New 2021 $1 American innovation Coins
The American Innovation $1 coin program releases four more coin designs this year. Representing New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, and North Carolina are designs honoring innovations and innovators from each of the states.
What is the American Innovation $1 Coin Program?
The American Innovation $1 Coin Program is a coin program first introduced in 2018 when it was approved by the Senate, then the House, and finally signed into law by President Donald Trump on July 18, 2018.
The program started off with a special coin that commemorated George Washington signing the first American patent into law, which was a patent for a new method of making
potash and pearl ash. These first coins were not released to the general public but were available in bags and rolls from the United States Mint.
The legislation authorized four new coins to be released each year until the year 2032, with each coin representing “innovation and innovators” from each of the 50 states, as well as the U.S. territories--Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana islands, and the District of Columbia.
The coins are released in the order of which states ratified the Constitution, or were admitted into the Union, followed by the District of Columbia, and finally the territories.
What American Innovation $1 Coin States Are Released this Year?
This year the state that are being featured in the American Innovation $1 Coin Program are:
- New Hampshire
- Virginia
- New York
- North Carolina
What’s featured on each of the coins?
Each coin has a different reverse design, representing and honoring different innovations that have been accomplished in the state the coin represents. Let’s take a look at what’s featured on this year’s $1 coins.
American Innovation $1 Coins Obverse Design
Obverse design of American Innovation $1 Coins.
United States Mint Image
The obverse of the American Innovation $1 Coins will remain the same throughout the program, it was designed by Justin Kunz, and sculpted by Phebe Hemphill.
The design features the Statue of Liberty from just above the waist up, in profile, with “$1” on the right side and “IN GOD WE TRUST” on the left.
In 2019, a privy mark was added just underneath the words “IN GOD WE TRUST”. This privy mark is a stylized gear, representing industry and innovation.
New Hampshire American Innovation $1 Coin
The New Hampshire dollar coin represents the invention of the first home video game console, which was created by Ralph Baer.
Baer first began on the road to creating the first video game console in 1966, when he started looking into ways to play video games on a television.
This eventually became the Brown Box”, which was a prototype for the first multiplayer and multi-program video game system.
New Hampshire Dollar Coin Design
Designer: Christina Hess
Sculptor: Eric David Custer
Reverse of the 2021 New Hampshire American Innovation $1 Coin.
United States Mint Image
This design might look vaguely familiar to you, as it is reminiscent of the style used for arcade tokens.
On the right side of the reverse design of the New Hampshire Dollar coin we see Baer’s Brown Box game called “Handball”, while the left side of the coin has the words “New Hampshire” and “Player 1” with an incuse background.
The design is encircled by the words “IN HOME VIDEO GAME SYSTEM” and “RALPH BAER” in text that pays homage to Ralph Baer’s Odyssey game
Virginia American Innovation $1 Coin
Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.
Image courtesy of Encyclopædia Britannica
The Virginia Dollar coin design features the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, which was first opened in 1964. The structure, which spans more than 17 miles, connects southeastern Virginia to the Delmarva Peninsula.
The complex is made up of 12 miles of low-level trestle, two bridges, two mile-long tunnels, and another two miles of causeway. In addition to that, it also consists of four man-made islands, and is considered the world’s largest bridge-tunnel complex, designated one of the seven engineering wonders of the modern world.
Virginia Dollar Coin Design
Designer: Matt Swain
Sculptor: John P. McGraw
Reverse of the 2021 Virginia American Innovation $1 Coin.
United States Mint Image
The design for the Virginia Dollar Coin features a cross-section of the Chesapeake Bay Tunnel with vehicles moving through it, illustrating the complexity of the tunnel and the skill and ingenuity that went into building it.
New York American Innovation $1 Coin
The New York dollar coin recognizes the Erie Canal, which was completed in 1825. The Erie Canal was an engineering feat at the time, and it allowed the western interior to be opened up for trade and settlement. The Erie Canal played a huge role in the development of the state and the Nation.
The Erie Canal is a 363 mile long man-made waterway that connects Lake Erie to the Hudson River from Albany to Buffalo, and was the longest artificial waterway in North America.
New York Dollar Coin Design
Designer: Ronald D. Sanders
Sculptor: Phebe Hemphill
Reverse of the 2021 New York American Innovation $1 Coin.
United States Mint Image
The design for the New York American Innovation $1 Coin features a packet boat on the Erie Canal with three men aboard, one is dangling his legs over the edge of the boat and smoking a pipe. The packet boat is being towed by a mule, as they head to the country in the west.
The words “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and “NEW YORK” are featured around the edge of the coin, and we see both the designer’s (RS), and the sculptor’s (PH) initials towards the bottom left and bottom right of the coin.
North Carolina American Innovation $1 Coin
The North Carolina Dollar coin represents the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which was the very first public institution of higher learning in the United States! The University was first opened in 1795, and is the only public institution to have conferred degrees in the 18th century.
North Carolina Dollar Coin Design
Designer: Ronald D. Sanders
Sculptor: Joseph Menna (Chief Engraver of the US Mint)
Reverse of the 2021 North Carolina American Innovation $1 Coin.
United States Mint Image
The design for the North Carolina American Innovation $1 Coin features a stack of textbooks, with the middle book featuring the words “NC FIRST PUBLIC UNIVERSITY” on the spine of the book.
On top of the stack of books is a lamp that probably looks pretty familiar if you’ve seen the Disney movie Aladdin, but no it’s not a Genie lamp, this is called theLamp of Knowledge.
This symbol derived from the ancient Egyptian Ankh, and eventually became the lamp of knowledge. It is the official symbol of the nursing profession, and higher education.
Surrounding the books and the lamp are two olive branches, representing peace, which curve around the edge of the coin. The designer’s (RS), and the sculptor’s (JFM) initials are featured at the bottom left, and right of the coin, respectively
