The United States Mint recently unveiled candidate designs for the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Presidential Medal as part of the review process required for the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC).
Every U.S. President has been honored with a Presidential Medal, which has a rich history dating back to the nation’s founding. Such medals were frequently awarded as "Peace Medals" to Native Americans. More recently, the U.S. Mint has produced bronze Presidential Medals for sale to the public. Starting in 2018, the U.S. Mint also began producing and selling 1-ounce, .999 fine Presidential Silver Medals, with the most recent one featuring James A. Garfield, released on April 30.
For the latest medal, the U.S. Mint collaborated with a liaison at the White House to develop the designs, which were then presented May 20 for CCAC review. The CCAC is tasked with advising the Secretary of the Treasury on themes and designs pertaining to all United States coins and medals.
The medal’s obverse features a portrait of President Biden, his signature, and the inscription "JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR."
The reverse depicts the White House with the U.S. Capitol in the background. The pairing of the buildings is imagined—not a real view of them together—as they are meant to represent Biden’s journey from the Senate to the White House.
At the top of the design, the inscription "NOTHING HAS BEEN GUARANTEED ABOUT DEMOCRACY IN AMERICA" is bordered on both ends by "46." The bottom features the inscription "EVERY GENERATION HAS HAD TO DEFEND IT. PROTECT IT. CHOOSE IT." This statement is from remarks made by President Biden on Nov. 2, 2022.
While giving their stamp of approval for the designs, members of the committee recommended a change to the medal’s reverse, replacing the first two periods in the bottom inscription with bullet points as delimiters and removing the last period ("EVERY GENERATION HAS HAD TO DEFEND IT • PROTECT IT • CHOOSE IT").
