The America the Beautiful Series is nearing its end, which is scheduled for 2021. Although the series is well beyond its half-way point, there are still a lot of exciting designs to come in the years ahead. The latest issue represents the state of Rhode Island in the series and celebrates the splendor of Block Island National Wildlife Refuge located off its coast in the Atlantic Ocean. Learn all about the 45th release in the 56-coin series now.
Designs of the Block Island National Wildlife Refuge Coin
On the obverse side of the 2018 Block Island ATB Silver Coins is the standard design found on all coins in the collection. This left-profile portrait of President George Washington was created in 1932 by John Flanagan for use on the circulation US quarter. Though it is a common design seen every day by Americans using currency for purchases, there is more to this iconic design. Flanagan’s portrait of Washington is based upon a 1786 bust of the man created by William Cousins before Washington was president, but at a time that he was nonetheless a leading figure in forming the young nation’s government. Flanagan’s 1932 design appeared on the US quarter to mark the 200th anniversary of Washington’s birth and is currently the longest-running coin design in American history, surpassing Christian Gobrecht’s Liberty Head design for the $10 Gold Eagle.
The reverse face of the 2018 Block Island National Wildlife Refuge ATB Silver Coins includes the image of a black-crowned night heron as it flies over the beach at Cow Cove on Block Island. The North Lighthouse on the island is visible in the background, and engravings include “Block Island,” “Rhode Island,” “E Pluribus Unum,” and “2018.”
About Block Island National Wildlife Refuge
Block Island is found off the southern coast of Rhode Island. The island itself is nearly equidistant between New York’s Long Island and the mainland in Rhode Island. Block Island is 14 miles east of Long Island and 13 miles south of Rhode Island. As of 2010, the year-round population on Block Island is just 1,051 people. The island’s population booms during the summer months as tourists flock to the area for bicycling, hiking, sailing, fishing, and its beaches. The island is also home to two historic lighthouses: North Lighthouse (as featured on the coin) and Southeast Lighthouse. Nearly 40% of the island is set aside for conservation and the island is on The Nature Conservancy’s list of “The Last Great Places,” making it one of just 12 sites like it in the Western Hemisphere.
Availability of 2018 Block Island ATB Silver Coins
The 2018 5 oz ATB Block Island National Wildlife Refuge Silver Coin features .999 pure silver and is available as a silver bullion coin or silver burnished option. The bullion coins are available inside of plastic capsules, mint tubes of 10 coins, or Monster Boxes of 100 coins which contain 5 individual tubes. The bullion coins have a shinier finish.
For collections, the 2018 5 oz Burnished ATB Block Island National Wildlife Refuge Silver Coin offers a different choice. The burnished coins are vapor-blasted before coining to create a matte finish on the coins that offers a different visual finish than the bullion coins. Burnished coins have much lower mintage figures than their counterparts and ship in different packaging. Burnished ATB Silver coins ship inside of US Mint commemorative boxes and come with a Certificate of Authenticity.
Upcoming in 2019
The 2018 Block Island National Wildlife Refuge Silver Coin is the final issue of the collection in 2018. Between 2019 and 2021, there are 11 additional designs set to appear in the collection. The 2019 and 2020 releases will be the last full issue years with 5 designs per year. The 2021 schedule includes just one coin, the Alabama issue.
While 2018 Block Island Coins will be available soon, it’s never too early to look ahead as the first 2019 coins will arrive in February 2019 as has been the case with previous releases. The 2019 ATB Coins will feature the following designs and representative states (in order):
- Lowell National Historical Park – Massachusetts
- American Memorial Park – Northern Mariana Islands
- War in the Pacific National Historical Park – Guam
- San Antonio Missions National Historical Park – Texas
- Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness – Idaho
Buy Your 2018 Block Island ATB Silver Coins from JM Bullion
Right now, the 2018 5 oz ATB Block Island National Wildlife Refuge Silver Coin is currently available for pre-sale online through JM Bullion. The coins are expected to ship to authorized dealers on or around December 10, 2018. Any purchases you make today of the 2018 Block Island Coin will ship to you as soon as the coins are in stock, so get a jump start on the last ATB Coin of 2018 by purchasing today!
If you have any questions about other silver for sale, you can always reach out to JM Bullion with your questions at 800-276-6508, chat with us live online, or email us directly. We also encourage you to check back weekly with our blog to learn about the latest releases and follow us on Facebook for sneak peeks and other information relevant to numismatists.
