.