The United States Mint unveiled the official designs for the four 2022 American Innovation dollars honoring innovations from Rhode Island, Vermont, Kentucky and Tennessee.
Introduced in 2018, the multi-year series of $1 coins has reverses that showcase America’s ingenuity and celebrate the pioneering efforts of individuals or groups from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the five U.S. territories. (Read U.S. Mint information about the series.)
U.S. Mint-published images and descriptions of the four dollar designs follow.
2022 American Innovation Dollar for Rhode Island
Designer: Dennis Friel, Artistic Infusion Program
Sculptor-Engraver: Phebe Hemphill, Medallic Artist
The Rhode Island $1 Coin design depicts Nathanael Herreshoff’s famous Reliance yacht at full speed in the waters surrounding Rhode Island. The design is bordered by a rope evoking the nautical scene. Inscriptions include "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" and "RHODE ISLAND."
2022 American Innovation Dollar for Vermont
Designer: Justin Kunz, Artistic Infusion Program
Sculptor-Engraver: Craig Campbell, Medallic Artist
The Vermont $1 Coin features a young female snowboarder in the air performing a trick called a "melon grab," set against a mountainous winter skyline inspired by the landscape of Vermont. The aim of the design is to capture a sense of the energy and exuberance of snowboarding through movement implied by diagonal lines and curved shapes. Inscriptions include "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" and "VERMONT."
2022 American Innovation Dollar for Kentucky
Designer: Christina Hess, Artistic Infusion Program
Sculptor-Engraver: Renata Gordon, Medallic Artist
The Kentucky $1 Coin pays homage to the home of bluegrass music. This design features a banjo, an important bluegrass instrument, tilted to one side, alluding to the rhythm and movement of the music. Inscriptions include "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA," "BLUEGRASS," and "KENTUCKY."
2022 American Innovation Dollar for Tennessee
Designer: Matt Swaim, Artistic Infusion Program
Sculptor-Engraver: Joseph Menna, Chief Engrave
The Tennessee $1 Coin design depicts a Tennessee farm with newly installed power lines lining the road. Inscriptions include "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA," "TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY," and "TENNESSEE."
Common Obverse Design With Varying Privy Marks
Designed by Justin Kunz and sculpted by Phebe Hemphill, major obverse (heads side) elements are common across every $1 coin in the series regardless of their year of issue. They feature a representation of the Statue of Liberty in profile along with inscriptions "IN GOD WE TRUST" and "$1."
Aside from the introductory dollar for 2018, obverses carry a privy mark of a stylized gear, representing industry and innovation. The gear’s depiction has changed each year. The Mint has yet to release an image for the obverse of the 2022 dollars and its gear depiction.
Incused Edge Inscriptions
Edges of all dollars are incused with their year of minting, a mint mark representing where they are produced, and "E PLURIBUS UNUM."
Dollars Not Released into Circulation
Dollar coins have not been issued into circulation since 2011. The U.S. Mint manufactures them solely for numismatic products. Release dates for U.S. Mint 2022 dollar products should become available later this year.
OK um so for a series about ‘innovation’ in each state, these designs mostly mystify me. RI: ok sure yes we get it you like yachts there, you put them on everything. so is that really ‘innovation’? I guess not much else got innovated there then. VT: fine, although not invented in vermont, snowboarding was perhaps popularized and refined there, so this one can get a pass. KY: is bluegrass music really an innovation? yeah sure it is creative and all that, but to me ‘innovation’ seems to imply an industrial or commercial improvement of some sort, not a primarily… Read more »
I get what you’re saying. But, it’s also easy to point out KY didn’t create fried chicken. Original bragging rights have been determined by popularity historically. This is no different. Snowboarding was obviously started here in Tampa. Lol