Mint might make multiple 2017 American Liberty medals

By Paul Gilkes

Published: Oct 14, 2016, 7 AM

A U.S. Mint promotional brochure touting the American Liberty, High Relief gold $100 coin to be issued in 2017 for the Mint’s 225th anniversary illustrates the coin’s approved obverse design and a portion of the planned edge inscription. The coin’s designs, minus coin inscriptions, would be used for a proposed silver medal set.

Images by U.S. Mint.

Officials have not disclosed if this eagle design, recommended by both the Commission of Fine Arts and Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee, is the one approved for the 1792-2017-W American Liberty, High Relief gold $100 coin, or subsequent possible use on the silver medal set under discussion.

Image courtesy of U.S. Mint.

The U.S. Mint is considering issuing in late 2017 a four-piece American Liberty silver medal set, with each piece having a different finish and struck at a different production facility.

Also under discussion is a Reverse Proof set from the San Francisco Mint for 2018.

Those are two of the products Mint officials discussed Oct. 13 in Philadelphia during the Mint’s numismatic forum.

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The purpose of the forum was to receive feedback and discuss ways to help promote the numismatic hobby and expand the collector base by attracting new hobbyists.

A 2017 American Liberty silver medal set, if the U.S. Mint were to move ahead with the product, would incorporate medals struck at the Philadelphia Mint, the San Francisco Mint, the Denver Mint and the West Point Mint, each bearing the Mint mark of its producer.

First look: 2017 American Liberty gold coin: The design depicts Liberty as an African-American woman, facing left, wearing a crown of stars as an homage to the Statue of Freedom atop the U.S. Capitol dome.

The 2017 medals would bear, without coin inscriptions, the designs approved for the 2017-W American Liberty, High Relief $100 coin that will be issued with a commemorative edge to mark the 225th anniversary of the U.S. Mint.

Oct. 13 discussions during the Mint forum did not disclose pairings of any particular finish and Mint production facility, mintages, or whether the silver medals’ edges would be plain or bear the anniversary inscription.

U.S. Mint officials have not officially disclosed the approved obverse, reverse and edge devices for the 2017-W $100 gold coin. Coin World in mid-September published images of the approved obverse and part of the edge device illustrated in a promotional brochure distributed Sept. 16 to members of the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee. The approved obverse depicts Liberty as an African-American woman.

For the reverse, the CCAC and Commission of Fine Arts both recommended to the Treasury secretary the same eagle design, but what design the secretary approved is not yet revealed.

Double the number

The set contemplated for 2017 would double the number of American Liberty 1-ounce .999 fine silver medals issued in 2016.

The 2016 medals were struck at the West Point Mint and San Francisco Mint, both in Proof, with plain edges, with the designs, minus coin inscriptions, from the 2015-W American Liberty, High Relief gold $100 coin.

The two 2016 medals were offered as individual numismatic products, with a maximum product limit of 12,500 medals each, at $34.95 each, with a household ordering limit of two medals from each Mint. The medals went on sale at noon ET Aug. 23 and sold out in minutes after their launch.