The 2018 Block Island Silver Bullion Coins will be issued by the US Mint as the final of five 2018-dated strikes in the America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coins™ Program. Shown on the reverse of the coin will be a design honoring Block Island National Wildlife Refuge found in the state of Rhode Island. Each coin will be struck from five ounces of .999 fine silver to a diameter of three inches.
The reverse design will also appear on a coin of the associated America the Beautiful Quarters® Program, also issued by the US Mint. This double use of the designs was dictated by the legislation which authorized both series – Public Law 110-456 (America’s Beautiful National Parks Quarter Dollar Coin Act of 2008).
However, despite having similar designs (obverse as well), the two series will be quite unique from one another. This is owed to both their composition and their size. Typically, the quarter dollars are struck for circulation from a clad composition to a diameter of 0.955 inches. This differs significantly from these bullion coins which are struck from five ounces of silver to a much larger diameter of three inches.
Each America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coin is produced by the US Mint as a means for investors to add a small amount of silver to their portfolios. However, collectors may also be interested in owning the coins which led the US Mint to create a numismatic version of the series. The associated collector-grade coin will be the 2018 Block Island Silver Uncirculated Coin.
2018 Block Island Silver Coin Values
When issued, the 2018 Block Island Silver Bullion Coins will likely have three values associated with them – face, melt and numismatic. The least of these should be the coin’s face value which will only be twenty-five cents based on the quarter dollars they are struck to resemble.
Improving on that should be the intrinsic melt value taken from the fact that each is struck from five ounces of silver. Thus, each will have a melt value approximately equal to what that amount of the precious metal is currently trading for. Thus, if silver is selling for $40 an ounce, these coins would have a melt value of about $200 – five ounces times $40 an ounces equals $200.
If collectors take an interest in the coins, a numismatic value will also be tied to them. This numismatic value is the amount a collector would be willing to pay to obtain the strike and generally carries premium above the melt value.
The Mint Prices, Values & Sales Figures Page will show current sales information once the strikes have been released. Also offered will be melt values based on recent market conditions.
Block Island Silver Bullion Coin Information
George Washington will be featured on the obverse of the 2018 Block Island Silver Bullion Coins. In fact, this portrait by John Flanagan will be used on the obverse of all of the America the Beautiful related strikes and first appeared on the 1932 circulating quarter dollar.
The reverse will contain a design honoring Block Island National Wildlife Refuge found in the state of Rhode Island. The Treasury Secretary will choose the final design in 2017 from several design candidates presented by the US Mint.
Block Island Silver Coin Specifications
| Face Value: | $.25 |
| Composition: | 999 Fine Silver |
| Mintage Cap: | TBA |
| Diameter: | 3 Inches |
| Weight | 5 Ounces |
| Edge: | Incused Lettering |
| Minting Facility: | Philadelphia (no mintmark present) |
| Obverse Design: | George Washington Portrait |
| Obverse Designer: | John Flanagan |
| Reverse Design: | TBA |
| Reverse Designer: | TBA |
