Learn About the 2019-P ATB Lowell National Historic Park
The “America the Beautiful” series of United States coinage comprises a circulating quarter and a 5 Ounce .999 Fine Silver bullion coin. The intention of these ATB coins is to show beautiful and unspoiled places in America. Such natural wonders as the Everglades, the Great Smoky Mountains, Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon have all been subjects of these ATB coins.
Some places that you wouldn’t think normally fall into those categories, but are places of great historic significance, were also chosen, such as the Gettysburg Battlefield and Fort McHenry. All the above were honored on a circulating quarter and a silver bullion coin.
On its year 2000 State Quarter, Massachusetts honored their Revolutionary War minutemen, brave farmers and tradesmen who left their homes and fields and walked or rode to Lexington and Concord to fight for America’s independence against Great Britain.
When the subject of an “America the Beautiful” Quarter and Bullion coin for Massachusetts was discussed, they decided to honor Lowell, Massachusetts. For those of you unfamiliar with that city, Lowell is a city on the banks of the Merrimack River in northern Massachusetts. Lowell is representative of other cities such as Haverhill and Lawrence, which are also cities on the Merrimack River and the roles that they all played during America’s Industrial Revolution.
As millions of immigrants, primarily from Europe, came to America at the turn of the 20th Century, they needed jobs, homes, money and a future. Lawrence, Lowell, Haverhill and other cities provided a chance for those things, if the immigrants were willing to work hard. They had an opportunity to obtain the “American Dream.”
Lowell was a planned industrial city and in the 19th Century the Industrial Revolution was booming. Water power and cheap and plentiful labor spurred the Textile Revolution. The Middlesex Canal linked the Merrimack River to the Charles River which flows through Boston. Canals were built to help harness the water power available and soon textile factories began to appear.
The employees of the mills often brought their families with them and entire families may have worked together. The owners of the mills often attached dormitories to the factories so that there would be no need for long distance transportation to their place of work. These jobs were very attractive to many young immigrant women, who unlike men, lacked other opportunities. The women working in these factories were often known as the “Mill Girls” and, like their male counterparts worked 12 hour days, six days a week. These workers advocated for better conditions, fewer hours, better benefits and higher wages and were true pioneers of worker’s rights.
The textile industry flourished right through World War II but by the 1960s, many mills were abandoned and the jobs were lost. In Lowell, in the 1970s, many political leaders, such as US Senator Paul Tsongas, worked hard to save the mills as an important part of Lowell’s history. But as Lowell was considered as the “Cradle of the American Industrial Revolution,” it was also an important part of America’s history.
The textile mills and the “Mill Girls” became the natural topic for both the circulating quarter and the 5-Ounce silver bullion coin. Famed New York sculptor and artist Joel Iskowitz designed these magnificent coins.
The 5-Ounce Silver Bullion Coin was the first release of 2019 in the America the Beautiful Quarters and Silver Bullion program. The coins contain 5 Troy Ounces of .999 Fine Silver and measure 3 inches in diameter. The coins have a lettered edge and bear the “P” mintmark for the Philadelphia Mint on the obverse. A maximum of only 20,000 silver bullion coins were minted and because of their beautiful design and historical significance, they were very well-received, especially throughout New England.
Expand your collection today and shop our assortment of America the Beautiful Silver coins.
