America The Beautiful 5 oz Silver Coins - 2010 is the inaugural year for the America the Beautiful Quarters™ program. This new commemorative program will run for 12 years and was authorized through the America’s Beautiful National Parks Quarter Dollar Coin Act of 2008. The law allows for circulating National Park quarters and also instructs the Mint to strike companion 5 ounce .999 fine silver coins that have an incredible 3 inch diameter.
The new America The Beautiful 5 ounce silver bullion coins are of the same exact design of the standard quarter dollars, except for their metallic composition, their edges and of course their size. The edge of the America the Beautiful Silver Coins are not reeded as on the standard quarters, but instead are plain with incused edge lettering stating the coin’s fineness and weight.
The U.S. Mint strikes two different versions of each 5 oz America The Beautiful silver coin. The first is the standard bullion issue which is sold through a small network of bullion dealers just as Silver eagles are sold. The second is a collector's issue which is struck with a special matte or "vapor blast" finish. When certified, these coins are given a "specimen" designation. The specimen issues are sold directly to collectors in very limited numbers and come encapsulated with a mint case and certificate of authenticity.