Struck as the fourth of five 2017-dated strikes in the US Mint’s America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coin™ Program will be the 2017 Ellis Island Silver Bullion Coins. Like each strike in the silver bullion coin series, it will be composed of five ounces of .999 fine silver and feature a diameter of three inches. The reverse will be emblematic of Ellis Island of New Jersey (part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument).
This design will also be featured on a circulating coin struck as part of the US Mint’s America the Beautiful Quarters® Program – the Ellis Island Quarter. Both the bullion coin and the quarter dollar programs are required to have similar imagery as dictated by the legislation which authorized them, Public Law 110-456.
However, their composition and size make the two series quite unique from one another. Whereas the quarters are typically struck from a clad composition with a diameter of 0.955 inches, the silver bullion coins are struck from five ounces of silver and have a diameter of three inches.
A third series of coins will also feature these same designs and be struck with specifications similar to the bullion coins. This third series is intended for collectors which is different from the bullion strikes meant for investors. For more information, see the related Ellis Island Silver Uncirculated Coin page.
2017 Ellis Island Silver Coin Values
The 2017 Ellis Island Silver Bullion Coin will have a face value of twenty-five cents taken from the quarter dollars they are struck to resemble. That face value, however, is relatively small compared to the strikes melt and numismatic values.
Each silver bullion coin will have an intrinsic melt value approximately equal to what five ounces of silver would trade for on the open market. Thus, if silver is going for $30 an ounce, these coins would be worth approximately $150 – five ounces times $30 an ounce equals $150.
Finally, if collectors are interested in obtaining these silver bullion coins, they may also be willing to pay a premium to obtain them. This is known as the numismatic value and typically increases based on the coins condition and rarity.
The Mint Prices, Values & Sales Figures Page will show current sales information for the strikes once released by the US Mint. Also shown will be a melt value for each coin based on recent market activity.
Ellis Island Silver Bullion Coin Information
Shown on the obverse of each 2017 Ellis Island Silver Bullion Coin will be a portrait of George Washington, just like the associated quarter dollar. In fact, this image of the first President of the United States was originally designed by John Flanagan for the 1932 circulating quarter dollar and has been seen on the quarters in one form or another ever since.
The reverse of the silver bullion coins will showcase an image emblematic of Ellis Island (part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument). The US Mint should offer several design candidates for the coin earlier in 2016 with the final design selected by the Treasury Secretary and announced by the US Mint late in 2016.
Ellis 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 |
