A week ago Tuesday, March 13, the United States Mint at a Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) meeting unveiled design themes for Native American $1 Coins in years 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.
The dollar series with annually changing reverses, authorized by Public Law 110-82, honors important contributions made by Indian tribes and individual Native Americans to the history and development of the United States.
April Stafford, Director of the U.S. Mint’s Office of Design Management, introduced the themes for the first four $1 coins beyond 2020, noting they were developed in concert with liaisons from the National Museum of the American Indian and vetted be stakeholders on Capitol Hill. The four dollars will celebrate:
- 2021 – American Indians in the U.S. military service
- 2022 – Ely Samuel Parker
- 2023 – Charles Alexander Eastman
- 2024 – The Indian Citizenship Act of 1924
Ely Samuel Parker was a trained lawyer, self-taught engineer, and Seneca tribal diplomat. He served as adjutant to Lt. General Ulysses S. Grant during the American Civil War. Parker helped draft the surrender documents signed by General Robert E. Lee at Appomattox in April 1865. Four years later, then President Grant appointed Parker as the Commissioner of Indian Affairs. He was the first Native American to hold the office, serving in the position from 1869 to 1871.
Charles Alexander Eastman was a Santee Dakota physician, writer, lecturer, and activist for Native American rights. Among his many accomplishments, Eastman created thirty-two Native American chapters of the YMCA and helped found the Boy Scouts of America.
In 1924, the Indian Citizenship Act was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Calvin Coolidge. The Act granted full U.S. citizenship to Native Americans while also preserving their rights of tribal citizenship and property.
Designs for the 2021 and 2022 dollars will be developed simultaneously, according to Stafford, and reviewed later this year.
Obverses of all Native American $1 Coins share Glenna Goodacre’s depiction of Sacagawea carrying her son while a part of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
Current 2018 Dollar Coin
This year’s $1 coin honors sports legend Jim Thorpe. Rolls and bags of them went on sale Feb. 15.
The next two designs have already been reviewed with the 2019 dollar depicting the important contributions Native Americans have made within the U.S. space program and the 2020 dollar recognizing the 75th anniversary of the Anti-Discrimination Act of 1945.
Wow, Ely Samuel Parker held that office from 1869-1971. Very interesting.
This entire series of Sacagawea dollar reverses is one of the most striking – both impressively memorable in their themes and exceptionally artistic in their designs – I’ve ever had the privilege of seeing in any line of coinage whatsoever; I hope they keep minting these for many more years to come!
I think you meant to say 1871 not 1971 for Parker’s office timeframe.
Teach,
Thank you! The date was corrected.
Teach & Mike Unser,
That would’ve been even more years at the helm of the Indian Affairs Commission than Queen Elizabeth has now reigned over the British Empire; impressive! 🙂
Old Collector
Look kind of like…Pink gold!
Though I have drastically reduced my buying from the Mint and just sold off most of my coins and currency … I am going to keep buying the NA $1 for a few more years. Interesting design and history with each new release, esp. for this year and the next .. along with the 2019 Moon Landing .. gonna get the 5 oz (hope the Mint strikes it as a true PROOF and not that wimpy sandblasted finish . which IMO take away from the design) since it seems they will all have a common design ..
Tinto,
Just curious, but doesn’t that “sandblasted” finish apply to uncirculated rather than proof coins anyway?
Old Collector
Is there a reverse proof coming out soon for 2018 native american??
In fact , I like reading reliable references such as Nostradamus verses . All drawings on coins such as Native American one dollar coins are in favor of politicians. I never accept them as reliable references .
Please put the date & mintmark back on the front of the
Native American dollar. I really dislike having to use a lupe to see them.
How will the special finish native American coins be released this year,sometimes seems like an insider game.
The 2024 coin is the one I find most interesting and a good choice.