Designs Selected for 2015 Marshals Commemorative Coin Program

CoinWeek Staff Reports…

The United States Mint’s Office of Corporate Communications has forwarded to CoinWeek images of the designs selected for the 2015 U.S. Marshals Commemorative Coin Program.

The final designs were approved by Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Sarah Bloom Raskin after consultation with the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA), the Director of the United States Marshals Service, and the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC).

In March, the CCAC reviewed a number of design candidates for the U.S. Marshals $5 gold, $1 Silver, and 50 cent clad commemorative coins. A complete rundown of all of the candidate designs can be found here.

The 2015 U.S. Marshals Commemorative Coin Program was authorized by Public Law 112-104, which authorizes the production of up to 100,000 $5 gold coins, 500,000 $1 silver, and 750,000 clad half dollars to commemorate the 225th anniversary of the establishment of the United States Marshals Service.

The law required the following design characteristics:

• Designs emblematic of the 225 years of exemplary and unparalleled achievements of the United States Marshals Service
• That each coin bears the designation of the value of the coin; an inscription of the date 2015; the years 1789-2014; and an inscription of the words “Liberty”, “In God We Trust”, “United States of America”, and “E Pluribus Unum”
• The $5 gold coin is to feature the following motifs: the obverse to bear an image of the United States Marshals Service Star, and the reverse is to “bear an image emblematic of the sacrifice and service of the men and women of the United States Marshals Service who lost their lives in the line of duty and include the Marshals Service motto ‘Justice, Integrity, Service'”
• The $1 silver coin obverse is to feature the following motifs: the obverse to bear an image of the United States Marshals Service Star, and the reverse is to “bear an image emblematic of the United States Marshals legendary status in America’s cultural landscape. The image should depict Marshals as the lawmen of our frontiers, including their geographical, political, or cultural history, and shall include the Marshals Service motto ‘Justice, Integrity, Service'”
• The clad half dollar coin obverse is “to bear an image emblematic of the United States Marshals Service and its history” and the reverse is to bear “an image constant with the role that the United States Marshals played in a changing nation, as they were involved in some of the most pivotal social issues in American history.” The legislation offers three historical events as possible motifs: the Whiskey Rebellion and the rule of law; slavery and the legacy of inequality; and the struggle between labor and capital

Selected Designs

$5 Gold

The $5 gold features an obverse designed by Donna Weaver and sculpted by Jim Licaretz. It features the U.S. Marshals star superimposed atop a frontier landscape. The inscription “225 Years of Sacrifice” wraps around the perimeter of the rim at the bottom of the design.

Paul C. Balan designed and Jim Everhart executed the reverse. Balan’s design shows an intricately detailed bald eagle. The eagle’s breast is protected by the shield of the U.S. Marshals. An American flag is held aloft, gripped firmly in its talons alongside an olive branch. A ribbon with the inscription “E Pluribus Unum” flows gently to the right. The coin’s denomination reads “$5”.

In the design competition, these designs were identified as USM-G-O-02 (obverse) and USM-G-R-09 (reverse).

$1 Silver

The design selected for the obverse of the $1 silver was created by Richard Masters and engraved by Charles Vickers. The design features a U.S. Marshals star in the background with a superimposed silhouette of cowboys riding along the American plains. The design is clean and understated. The reverse design is the work of artist Frank Morris and sculptor-engraver Joseph Menna. It features the likeness of a U.S. Marshal from the Old West. In his left hand, a wanted poster that reads “Wanted in Ft. Smith (Arkansas). The marshal’s right hand rests on his belt, revealing a Colt pistol. The inscriptions “Justice Integrity Service”, “E Pluribus Unum” and “United States of America” encircle the figure. The coin’s denomination reads “$1”.

In the design competition, these designs were identified as USM-S-O-05 (obverse), while the reverse was a hybrid of USM-S-R-03 and USM-S-R-08. Both of those designs feature a railing that has been removed from the final artwork.

Clad Half Dollar

The clad half dollar features an obverse designed by Joel Iskowitz. Michael Gaudioso is the engraver. Iskowitz’s design juxtaposes a U.S. Marshal from the Old West, rifle in hand, standing beside his horse, with the image of a female U.S. Marshal from the present day. The center of the coin features three dates: 1789-2014 and 2015. “In God We Trust” and “Liberty” fill in the white space in the coin’s design, wrapping around the rim at a slightly canted angle at the top and bottom of the coin.

The reverse of the half dollar was designed by Susan Gamble and engraved by Phebe Hemphill. It’s main design conceit shows the goddess Justice. In her hands is a U.S. Marshals star and a scale in equilibrium. The U.S. Constitution, history books, a jug of whiskey, and handcuffs lie at her feet atop a gently curving railroad track. The coin’s denomination reads “Half Dollar”.

The obverse design is an adaptation of candidate design USM-C-O-02. The layout of the dates and the motto “In God We Trust” were changed for the final artwork. The selected reverse was USM-G-R-09.

The U.S. Mint has yet to announce the coin’s release date, which is expected to be in early 2015. CoinWeek will keep you posted as we learn more.