Proposed designs for the three-coin Proof American Eagle, Charters of Freedom platinum $100 coin series were considered Oct. 15 by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee.

The Charters of Freedom Series will be issued from 2026 through 2028, with the 2026 issue coinciding with the U.S. Mint’s numismatic recognition of the nation’s 250th anniversary, the semiquincentennial.

According to the coin bureau’s series narrative, “The ‘Charters of Freedom’ series, inspired by the National Archives Museum’s Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom, where these treasures are housed, will consist of three Platinum Proof coins produced over three years, each dedicated to one of the three essential documents to the founding of the United States:  the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.”

Proposed designs given final approval by the Treasury secretary will be coupled with a common reverse first introduced in 2018, featuring an eagle in flight carrying an olive branch of peace.

The common reverse was created by artist Patricia Lucas-Morris, a designer with the U.S. Mint’s outside Artistic Infusion Program, and sculpted by then U.S. Mint Lead Sculptor-Engraver Donald Everhart II, who has since retired from the Mint’s engraving staff but currently serves as an AIP designer. 

Design renderings

According to the U.S. Mint’s Charters of Freedom series narrative, “This series will honor the core principles of the nation as mapped out in these charters and inspire a deeper understanding and appreciation for the documents that have guided the United States through its 250 years of history. These documents collectively define and refine a vision for the nation, one based on the consent of the governed, to form a more perfect union, and champion individual liberties to reaffirm their commitment to democratic ideals.  

Mint officials noted that eight artists — both AIP designers and Mint medallic artists — submitted candidate designs for the Proof 2026 platinum coin honoring the Declaration of Independence. Those designs were reviewed by the CCAC and the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts in July 2024.

Based on feedback from those panels, three artists were invited to revise their 2026 designs and develop candidate designs for the second and third installments of the Charters of Freedom series.

The proposed set first reviewed “employs the symbolism of Nature to chronicle America’s journey through its founding documents.

“Through a carefully crafted progression of environmental motifs, it traces the transformational impact of each charter, together illustrating a living embodiment of our American democracy.”

The CCAC members favored this first set of designs.

A second proposed design set placed “the Charters of Freedom at the center of vivid, allegorical scenes that tell the story of our nation’s founding documents.

“By weaving the physical documents into rich symbolic imagery, these designs convey the profound ideas, enduring values, and essential roles our founding documents have played in shaping our democracy and inspiring Americans throughout our 250-year history.”

The third proposed design set employed “the consistent imagery and symbolism of a quill and parchment to amplify the key concepts enshrined in the Charters of Freedom, showcasing the transformative power of the written word in forging our democracy.

“Through carefully chosen phrases and hand-drawn lettering, this series boldly brings focus to the core meaning of each founding document,” according to the Mint narrative.

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