01
The hull
The broad armored form defines the ironclad.
Vicksburg
National Military Park
A river held in memory.
The USS Cairo carries the story of a river war into the ninth America the Beautiful design.
Read the reverse ⟶
DenominationQuarter dollar
Weight5 troy ounces
Fineness99.9% silver
Diameter76.2 mm
Mint markNone · bullion
IssuerUnited States Mint
The illustrated edition
Illustrated: P-mint-mark five-ounce uncirculated edition. The standard bullion edition has no mint mark.
Official U.S. Mint gallery ↗Reverse design anatomy
The ironclad
on the river.
The Mint identifies the reverse as the USS Cairo on the Yazoo River during its Civil War service. The low armored hull, tall stacks, and water organize the scene.
The following close reading describes visible forms. It does not assign undocumented intentions to the artists.
02
The stacks
Vertical stacks rise above the low vessel.
03
The water
Engraved lines place the vessel on the river.
The place behind the coin
The river and
the campaign.
Vicksburg preserves the landscape of the 1863 campaign, siege, and defense of the city. NPS interprets the campaign through its memorials and the experiences of soldiers and civilians.
The surviving USS Cairo is a museum object, distinct from the operating vessel pictured on the coin. The synthetic scenery here supplies present-day river context, not a reconstructed battle.
- 1863Vicksburg campaign
- USS CairoReverse subject
- Yazoo RiverEngraved setting
Synthetic context · not the artist’s source view.
Same design. A larger canvas.
From pocket change
to a statement in silver
The 2011 design also belongs to the circulating quarter. At 76.2 mm, the five-ounce silver coin is 3.14 times wider by diameter—not 3.14 times heavier.
The quarter is a measured outline: an exact authorized quarter photograph is not bound for this page. It is not a miniature bullion image.
Collect with context
Know the design.
Know the object.
Reverse design: Thomas Cleveland. Sculptor: Joseph Menna. Obverse: John Flanagan.
- Standard bullion
- No mint mark · Authorized Purchasers · incuse edge weight and fineness.
- Collector five-ounce
- P mint mark · special finish · a separate object. Collector totals are not bullion mintages.