Coin Blog

Two commemorative coin programs were authorized by Congress for 2011. Recently, design selections were unveiled for the 2011 United States Army Commemorative Coins. The three coins included in the program each focus on a different aspect of the U.S. Army.

The $5 gold coin focuses on the role of the U.S. Army throughout history. The obverse design shows soldiers from the Revolutionary War, American Civil War, World War I, World War II, and the modern era. On the reverse of the coin is the official U.S. Army emblem. Designs are by Joel Iskowitz for the obverse and Joseph Menna for the reverse.

The silver dollar for the U.S. Army Commemorative Coins depicts soldiers of the modern era. A male and female soldier are shown in uniform with a globe in the background. On the reverse of the coin is the Great Seal of the United States, with the seven core values of the Army around. Richard Masters designed the obverse and Susan Gamble designed the reverse.

The half dollar shows the Army's role in peacetime. The obverse includes a soldier surveying, two servicemen building a floodwall, and the Redstone rocket. The reverse shows a soldier in the Continental Army. The obverse design is by Donna Weaver with the reverse by Thomas Cleveland.

The second program for the year is the Medal of Honor Commemorative Coins. Designs were announced in September 2010. Sales for the coins included in both commemorative programs will begin at the US Mint during the first quarter of 2011.

The new series of quarters featuring National Parks and National Sites will continue in 2011 with five more releases. These 2011 America the Beautiful Quarters will feature sites in the states of Pennsylvania, Montana, Washington, Mississippi, and Oklahoma.

I think the designs for the coming year are particularly well done. Each has a very unique and distinctive image that can serve as an iconic statement about the area portrayed. Two of the coins feature National Military Parks, two feature National Parks, and one features a National Recreation Area.

Designs were picked by the United States Treasury of the Secretary, but he was required to consider the input of various committees and other interested parties. The final design selections for the reverse of each quarter are shown below.

First up for release will be the Gettysburg National Park Quarter, which includes a depiction of the 72nd Pennsylvania Infantry Monument. The design is by Joel Iskowitz.

Next is the Glacier National Park Quarter, which includes an image of a mountain goat on a rocky ledge. The northeast slope of Mount Reynolds appears in the background. The design is by Barbara Fox.

The Olympic National Park Quarter will be released in the middle of the year. A Roosevelt Elk is shown stepping into a river. Mount Olympus appears in the distance. This design is by Susan Gamble.

A stunning scene of the U.S. Cairo appears on the Vicksburg National Park Quarter. The Union ironclad gunboat appears as it served during the American Civil War. This design was by Thomas Cleveland.

The final coin to be released for the year is the Chickasaw National Recreation Area Quarter. The series can feature both National Parks and other federally designated areas, like the site chosen for Oklahoma. The design is by Donna Weaver.

The American Gold Eagle is minted in 22 karat gold and features one of the most beautiful coin designs of all time. The bullion versions of the coins are offered in four different sizes and contain one, one-half, one-quarter, or one-tenth ounce of pure gold. The coins have been minted and issued since 1986.

The obverse design was created by Augustus Saint Gaudens and used for the circulating gold double eagle, minted from 1907 to 1933. Liberty appears in flowing gown, with a lit torch and olive branch. The rays of the rising sun are behind with an image of the U.S. Capitol building offset to the left. The reverse features a family of eagles designed by Miley Busiek for the series.

The 2011 Gold Eagles went on sale to authorized purchasers on January 3, 2011. Like other US Mint bullion coins, this group purchases in bulk quantities and then resells to the public. The initial sales levels show a retraction from last year, when demand for gold bullion was especially heavy.

Currently the US Mint only has the one ounce bullion version of the 2011-dated Gold Eagle available. Fractional weight bullion coins are expected to be offered later in the year. Collector proof versions across all standard weights are scheduled to be released on April 24, 2011.

The United States Mint has indicated that the "satin finish" will no longer be used for the annual Uncirculated Mint Set. This finish had been used for the sets since 2005. From 2011, a brilliant finish will be used.

The satin finish has a frosted look that is created by sandblasting the coin dies and burnishing the coin blanks. This created coins that were potentially in higher grades, provided they were not covered by contact or handling marks.

For some years such as 2005, higher grades are abundant. However, in the past two years, more often than not coins could not achieve the highest grades due to the aforementioned contact marks.

With the change, registry set collections will have less coins to worry about finding each year. Some interesting subsets are also created, consisting of satin finish coins issued from 2005 to 2010. Personally, I had been working on a satin finish Presidential Dollars Set. Now, I will try to complete this collection in earnest.

The scheduled release date for the 2011 Mint Set is February 8, 2011. This will be many months earlier than the release date set for the 2010 Mint Set.

The American Silver Eagle combines a classic design with one troy ounce of .999 fine silver. This combination has made the coin one of the most popular annual offerings of the United States Mint.

The obverse design is taken from Adolph A. Weinman's Walking Liberty Half Dollar, issued for circulation from 1916 to 1947. Liberty's full figure is depicted striding towards a rising sun, while she holds a bouquet of olive branches and has an American flag draped across her shoulders. The reverse was created specifically for the series and features a heraldic eagle designed by John Mercanti.

The 2011 Silver Eagles will represent the latest year of the series, which began in 1986. The bullion coins are distributed through the US Mint's network of authorized purchasers. They buy the coins in bulk quantities of at least 25,000 ounces based on the market price of silver plus a mark up. The coins are then resold to other dealers and the public.

The first opportunity for the authorized purchasers to order 2011 dated Silver Eagle bullion coins was January 3, 2011. Once order fulfillment begins from the US Mint the coins will make their way into the hands of collectors, continuing the tradition for this beautiful series.