The 2013 White Mountain America the Beautiful Silver Uncirculated Coin is the first of five strikes to be issued in 2013 as part of the US Mint’s America the Beautiful Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin™ series. Showcased on the reverse of the coin is a design emblematic of White Mountain National Forest located mainly in the state of New Hampshire.
This series of coins is struck by the United States Mint as the numismatic versions of its America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coins™. As such, the uncirculated series features the same basic specifications and designs as those bullion coins.
Included in those specifications are a composition of five ounces of .999 fine silver. The uncirculated coins also features a diameter of three inches, just like their bullion counterparts.
Designs for both the America the Beautiful Silver Uncirculated Coins and the related bullion coins are actually originally created for yet a third US Mint series – the America the Beautiful Quarters® Program. Thus the obverse of each strike contains a portrait of George Washington, the first President of the United States.
The portrait was originally created by artist John Flanagan. In addition to being on the obverse of all of the America the Beautiful coins, the portrait has appeared on circulating quarters in one form or another since 1932.
Since the uncirculated coins showcase the same designs and specifications as the bullion coins, identification of coins between the two series can be problematic. The only definitive way to tell the coins apart is to look for a mintmark which only appears on the uncirculated coins. The ‘P’ mintmark indicates the coins were struck at the US Mint’s facility in Philadelphia.
Shown on the reverse of this coin is a design emblematic of White Mountain National Forest. Design candidates for the related quarter dollar (and thus this coin) will likely be unveiled by the US Mint in mid-2012 with final design selections announced later in the year.
White Mountain National Forest of New Hampshire
White Mountain National Forest is located in the state of New Hampshire as well as a small portion in the neighboring state of Maine. It was established in 1918 after a few years of land acquisition.
That land acquisition was the result of the Weeks Act of 1911 which allowed the United States government to purchase property from private land-owners for the purpose of creating a national forest. Today, the national forest consists of 784,505 acres.
Because of its proximity to a large population base, White Mountain National Forest is one of the most visited national sites east of the Mississippi.