The United States Mint will soon produce and sell $1 collector coins in recognition of American innovation and significant innovation and pioneering efforts of individuals or groups from each of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the five U.S. territories.
Coins for the 14-year program will be issued at a rate of four per year, beginning in 2019, for a total of 56 unique designs. The U.S. Mint has an option to increase the series to 57 coins by introducing the program this year.
The new series is authorized under the American Innovation $1 Coin Act. The legislation, H.R. 770, was introduced on Jan. 31, 2017. An updated version passed the House on Jan. 16 and the Senate agreed to an amended version on June 20. The House agreed with the final changes on June 27 and President Trump signed the bill into law (Public Law No: 115-197) on July 20.
Innovation/Innovator Selection and Order of $1 Issuance
The Secretary of the Treasury will select each innovation, innovator or pioneer, or group of innovators or pioneers after consulting the Governor or other chief executive of each state, the District of Columbia, or territory.
The dollars will be issued by order of a state’s entry into the Union followed by the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Coin Designs
All coins from the program will share a common obverse depicting the Statue of Liberty, plus inscriptions of ‘$1’ and ‘In God We Trust’.
Coin edges will be incused with their year of minting or issuance, a mint mark denoting their production origin, and the inscription ‘E Pluribus Unum’.
Every reverse will be unique and emblematic of:
- A significant innovation,
- An innovator or pioneer, or
- A group of innovators or pioneers.
The Act prohibits the use of any portrait or bust of any person living or dead.
Reverses will also include inscriptions of the ‘United States of America’ and the location of the innovation/innovator — one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, or U.S. territory.
The Secretary will select the eventual designs after consulting with the heads of the sites, the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) and the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC).
2018 American Innovation $1 Coin
The U.S. Mint plans on striking an initial 2018 $1 coin to introduce the series. Its reverse must bear inscriptions of ‘United States of America’, ‘American Innovators’ and a representation of the signature of President George Washington on the first U.S. patent, No. X000001. This patent was issued on July 31, 1790, to Samuel Hopkins for an improvement in the making of pot ash and pearl ash.
The CCAC is scheduled to review and discuss candidate designs for the 2018 dollar on July 31, 2018.
Issued Alongside Native American Dollars
Innovation dollars follow the program of Presidential $1 Coins which ended in 2016. They will be minted alongside dollars honoring Native American tribes and individuals.
Dollar coins have not been released into circulation since 2011. The United States Mint produces them in circulating, proof and uncirculated finishes solely for coin collector products.
