2018 5 Oz America The Beautiful Cumberland Island Silver Coin - NGC MS69PL

Product ID: BST-001285F3B9

Specifications

Year 2018
Precious Metal Type Silver
Bullion Coin Type America the Beautiful
Format Coin
Country of Origin United States
Brand/Mint U.S. Mint
Mint Mark P - Philadelphia
Purity 0.999
Weight 5 oz
Thickness (mm) 4.06 mm
Diameter (mm) 76.2 mm
Grade MS69PL
Grading Service NGC
Finish Prooflike

Product Details

Overview of the 2018 5 oz America the Beautiful Cumberland Island Silver Coin (NGC MS69PL)

The 2018 Cumberland Island 5 oz silver coin is part of the United States Mint's America the Beautiful series, which honors national parks and other federal sites across all fifty states, the District of Columbia, and the five U.S. territories. This particular release commemorates Cumberland Island National Seashore in Georgia, struck in five troy ounces of .999 fine silver with a diameter of three inches. It carries legal tender status as a quarter denomination, though its collectible and numismatic significance far exceeds its face value.

This example has been certified by the Numismatic Guaranty Company and assigned a grade of MS69 with a Proof-Like designation, reflecting exceptional surface quality and strong mirror-like reflectivity across the fields. The NGC slab provides third-party authentication, a precise condition assessment, and tamper-evident protection that adds meaningful confidence to the transaction for both buyers and resellers.

History and Background

The America the Beautiful Quarters Program was authorized under the America's Beautiful National Parks Quarter Dollar Coi

Overview of the 2018 5 oz America the Beautiful Cumberland Island Silver Coin (NGC MS69PL)

The 2018 Cumberland Island 5 oz silver coin is part of the United States Mint's America the Beautiful series, which honors national parks and other federal sites across all fifty states, the District of Columbia, and the five U.S. territories. This particular release commemorates Cumberland Island National Seashore in Georgia, struck in five troy ounces of .999 fine silver with a diameter of three inches. It carries legal tender status as a quarter denomination, though its collectible and numismatic significance far exceeds its face value.

This example has been certified by the Numismatic Guaranty Company and assigned a grade of MS69 with a Proof-Like designation, reflecting exceptional surface quality and strong mirror-like reflectivity across the fields. The NGC slab provides third-party authentication, a precise condition assessment, and tamper-evident protection that adds meaningful confidence to the transaction for both buyers and resellers.

History and Background

The America the Beautiful Quarters Program was authorized under the America's Beautiful National Parks Quarter Dollar Coin Act of 2008, with coin production beginning in 2010. The program was designed to run through 2021, issuing five designs per year in sequence across the states and territories. The 5 oz bullion and collector versions were introduced alongside the standard circulating quarters, offering collectors a larger-format silver rendition of each design.

Cumberland Island National Seashore, located off the coast of Georgia, is the largest and southernmost of Georgia's barrier islands. The National Park Service has managed the site since 1972, preserving its maritime forests, undeveloped beaches, and feral horse population. The island's selection for the 2018 quarter reflects a broader effort within the program to spotlight ecologically and historically significant federal lands that might otherwise receive little national attention.

The U.S. Mint has produced America the Beautiful coins at both the Philadelphia and West Point facilities depending on the year and format, with the bullion strikes distributed through an authorized purchaser network. The program built a substantial collector base over its run, and the 5 oz format in particular attracted numismatists interested in large-format silver with genuine government backing.

Design and Aesthetics

The obverse features John Flanagan's familiar portrait of George Washington, which has appeared on the U.S. quarter since 1932. The inscriptions "LIBERTY," "IN GOD WE TRUST," and the year of issue frame the portrait in the standard layout used throughout the series. The large 3-inch diameter of the coin gives these elements considerably more presence than the standard circulating quarter.

The reverse depicts a scene from Cumberland Island, showcasing one of the island's wild horses standing among the dense maritime forest vegetation characteristic of the Georgia coast. The composition captures the island's natural character with a level of detail that benefits significantly from the expanded canvas of the 5 oz format. The inscriptions "CUMBERLAND ISLAND," "GEORGIA," "E PLURIBUS UNUM," and the denomination appear in the surrounding legend.

The Proof-Like finish on this NGC-certified example means the coin's flat fields exhibit mirror-like reflectivity similar to proof coins, contrasting with the frosted or satiny relief elements of the design. This surface characteristic results from the striking process and gives the coin a particularly sharp visual contrast between design elements and background fields, which contributes to both its aesthetic appeal and its numismatic distinction.

Authenticity and Product Integrity

Each coin in the America the Beautiful series is struck by the United States Mint to a guaranteed weight of five troy ounces and a fineness of .999 silver, specifications that are backed by the federal government. This level of institutional accountability is among the strongest guarantees available for any silver coin in the market. The minting process includes precise quality controls that meet the standards expected of U.S. government-issued coinage.

This specific coin carries NGC certification at MS69PL, which confirms it has been examined and authenticated by one of the two most respected third-party grading services in the numismatic industry. We are an authorized dealer for NGC, which supports our ability to offer certified coins with confidence in the grading and encapsulation behind each piece. The sealed NGC holder protects the coin from post-certification handling and makes the authentication record verifiable.

Condition and Packaging

An NGC MS69 grade indicates a coin that is very nearly perfect, with only minor imperfections detectable under magnification. The MS69 designation places this coin just one point below a perfect MS70 on the Sheldon scale, reflecting sharply struck design elements, fully lustrous surfaces, and at most two minor contact marks or blemishes not easily seen without magnification. The Proof-Like designation adds a further layer of distinction, confirming that the coin's fields display mirror-like reflectivity consistent with specially struck or carefully handled pieces.

As an NGC-certified coin, this piece ships encapsulated in the NGC tamper-evident plastic holder, which protects the coin's surfaces and preserves its certified grade. No additional handling of the coin itself is required or recommended. The slab is clearly labeled with the coin's specifications, grade, and certification number, allowing buyers to verify the coin's details directly through NGC's online database.

Pricing and Market Factors

The base price of this coin reflects the current spot price of silver applied to its five-troy-ounce silver content. On top of that metal value, the premium accounts for several layers of added cost and market positioning: the U.S. Mint's production and distribution costs, the program's limited collector appeal, and the significant numismatic value added by the NGC MS69PL certification. Third-party graded coins in high grades consistently command premiums well above their raw counterparts, and the PL designation narrows the available supply further within the graded population.

Our pricing reflects real-time spot market conditions and is structured to provide clarity at the point of purchase. For a certified coin like this, the numismatic component of the premium tends to carry more weight relative to spot than it would for a standard bullion piece, and understanding that distinction helps frame what drives the total cost of ownership.

Selling and Liquidity

America the Beautiful 5 oz silver coins occupy a space between bullion and numismatics, which shapes how they trade in the secondary market. Their government-backed metal content and standardized five-troy-ounce weight give them a reliable floor tied to silver's spot price, while the NGC certification and high grade add a collectible premium layer that appeals to a specific segment of coin buyers. Liquidity is generally supported by the coin's recognized origin and the credibility that comes with NGC encapsulation.

We operate a two-way market that allows customers to both buy and sell within the same platform. For certified coins, having a clear record of the NGC grade and certification number strengthens the resale case by reducing uncertainty about condition. When it is time to sell, that documentation matters to the buyer on the other side of the transaction just as much as it does at the point of purchase.

Why Buy the 2018 5 oz Cumberland Island Silver Coin (NGC MS69PL)?

This coin combines the institutional credibility of U.S. Mint issuance with a high-grade NGC certification and a Proof-Like surface designation that sets it apart from standard bullion strikes within the same series. The Cumberland Island design is among the more visually distinctive reverses in the America the Beautiful program, featuring a composition that translates particularly well to the 5 oz format. For collectors building a set of high-grade ATB examples or looking for certified 5 oz pieces with strong visual appeal, this coin presents a well-defined case.

The NGC slab removes the condition uncertainty that often complicates secondary market purchases of raw coins, and the MS69 grade at the PL level represents a population that is meaningfully smaller than the general MS69 pool. Buyers who prioritize certification, surface quality, and program-specific collectibility will find those criteria well represented here.

Why Buy from Bullion Standard?

We have been operating as a U.S.-based precious metals dealer since 2010, and our approach throughout has been built around transparency rather than pressure. Our pricing reflects real-time market conditions, and we display bid/ask spreads on product pages so buyers can evaluate both the acquisition cost and the expected resale value before committing. That kind of clarity is not universal in this industry, and we consider it a fundamental part of the experience we offer.

As authorized dealers for both NGC and PCGS, we carry certified coins with direct accountability to the grading standards those organizations represent. Our A rating with the Better Business Bureau, membership in the American Numismatic Association, and membership in the National Coin and Bullion Association reflect a commitment to professional standards that extends well beyond individual transactions. Our two-way market model means customers can buy and sell within the same ecosystem, supported by responsive fulfillment and accessible customer service at every stage.

Get Near-Spot Pricing with Bullion Standard Pro

Bullion Standard Pro gives members access to live, executable wholesale bid and ask pricing across a broad range of precious metals products, including certified numismatic pieces like this one. For a coin where the premium above spot reflects both metal content and graded numismatic value, having visibility into real-time wholesale pricing provides meaningful context that static retail listings typically cannot offer. Members can also access historical premium data and spread analysis tools to better understand how this type of certified coin has traded relative to its metal value over time.

Portfolio valuation through Bullion Standard Pro uses live wholesale bid pricing rather than estimated retail values, giving members a more accurate picture of current liquidation value across their holdings. Combined with proprietary market intelligence tools and product comparison features, Pro is designed to help buyers evaluate certified silver coins with the same analytical depth typically reserved for more liquid financial assets.

Flexible and Secure Payment Options

We support a wide range of payment methods to keep the purchasing process straightforward and secure. Customers can pay using major credit cards including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover, as well as PayPal, bank-connected payments through Plaid, wire transfer, paper check, and cryptocurrency via BitPay. Each payment option is integrated with security protocols designed to protect transaction data and give buyers confidence throughout the checkout process.

Whether you prefer the convenience of a credit card or the efficiency of a wire transfer, the goal is to make the experience as smooth as possible without introducing unnecessary friction. Payment flexibility is part of the broader commitment to a purchasing experience built around the customer's needs rather than dealer preferences.

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