HomeUS CoinsMint Director Comments - 225th Anniversary American Liberty Gold Coin

Mint Director Comments – 225th Anniversary American Liberty Gold Coin

225th Anniversary American Liberty Gold Coin

Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew, Deputy Treasury Secretary Sarah Bloom Raskin and United States Mint Principal Deputy Director Rhett Jeppson today unveiled designs for the 2017 225th Anniversary American Liberty Gold Coin in the historic Department of the Treasury’s Cash Room. The ceremony, led by Mint Chief of Staff Elisa Basnight, kicked off a year-long series of events in celebration of the Mint’s 225th anniversary in 2017 (#USMint225).

The 2017 American Liberty 225th Anniversary Gold Coin design is unique in that it portrays Liberty as an African-American woman, a departure from previous classic designs. The obverse design depicts a profile of Liberty wearing a crown of stars, with the inscriptions “LIBERTY,” “1792,” “2017,” and “IN GOD WE TRUST”. The reverse design depicts a bold and powerful eagle in flight, with eyes toward opportunity and a determination to attain it. Inscriptions include “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” “1OZ. .9999 FINE GOLD,” and “100 DOLLARS”.

The obverse was designed by Mint Artistic Infusion Program (AIP) designer Justin Kunz and sculpted by Mint sculptor-engraver Phebe Hemphill, while the reverse was designed by AIP designer Chris Costello and sculpted by Mint sculptor-engraver Michael Gaudioso.

The 2017 225th Anniversary American Liberty Gold Coin will be struck in .9999 fine 24-karat gold at the West Point Mint in high relief, with a proof finish. The one-ounce coin will be encapsulated and placed in a custom-designed, black wood presentation case. A 225th-anniversary booklet with a Certificate of Authenticity will accompany each coin.

The 225th Anniversary American Liberty Gold Coin is the first in a series of 24-karat gold coins that will feature designs that depict an allegorical Liberty in a variety of contemporary forms-including designs representing Asian-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, and Indian-Americans among others-to reflect the cultural and ethnic diversity of the United States. These 24-karat gold coins will be issued biennially. A corresponding series of medals struck in .999 silver, with the same designs featured on the gold coins, will also be available.

The Mint will announce additional information about the 2017 American Liberty 225th Anniversary Gold Coin prior to its release on April 6.

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Unveiling the Future of Liberty

[On January 12], I was honored to join Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew and Deputy Secretary Sarah Bloom Raskin to unveil designs for the 2017 American Liberty Gold Coin.

The unveiling not only marked a historic milestone for the allegorical Lady Liberty, who has been featured on American coinage since the late 1790s but also served to kick-off the Mint’s 225th anniversary–a year-long public awareness campaign about its mission, facilities, and employees.

I am very proud of the fact that the United States Mint is rooted in the Constitution. Our founding fathers realized the critical need for our fledgling nation to have a respected monetary system, and over the last 225 years, the Mint has never failed in its mission to enable America’s growth and stability by protecting assets entrusted to us and manufacturing coins and medals to facilitate national commerce.

We have chosen “Remembering our Past, Embracing the Future” as the Mint’s theme for our 225th Anniversary year. This beautiful coin truly embodies that theme. The coin demonstrates our roots in the past through such traditional elements as the inscriptions United States of America, Liberty, E Pluribus Unum and In God We Trust. We boldly look to the future by casting Liberty in a new light, as an African-American woman wearing a crown of stars, looking forward to ever brighter chapters in our Nation’s history book. The 2017 American Liberty Gold Coin is the first in a series of 24-karat gold coins the United States Mint will issue biennially. These coins will feature designs that depict an allegorical Liberty in a variety of contemporary forms including designs representing Asian-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, and Indian-Americans among others to reflect the cultural and ethnic diversity of the United States.

Rhett Jeppson, U.S. Mint Principal Deputy Director, 1/12/2017

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2017 American Liberty High Relief Gold Coin

This video from the U.S. Mint in West Point shows production of the 2017 American Liberty High Relief Gold Coin.

About the United States Mint

usmintThe United States Mint was created by Congress in 1792 and became part of the Department of the Treasury in 1873. It is the Nation’s sole manufacturer of legal tender coinage and is responsible for producing circulating coinage for the Nation to conduct its trade and commerce.

The United States Mint also produces numismatic products, including proof, uncirculated, and commemorative coins; Congressional Gold Medals; and silver and gold bullion coins. The United States Mint’s numismatic programs are self-sustaining and operate at no cost to taxpayers.
 

United States Mint
United States Minthttps://www.usmint.gov/
Since Congress created the United States Mint on April 2, 1792, the primary mission of the Mint is to produce an adequate volume of circulating coinage for the nation. As a self-funded agency, the United States Mint turns revenues beyond its operating expenses over to the General Fund of the Treasury. Other responsibilities include: Maintaining physical custody and protection of the Nation's $100 billion of U.S. gold and silver assets; Manufacturing and selling platinum, gold, and silver bullion coins; and Overseeing production facilities in Denver, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and West Point, as well as the U.S. Bullion Depository at Fort Knox, Kentucky.

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