In order to celebrate its 225th anniversary, the U.S. Mint will be making a commemorative coin which depicts Lady Liberty as an African-American.
From Western Journalism
The 24-karat gold coin features the iconic figure with braided hair and wearing a crown of stars. She is flanked by the dates “1792” and “2017” in recognition of 225 years of printing coins in the U.S. The reverse side depicts an eagle in flight.
“We boldly look to the future by casting Liberty in a new light, as an African-American woman wearing a crown of stars, looking forward to ever brighter chapters in our nation’s history book,” Rhett Jeppson, the principal deputy director of the U.S. Mint, said in a news release.
Upcoming coins will depict Lady Liberty represented as an Asian-American, Hispanic-American and Indian-American woman, among others, to “reflect the cultural and ethnic diversity of the United States.”
“The coin demonstrates our roots in the past through such traditional elements as the inscriptions ‘United States of America,’ ‘Liberty,’ ‘E Pluribus Unum’ and ‘In God We Trust,’” Jeppson said.
“I am very proud of the fact that the United States Mint is rooted in the Constitution,” he added. “Our founding fathers realized the critical need for our fledgling nation to have a respected monetary system, and over the last 225 years, the Mint has never failed in its mission to enable America’s growth and stability by protecting assets entrusted to us and manufacturing coins and medals to facilitate national commerce.”
The one-ounce coin is set to be released on April 6. It comes in a wooden case with an anniversary booklet and a certificate of authenticity.
The heads side of the coin was designed by Mint Artistic Infusion Program designer Justin Kunz. The tails side was designed by Mint designer Chris Costello, USA Today reported.
News of the change was met with excitement. “Lady Liberty” became a trending topic on social media.
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