Coin Blog

This month the US Mint officially unveiled the designs for the upcoming 2009 Louis Braille Coins. This is a commemorative coin issue for the 200th anniversary of Louis Braille’s birth and his contribution of the Braille system.

The unveiling took place at the 2008 National Convention of the National Federation of the Blind. US Mint Director Edmund Moy did the honors.

The United States Mint is proud to present the 2009 Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar coin design. I am looking forward to presenting the design for this unprecedented coin, and I am pleased that the United States Mint is playing a role in the cause of bringing literacy to all blind and visually impaired Americans.

The reverse design of the coin is notable since it is the first US coin to include readable Braille characters. It includes the Braille letters “BRL” which is short for “Braille.” Prior US coins have featured Braille characters, but they have been too small to be considered readable. These include the Alabama State Quarter and the 1995 and 1996 Paralympic Silver Dollars.

A prototype of the Braille Commemorative Coin reverse design is included below.

There are a large number of commemorative coin proposals working their way through the US legal system.  The next few posts will examine some of these newly proposed coins.

First up, the Star Spangled Banner and War of 1812 Coin.   This coin would be issued in 2012 to commemorate the War of 1812 and the writing of the Star Spangled Banner.  The legislative Act calls for production of up to 350,000 Silver Dollar coins.  Each coin will have a weight of 26.73 grams, diameter of 1.5 inches, and composition of 90% silver and 10% copper.

Surcharges from the coin would be paid to the Maryland War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission.

The design will be representative of the War of 1812, specifically the Battle of Fort McHenry, which was the basis for our National Anthem, the Star Spangled banner.

Currently the coins have been passed by the House of Representatives.  In order to become law, the Act must be passed by the Senate and signed by the president.