The Block Island National Wildlife Refuge Silver Bullion Coin will be struck by the US Mint as the last 2018 release of its America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coin™ Program. Showcased on the reverse of the silver bullion coin will be a design emblematic of Block Island National Wildlife Refuge of Rhode Island. At the time of this posting, a release date was not known for the coin.
Each coin in this series is composed of five ounces of .999 fine silver and features a diameter of three inches. The series is struck as a low-cost option for those wanting to add small amounts of silver to their investment portfolios.
The series is actually based on the America the Beautiful Quarters® Program and takes its design from those quarters. This includes reverses featuring images emblematic of sites of national interest from around the United States and its territories. A total of fifty-six sites will be honored by the programs with one chosen from each state, the District of Columbia and the five US territories.
The chosen site for the reverse of this coin is Block Island National Wildlife Refuge. An image showcasing a portion of the refuge will be found on the reverse along with the inscriptions of BLOCK ISLAND, RHODE ISLAND, 2018 and E PLURIBUS UNUM.
The obverse will contain the same portrait of George Washington that is featured on all of the America the Beautiful related coins. This portrait was originally designed by John Flanagan and first used on the 1932 circulating quarter dollar. It has been in use in one form or another on the quarters ever since. Also shown on the obverse will be the inscriptions of UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST and QUARTER DOLLAR.
Block Island National Wildlife Refuge in Rhode Island
Block Island National Wildlife Refuge of Rhode Island provides a sanctuary for over 70 species of migratory songbirds which pass through the region on the Atlantic Flyway during the fall. The refuge was officially established in 1973.
When first started, the refuge only consisted of a relate lively small 28 acres of land which had been transferred fro the United States Coast Guard. The refuge has since more than quadrupled in size so that today it consists of 127 acres.
