El Yunque Silver Uncirculated Coins

The 2012 El Yunque National Forest Silver Uncirculated Coins mark the eleventh release of the US Mint’s America the Beautiful Five Ounce Uncirculated Coin Program and honors the national forest found in the United States territory of Puerto Rico. These coins were released for sale to the public on May 29, 2012.

2012 El Yunque Silver Coin

This series is based on the America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coins, also from the United States Mint, which themselves are based on the US Mint’s America the Beautiful Quarters® Program. All three series feature similar obverse and reverse designs, however both silver series are struck to the much larger diameter of three inches.

The main differences between this El Yunque Five Ounce Uncirculated Coin and its counterpart, the El Yunque Silver Bullion Coin are based on its finish and its intended buyer. This uncirculated coin features an uncirculated finish which typically carries more detail than will be found on the bullion strike. Also, these uncirculated coins are intended for collectors unlike the bullion coins which are produced by the US Mint for investors.

2012 El Yunque Silver Uncirculated Coin Values

The El Yunque Silver Uncirculated Coins have three values associated with them – a face value, an intrinsic melt value and a numismatic value.

Each coin in this series has the same face value of twenty-five cents. That is because they are produced to be larger versions of the America the Beautiful Quarters, which have a face value of twenty-five cents.

That amount pales in comparison to their melt value, which is based on the amount of silver contained within each strike. As each of these coins contains five ounces of the precious metal, their melt value is approximately equal to the current spot price of that amount of silver on the open market.

Finally, and typically the highest, these strikes have a numismatic value. That is the price at which other collectors would be interested in obtaining these coins. Collectors base these values on not only the aforementioned face and melt values, but also on the rarity of the coin as well as a specific coin’s condition. The rarer the strike, or the more perfect the condition, the higher the likely numismatic value.

El Yunque Silver Uncirculated Coin Information

El Yunque National Forest was established by the United States in 1903, but was actually created as a reserve area by King Alfonso XII of Spain twenty-seven years earlier when Puerto Rico was under the control of that country. The reverse of the coin contains a design emblematic of that location. It is the same basic design as featured on the related America the Beautiful Quarter which was described by the US Mint with:

"The reverse of the first quarter of 2012 depicts a Coqui tree frog sitting on a leaf and a Puerto Rican parrot behind an epiphyte plant with tropical flora in the background.  Inscriptions are EL YUNQUE, PUERTO RICO, 2012 and E PLURIBUS UNUM.  The reverse was designed by United States Mint Artistic Infusion Program (AIP) Master Designer Gary Whitley and sculpted by United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Michael Gaudioso. "

The obverse of all of the America the Beautiful coins contains the same portrait of George Washington, the first President of the United States. This portrait was originally completed by John Flanagan and has been on the quarter dollar in one form or another since 1932.

Coin Specifications