This coin is part of the America the Beautiful silver bullion coins (abbreviated ATB) - a series of 56 silver bullion coins with a face value of a quarter dollar. The coins in the series contain 5oz (five troy ounces) of silver, making them the largest silver bullion coins issued to date by the United States Mint. The design of the coins duplicates exactly - though much enlarged - each of the America the Beautiful quarters. They were issued from 2010 to 2021.
All coins in the series feature a common obverse depicting George Washington in a restored version of the portrait created by John Flanagan for the 1932 Washington quarter, while the reverses feature five individual designs for each year of the program (one in 2021), each depicting a national park or national site - one from each state, federal district, and territory.
The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore quarter design is the second to be released in 2018 and the 42nd overall in the America the Beautiful Quarters Program; it was released on 9 April 2018 and represents the state of Wisconsin.
Wisconsin’s Apostle Islands National Lakeshore was established in 1970 to protect “certain significant islands, shoreline, and light stations of the U.S. and their related geographic, scenic, historic, and scientific values". The park includes 21 islands in Lake Superior and a 12-mile-long strip of mainland shoreline encompassing more than 69,000 acres. The park features pristine stretches of sand beaches and coves; spectacular sea caves; remnant old-growth upper forests; a diverse population of birds, mammals, amphibians, and fish; and a number of lighthouses and lighthouse complexes. |