Landmark Silver

Elemetal's Ultra-High-Relief American Landmarks

The Landmark series is a discontinued set of 2 oz ultra-high-relief (UHR) .999 fine silver rounds produced by Elemetal Mint, featuring iconic American locations. Launched in July 2015 with the Grand Canyon, the series was originally planned to span 20 designs but ended after just four releases following the company's legal collapse. The four completed designs depict the Grand Canyon (Horseshoe Bend), Liberty Island (Statue of Liberty), Pearl Harbor (USS Arizona Memorial), and Mount Rushmore.

As private-mint rounds, these carry no face value and are not legal tender. The ultra-high-relief striking technique, which uses immense pressure to produce dramatically raised design elements, gives the rounds a sculptural, almost three-dimensional appearance. At 7.27 mm thick with a 39.18 mm diameter, they are noticeably chunkier than standard rounds, with a medal-like heft that is immediately apparent in hand.

The secondary market for these rounds is shaped by two forces pulling in opposite directions. The discontinued status, limited mintages, and UHR quality attract collectors seeking unusual pieces. At the same time, the Elemetal name carries baggage: the parent company pleaded guilty in 2018 to Bank Secrecy Act violations related to a $3.6 billion illegal gold smuggling operation from South America. Some buyers seek these rounds as curiosities; others avoid Elemetal products on principle. The silver content itself is unaffected by corporate history.

Landmark Series Specifications

Release History

All four releases share a common reverse: a detailed geographic map of North America showing rivers, lakes, and mountain ranges rendered in ultra-high relief, with "American Landmarks" engraved above and "2 oz .999 Fine Silver" below. Weight and purity are stamped on each piece. No micro-engraved security features, holograms, or serial numbers are present.

The Grand Canyon round, as the first in the series with the lowest confirmed mintage (18,152), typically commands the highest secondary market premium of the four designs.

An Ambitious Series Cut Short

Elemetal Mint (formerly part of the NTR Metals / Ohio Precious Metals conglomerate) was a Dallas-based precious metals company that operated one of the largest private minting operations in the United States. The Landmark series debuted in July 2015 as an ambitious 20-design programme celebrating America's most recognisable locations, with the Grand Canyon's Horseshoe Bend as the inaugural release.

The Grand Canyon obverse depicts the Colorado River winding between high-relief sandstone cliffs at Horseshoe Bend. Liberty Island followed with the Statue of Liberty and American flag. Pearl Harbor features the USS Arizona Memorial, honouring the December 7, 1941 attack. Mount Rushmore completes the set with the four presidential sculptures carved into the granite of South Dakota's Black Hills. Each obverse is highly detailed, benefiting from the UHR striking technique that produces exceptional depth impossible to achieve with standard pressure.

Production ended after the fourth design when Elemetal's corporate problems overwhelmed the company. Three employees of NTR Metals (an Elemetal subsidiary) were convicted of helping South American drug cartels launder over $3 billion through illegal gold imports between 2012 and 2015. Elemetal pleaded guilty in 2018, was fined $15 million, barred from international precious metals purchases for five years, and lost both LBMA and COMEX accreditation. The Elemetal brand effectively ceased operations.

Provident Metals, one of the main distributors for the Landmark series, was itself an Elemetal-affiliated company. The interconnected nature of these businesses meant that when the parent collapsed, the entire distribution chain collapsed with it. Sixteen planned American landmark designs will never be produced.

Landmark Rounds vs Other Silver Collectibles

The UHR finish and artistic quality set these apart from generic 2 oz silver rounds, which typically trade close to spot price with minimal design premium. Standard 2 oz rounds are commodity products; the Landmark series aspired to something closer to portable sculpture, and the 7.27 mm thickness for a 39.18 mm diameter gives them a physical presence that flat-struck rounds lack.

The America the Beautiful (ATB) series from the US Mint covers similar thematic territory, featuring US landmarks and national parks on government-issued 5 oz .999 silver coins. The ATB coins have the advantage of legal tender status and US Mint backing, but operate at a different weight class and price point. The Landmark rounds offered a private-mint take on the same patriotic theme at a more accessible 2 oz size.

Against other private mint products from Scottsdale, Sunshine, or SilverTowne, the Landmark series commanded higher premiums even before discontinuation, reflecting the UHR production cost and limited mintages. Post-discontinuation, the collector premium has widened further, particularly for the Grand Canyon (first and lowest-mintage release).

The elephant in the room is the Elemetal name. Comparable vintage silver from Johnson Matthey (JM), which also ceased consumer production, commands strong collector premiums without any legal controversy. Engelhard products carry similar vintage appeal. The Landmark rounds compete in that discontinued-brand-collectible category, but the criminal history of Elemetal's parent operations introduces an ethical dimension that JM and Engelhard products do not share.