The Gettysburg National Military Park Silver Bullion Coin, part of the United States Mint’s America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coin™ Program, was the first release of 2011. This five-ounce silver coin commemorates the Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania. Launched in 2010, the series highlights iconic sites across the United States and its territories, with five releases each year. The bullion coins are a counterpart to the circulating America the Beautiful Quarters® Program but are made of five ounces of .999 fine silver, making them larger and more valuable than their quarter counterparts.
The Gettysburg Silver Coin, along with the Glacier National Park Silver Coin, was made available to the Mint’s authorized purchasers on April 25, 2011. These purchasers, who act as distributors for the Mint, buy the coins in bulk and resell them at a slight premium above the current silver market price. The initial mintage of 126,500 Gettysburg coins quickly sold out, prompting the Mint to produce an additional 200 coins, bringing the final total to 126,700. By May 16, 2011, the Mint announced the complete sell-out of this release.
In addition to the bullion version, the US Mint produces a collector-focused series called the America the Beautiful Five Ounce Uncirculated Coins. All coins in the America the Beautiful series, including bullion, uncirculated, and quarters, share a consistent reverse design that represents a significant national site. For the Gettysburg coin, the reverse features the 72nd Pennsylvania Infantry Monument, located within the park. This design was crafted by Joel Iskowitz, a Master Designer in the Mint’s Artistic Infusion Program (AIP), and sculpted by Mint Sculptor-Engraver Phebe Hemphill. The reverse includes inscriptions for “GETTYSBURG,” “PENNSYLVANIA,” “2011,” and “E PLURIBUS UNUM.”
On the obverse of all coins in the program is the iconic portrait of George Washington, originally introduced on the 1932 quarter dollar. Surrounding the image are inscriptions reading “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “LIBERTY,” “IN GOD WE TRUST,” and “QUARTER DOLLAR.”
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Gettysburg National Military Park History
The Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania is deeply rooted in American history. The Battle of Gettysburg, fought in July 1863, was a pivotal moment in the Civil War, marking a decisive Union victory that halted Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s invasion of the North. Known as the “High Water Mark of the Confederacy,” this battle resulted in approximately 51,000 casualties and set the stage for President Abraham Lincoln’s iconic Gettysburg Address.
Efforts to preserve the battlefield began in 1864 with the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association, a group dedicated to honoring the Union soldiers who fought there. The park is renowned for its numerous monuments and memorials, most of which were installed by the battle’s veterans. On February 11, 1895, the site officially became a federal property under the designation of Gettysburg National Military Park.
