Winning artist to depict fight against breast cancer on America’s first “pink gold” coins
The United States Mint is pleased to announce a call for artists to design both the obverse and reverse of the commemorative coin that will acknowledge America’s fight against breast cancer. Authorized by law, the Breast Cancer Awareness Commemorative Coin Act recognizes the many Americans who are impacted by the disease and the effort to prevent it through research. The competition invites artists to design images emblematic of the fight against breast cancer, with the winning artist to be awarded $10,000 and have his or her initials included on the minted coins.
The Breast Cancer Awareness Commemorative Coin Program includes a gold, silver, and clad coin, with the gold version to be made of pink gold, a first for the United States Mint. Full details, including access to entry, rules, and deadlines, are available at www.usmint.gov/competition.
“The Breast Cancer Awareness Commemorative Coin Design Competition provides a special opportunity for artists to capture and convey the spirit of the American public to overcome this disease,” said Rhett Jeppson, Principal Deputy Director of the United States Mint. “This commemorative coin, designed by and for the public, will hold special significance to all the people impacted by breast cancer.”
The public competition is being conducted in two phases.
Phase One, which is open from August 1 through October 17, 2016 or until 1,000 entries are received, calls for artists age 18 and older to submit portfolios of their prior work. From these entries, an expert jury will select no more than 20 applicants to participate in Phase Two.
In Phase Two, artists will be paid a stipend of $1,000 to submit designs for the obverse and reverse of the coin. The designs can be conveyed and submitted as print or physical renderings or both. The winning artist will receive an additional $10,000 and will have his or her initials included on the coin. The final winner will be announced in June 2017.
The competition can be accessed online at www.usmint.gov/competition, which also provides rules, details, and timelines.
An expert jury composed of members of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) and the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) will review and score design submissions. Both of these groups provide experienced and impartial expertise in advancing the state of public art and the interests of American citizens and coin collectors.
With the winning design selected, the United States Mint will begin issuing gold, silver, and clad commemorative coins in 2018. The gold versions will be the first “pink gold” coins in the U.S. and will contain not less than 75 percent gold, as mandated by the law. Surcharges for this program are authorized to be paid to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, based in New York City, to further its efforts in breast cancer research.
“Every year, thousands of women and men are diagnosed with breast cancer, and this coin design competition will provide an outlet to symbolize the important efforts underway to cure and eliminate this disease,” said Jeppson.
There have been only a handful of open design competitions in modern history in which the United States Mint has called upon the public to submit designs for a coin. Most recently, the United States Mint held a competition earlier this year for the World War I American Veterans Centennial Commemorative Coin, with surcharges authorized to assist in the funding of the National World War I Memorial in Washington, D.C.
About the United States Mint
The 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.
