The United States Mint will soon introduce the first $1 coin in a multi-year program honoring American innovation and innovators.
On Dec. 14, the U.S. Mint will release an individual proof and rolls and bags of uncirculated 2018 American Innovation dollars.
Product pricing so far ranges from $32.95 for a 25-coin roll to $111.95 for a 100-coin bag with options of dollars from the Denver and Philadelphia Mints. The $1 coin in proof quality, which features frosted designs against mirror-like backgrounds, comes from the San Francisco Mint. Its pricing is unavailable as of this writing.
Update: The price for the proof dollar is $6.95.
The U.S. Mint has yet to unveil finalized designs or images of the Innovation dollar. In September, candidate designs were reviewed by the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) and the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC). The pair of panels liked the same design for the obverse but preferred different reverses. It appears that the Treasury Secretary went with the CCAC’s recommendations.
The obverse design will be shared across every dollar in the series. As described by the Mint, it features a representation of the Statue of Liberty in profile with the inscriptions "IN GOD WE TRUST" and "$1."
Reverses change for each innovation or innovator honored. Because it introduces the new program, the reverse for the 2018 dollar features a representation of the signature of President George Washington on the first U.S. patent. Inscriptions include "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA," "AMERICAN INNOVATORS," and "SIGNED FIRST PATENT." Stylized gears at the top represent industry and innovation.
Edges of all $1 coins are incused with their year of minting, a mint mark, and "E PLURIBUS UNUM."
The American Innovation $1 Coin Program is a 15-year series honoring innovation or innovators in each State, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Northern Mariana Islands. Going forward from 2018, they will be released at a rate of four per year. Next year’s designs will celebrate American innovation/innovators from Delaware, Georgia, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
These and other upcoming issues will be released alongside the series of Native American $1 Coins which showcases an annually changing design that celebrates the important contributions made by Indian tribes or individuals.
Dollar coins have not been released into circulation since 2011. The U.S. Mint produces them in collector finishes solely for its numismatic products.
