Hall of Fame Basketball Star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Joins CCAC

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Today, Jan. 19, the United States Mint announced the appointment of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC). Mr. Abdul-Jabbar will represent the interests of the general public.

Cultural Ambassador Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Engages Youth
This Jan. 24, 2012, State Department photo shows Hall of Fame basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Salvador, Brazil, engaging youth in his role then as Global Cultural Ambassador for the U.S. Department of State.

The CCAC is an 11-member panel established by Congress in 2003 to advise the Treasury Secretary on designs and themes relating to U.S. coins and medals. The committee also makes commemorative coin recommendations to the Secretary and advises on the events, persons or places to be commemorated, as well as on the mintage levels and proposed designs.

CCAC members serve four-year terms after being appointed by the Secretary with each position dedicated to certain qualifications, including:

  • a person who is specially qualified in American history,
  • a person who is specially qualified as a Numismatic Curator,
  • an expert in medallic arts or sculpture,
  • one individual qualified in numismatics,
  • three who represent the interests of the general public, and
  • four who are recommended by Congressional leaders.

Mr. Abdul-Jabbar, a renowned former professional basketball player who is an avid coin collector, became interested in numismatics based on his love of history and his study of Alexander Hamilton.

Currently, he serves as the chairman of his Skyhook Foundation, whose mission is to "Give Kids a Shot That Can’t be Blocked" by bringing educational opportunities to under-served communities through innovative outdoor environmental learning.

He is also a regular contributing columnist to The Washington Post and Time Magazine, and a best-selling author of literary fiction and non-fiction books. On November 23, 2016, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in recognition of his outspoken advocacy of social justice.

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Seth Riesling

Congratulations to a great athlete & kind gentleman! (His birth name is Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr.) Nice to know another coin collector will serve on the CCAC.

-NumisDudeTX

Seth Riesling

In other coin news, the Mint will offer the 2017 Platinum American Eagle $100 1-oz .9995 fine coins to its 13 worldwide Authorized Purchasers on January 23.

-NumisDudeTX

Tinto

Glad to see him on CCAC hopefully he’s going to bring another point of view to the Committee.

joera

The man himself was a form of “ART-IN-MOTION” to watch! One of the best for sure!