PHILADELPHIA — United States Mint (Mint) Director David J. Ryder delivered remarks and sold the ceremonial first American Innovation™ 2019 $1 Coin Proof Set today at the Mint facility located here
Director Ryder thanked the Mint employees whose combined efforts brought this coin set to market and stated that in producing this coin set “the men and women of the United States Mint demonstrated the commitment to service, quality, and integrity that they apply to every coin and medal we produce.”
The United States Mint at Philadelphia Superintendent, Robert Kurzyna, began the event by welcoming the assembled guests and speaking about the Mint’s rich history in Philadelphia.
The 2019 American Innovation™ $1 Coin Proof Set is now on sale for $20.95. The Mint accepts orders at catalog.usmint.gov/ and at 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468). Hearing- and speech-impaired customers with TTY equipment may order at 1-888-321-MINT. Visit catalog.usmint.gov/customer-service/shipping.html for information about shipping options.
The 2019 American Innovation $1 Coin Proof Set will also be available for purchase over the counter at the Mint’s sales centers in Denver, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. Inventory is limited to availability and subject to change.
The four $1 coins in this set are produced at the San Francisco Mint. Their reverse (tails) designs celebrate significant innovations from Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Georgia. Design descriptions for each coin are below.
Delaware
The Delaware $1 Coin recognizes astronomer Annie Jump Cannon who developed a system for classifying the stars that is still used today. The design features a silhouette of Ms. Cannon against the night sky, with a number of stars visible. Inscriptions are “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “ANNIE JUMP CANNON,” “CLASSIFYING THE STARS,” and “DELAWARE.”
Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania $1 Coin recognizes the creation of a vaccine to prevent polio. The design depicts an artist’s conception of the poliovirus at three different levels of magnification along with the silhouette of a period microscope, representing the extensive research that was conducted to develop a cure for polio. Inscriptions are “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “POLIO VACCINE,” “1953,” and “PENNSYLVANIA.”
New Jersey
The New Jersey $1 Coin honors the development of a lightbulb with a filament that could last 1,200 hours. This design features an Edison bulb against an ornate background. The inscriptions are “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and “NEW JERSEY.”
Georgia
The Georgia $1 Coin recognizes the Trustees’ Garden, established in the 1730s. It was the first agricultural experimental garden in America. The design depicts a hand planting seeds in the inscription “TRUSTEES’ GARDEN,” from which grows a variety of species representing the variety of plants grown in the garden: an orange tree seedling, sassafras, grapes, white mulberry, flax, peaches, olive, and a young shoot too small to be identified. Additional inscriptions are “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and “GEORGIA.”
The common obverse (heads) design features a dramatic representation of the Statue of Liberty in profile with the inscriptions “IN GOD WE TRUST” and “$1.” The obverse also includes a privy mark of a stylized gear, representing industry and innovation. The inscriptions “2019,” “S” mint mark, and “E PLURIBUS UNUM” are incused on the coins’ edge.