American Innovation Dollars History and Design

The American Innovation dollars are a series of commemorative coins that celebrate innovation and ingenuity in the United States. They feature designs that reflect the country's rich history of innovation.

The American Innovation dollar series was authorized by Congress in 2018, as part of a larger effort to recognize the contributions of innovators and inventors to the country's progress. The series will run for 14 years, with each year featuring a different state or territory.

Each coin in the series will feature a unique design that represents a notable innovation or inventor from the designated state or territory. The designs will be chosen through a competitive process, with the winner selected by the Secretary of the Treasury.

The US dollar has a rich history that spans over two centuries. It was first introduced in 1792, when the Coinage Act established the dollar as the official currency of the United States.

The first dollar coins were made of silver and weighed about 26.7 grams. They were also the first coins to feature a portrait of a president, George Washington.

In 1862, the US government issued paper currency, known as "greenbacks", to finance its efforts in the Civil War. These paper dollars were initially not backed by gold or silver, but by the government's promise to pay.

The gold standard, which linked the value of the dollar to the value of gold, was established in 1879. This meant that the government promised to exchange dollars for gold at a fixed rate.

The gold standard remained in place until 1933, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt suspended it during the Great Depression. This allowed the government to print more money and stimulate the economy.

In 1963, the US government introduced the first dollar coin featuring a president, John F. Kennedy.

The US Innovation dollar features a unique composition that sets it apart from other US coins. Minted in the same composition as Sacagawea dollars of 2000-2008, Native American dollars of 2009 to date, and Presidential dollars of 2007-2016, these dollars have a pure copper core with outer layers of manganese brass.

The manganese brass outer layers give the dollars a "golden" color, distinguishing them from coins of other denominations. This special composition makes the US Innovation dollar a standout.

Both regular-issue and Proof US Innovation dollars weigh 8.1 grams each and measure 26.5 millimeters in diameter.

The US dollar has a unique composition that sets it apart from other coins. US Innovation dollars feature a pure copper core with outer layers of manganese brass.

This composition gives the dollar a distinctive "golden" color. It's made up of 77% copper, 12% zinc, 7% manganese, and 4% nickel.

The combination of these metals weighs in at 8.1 grams per dollar. Both regular-issue and Proof US Innovation dollars have the same weight.

The size of the dollar is also noteworthy, measuring 26.5 millimeters in diameter. This is consistent across both regular-issue and Proof US Innovation dollars.

The U.S. Innovation Dollar Designs are a unique aspect of the US dollar coin program. Each design represents an innovator or significant innovation in one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, or the 5 US Territories.

The designs are released in limited quantities and feature edge-incused inscriptions of the year of issue, mint mark, and motto "e pluribus unum" which is Latin for "Out of many, one." This is a distinctive feature of the US Innovation dollars.

A single motif was issued in 2018 to introduce the series, featuring a dramatic image of the Statue of Liberty extending to the rim on the obverse. The reverse features a representation of President George Washington's signature on the first US Patent, which was issued in 1790.

The reverse designs are issued in the order that the states ratified the US Constitution or were admitted to the Union. This means that the designs will be released in a specific sequence, honoring the innovators and innovations of each jurisdiction.

Here's a breakdown of the US Innovation Dollar Designs:

Note that the exact designs and innovations will be released in subsequent years, following the sequence established by the US Mint.

The American Innovation Dollar series has been a fascinating collection for numismatists and coin enthusiasts alike. The 2020-S Reverse Proof South Carolina American Innovation Dollar has the lowest mintage among the series, with a total of 36,409 coins minted.

As you can see from the table below, the mintages for the American Innovation Dollars vary greatly depending on the issue and the mint. This is evident when comparing the 2018-D Introductory American Innovation Dollar, which had a mintage of 582,825, to the 2020-S Reverse Proof South Carolina American Innovation Dollar, which had a mintage of 36,409.

The mintages for the American Innovation Dollars have been steadily increasing over the years, with some issues having much higher mintages than others. For example, the 2022-P Rhode Island American Innovation Dollar had a mintage of 454,050, while the 2023-P Mississippi American Innovation Dollar had a mintage of 371,000.

Some of the issues with the highest mintages include the 2018-D First Patent American Innovation Dollar, which had a mintage of 582,825, and the 2023-P Ohio American Innovation Dollar, which had a mintage of 495,125.

The American Innovation Dollar series has been releasing new notes since 2018, and each year's mintage varies greatly. The total mintage for American Innovation Dollars through 80 issues is 21,651,205.

The lowest minted American Innovation Dollar is the 2020-S Reverse Proof South Carolina American Innovation Dollar, with a mintage of 36,409. This is a relatively low number compared to other issues.

The highest minted American Innovation Dollar is the 2018-D First Patent American Innovation Dollar, with a mintage of 582,825. This is one of the highest mintages in the series.

Here's a breakdown of the mintages for the first few years of the American Innovation Dollar series:

Some notable issues from the 2020 and 2021 series include the 2020-P South Carolina American Innovation Dollar, which had a mintage of 432,850, and the 2021-P New Hampshire American Innovation Dollar, which had a mintage of 453,825.

The U.S. Mint is releasing a new series of American Innovation dollars in 2025, featuring innovators and innovations that shaped today's world.

The designs for the first two dollars, from Arkansas and Michigan, have been recommended by the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA).

One of the designs features Raye Jean Montague, an American naval engineer and innovator of computer-aided design of naval ships, visualizing a ship she designed by computer.

The CFA recommended this design, but requested an update.

The other design portrays a 1930s-era auto worker assembling a vehicle, recognizing Ransom Olds' original patent for the assembly line concept.

The CFA recommended this design as well, but suggested adding more works to the design.

The early designs of dollar products were often created with the goal of being affordable, yet still functional.

One of the first dollar products was the "Deluxe Toilet" designed by IDEO, which cost just $1 to produce.

The design team aimed to create a toilet that would meet the basic needs of a user, without breaking the bank.

The "Deluxe Toilet" was made from a single piece of plastic, reducing material costs and making it more affordable.

The product's design was also influenced by the idea of "radical affordability", which involves stripping away unnecessary features to create a product that is both functional and cheap.

This approach is reflected in the "Deluxe Toilet's" simplicity, which made it possible to produce at a low cost.

The "Deluxe Toilet" was a success, and its design principles have been applied to other dollar products, such as the "One Dollar Laptop" designed by the One Laptop Per Child project.

The U.S. Mint's American Innovation $1 Coin Program features designs that symbolize the willingness to explore, discover, and create one's own destiny. These designs showcase an innovation, innovator, or group of innovators from each State or territory in uncirculated and proof finishes.

The Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) has reviewed proposed designs for the reverses of the first two American Innovation dollars to be released by the U.S. Mint in 2025. Five designs were considered for the Arkansas dollar reverse and six for Michigan.

The CFA-recommended design for the Arkansas dollar features Raye Jean Montague visualizing a United States Navy Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate, a ship she designed by computer. The grid pattern over the sea evokes the engineering and drafting techniques she digitized to accomplish her design.

The Michigan design portrays a 1930s-era auto worker assembling a vehicle, recognizing Ransom Olds' original patent for the assembly line concept. Various stages of assembly appear in the background in descending relief.

The proposed designs for the 2025 Florida and Texas dollars are to be presented to the CFA and the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee for separate consideration in early 2024.