The Final Issue – 2021 ATB Silver Coins from JM Bullion

Since 2010, the America the Beautiful Series of silver coins for sale from the United States Mint has attracted both investors and collectors. The series consists of 56 designs in total representing all 50 US states, the nation’s five remaining territories, and the District of Columbia. In 2021, the planned series comes to an end with the release of just one design to complete the collection. Below you can learn about the final release of the 2021 ATB Silver.

The Final Design

For the final issue in the America the Beautiful Series, the United States Mint showcases the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site in the state of Alabama. This design is the 56^th in the series and depicts a Tuskegee Airman getting into his flight suit to perfect his craft as an airborne fighter pilot while two P-51 Mustang aircraft fly overhead in the background. The inscriptions on this side of the coin include “Tuskegee Airmen,” “Alabama,” “2021,” and “E Pluribus Unum.” There is also an inscription within the design field that reads “They Fought Two Wars.”

On the obverse face of the 2021 ATB Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site Coin is the effigy of President George Washington. This modified bust of President Washington is based on the original 1932 design from John Flanagan that has been in use on the US Quarter for nearly a century. Inscriptions on this face of the coin read “United States of America,” “Liberty,” “In God We Trust,” and “Quarter Dollar.”

Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site is located at Moton Field in the city of Tuskegee, Alabama. The airfield was used as a primary flight training site for African-American airmen during World War II. Prior to 1940, African-Americans were blocked from flying for the US Military. However, in 1941 pressure from Civil Rights organizations and black media outlets resulted in the military forming an all African-American squadron based in Tuskegee. Today, Moton Field is maintained by the National Park Service as a national historic site that interprets the history, contributions, and achievements of the men who learned to fly here and went on to serve their country with distinction in World War II.

The Available Options

As with other releases in the America the Beautiful Series, you will eventually be able to purchase the 2021 5 oz ATB Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site Silver Coin in three different versions. The primary version of the coin is the Brilliant Uncirculated specimen that ships from the United States Mint inside of mint tubes of 10 coins or Monster Boxes of 100 coins that contain 10 individual 10-coin tubes. Individual specimens come with a protective plastic flip. The other main option is the Burnished ATB Silver Coin. Also produced directly by the United States Mint, the Burnished ATB Silver Coin comes with a burnished blank.

The US Mint produces burnished coins by first polishing the 5 oz silver blanks inside of a drum with a polishing medium. This delivers a clean, matte finish to the blank’s surface. The 5 oz silver blanks are handled with gloved hands from this point forward. Each blank is loaded into the coining press and struck just one time with a design die and removed by hand for immediate packaging. Burnished ATB Silver Coins are available inside of protective US Mint presentation cases and come with a Certificate of Authenticity. Another notable point on the Burnished ATB coins is the presence of a “P” mint mark identifying the Philadelphia Mint as the mint of origin.

Alternatively, you can find Colorized ATB Silver Coins each year. The United States Mint did not issue its own colorized silver coins prior to 2020, and that process remains limited to collectible coins. Colorized ATB Silver Coins are Brilliant Uncirculated coins that have been purchased by an authorized third-party dealer that then adds the colorized lacquer to create unique, real-life visuals for the coin’s reverse field. In the case of Colorized ATB Silver Coins, specimens come from Emporium-Hamburg in Germany.

ATB Series Recap

The America the Beautiful Series launched in 2010 and its 56 designs represent federally-protected lands and parks in the continental United States and overseas regions under the jurisdiction of the United States of America. The 56 designs in the series represent 48 sites under the management of the National Park Service. These include 18 national parks, 5 national monuments, 13 national historic sites and national historical parks, 3 national lakeshores and seashores, 1 national recreation area, 2 national military parks, 2 national memorials, 1 national parkway, 1 national preserve, and 1 national river. Additionally, there were 5 national forests represented, 2 national wildlife refuges, and 1 wilderness area. The national forests and wilderness area are all under the management of the United States Forest Service and the wildlife refuges under the management of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

The Future of Collectible US Quarters

The America the Beautiful Series of silver coins was authorized with passage of the America’s Beautiful National Parks Quarter Dollar Coin Act of 2008. The act authorized the release of commemorative 5 oz silver coins for each of the jurisdictions of the United States through 2021, with the possibility to extend the program through 2031. Current Director of the United States Mint, David J. Ryder, has noted that there is support from the Secretary of the Treasury to extend collectible US Quarter production through a secondary 10-year program.

Complete Your ATB Silver Collection with JM Bullion

For those who have been collecting ATB Silver Coins since 2010, now’s the time to complete that collection with the 56^th and final design in the series. If you need assistance purchasing these silver coins online or have other questions, please contact JM Bullion. We are available to you at 800-276-6508, online using our live chat, and via our email address.