The United States Mint will launch a new Freedom 250 Race Medal on Aug. 21 celebrating America’s 250th anniversary and the first IndyCar race ever held in the nation’s capital.
The $60 medal commemorates the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, scheduled for Aug. 22 and 23 in Washington, D.C. The inaugural NTT INDYCAR Series event, part of America’s premier open-wheel racing championship, will send drivers on a 1.7-mile course around the National Mall, with the U.S. Capitol and Washington Monument among the landmarks along the route. Drivers will complete 147 laps covering 250 miles.
"The Freedom 250 Race Medal captures the national pride, engineering advancements, and legacy of open-wheel racing, while celebrating the first IndyCar Series race ever held in our nation’s capital,” said Mint Director Paul Hollis. "The medal also serves as the perfect Semiquincentennial collectible for motorsport enthusiasts and numismatists alike.”
The medal also honors racing legend Roger Penske, whose portrait appears on its reverse. Penske is one of the most prominent figures in American motorsports, with Team Penske holding a record 20 Indianapolis 500 victories. He also owns INDYCAR and Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The obverse depicts an Indy car inscribed "USA" alongside the U.S. Capitol, with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and FREEDOM 250 appearing around the design. The reverse portrays Penske with the inscriptions MOTORSPORT PIONEER and ROGER PENSKE.
Struck at the Philadelphia Mint with a matte finish, the medal measures 1.205 inches in diameter and weighs 11.340 grams. Its composition is 8.33% nickel with the balance copper, matching the size, weight and composition of a U.S. half dollar, although the medal has a plain edge. It carries no mint mark.
Preorders open at noon ET on Aug. 21 and continue through Sept. 4 at 3 p.m. ET. The Mint has set both the product and mintage limits at 15,000 medals, with no household order limit.
The Mint will produce medals based on orders received during the preorder window, up to the 15,000 limit. No additional medals will be produced after the window closes.
Each medal will be "encapsulated and placed in an elegant black presentation box with the official United States Mint Seal," the Mint said. Shipping is expected to begin Sept. 28.
Preorders can be placed through the U.S. Mint’s website at usmint.gov beginning at noon ET on Aug. 21.
