The Florida United Numismatists show Jan. 3 to 7 in Tampa provided an opportunity to see on display at the U.S. Mint booth an example of a Proof 2018-W American Liberty tenth-ounce gold $10 coin.

The numismatic product is scheduled to go on sale at noon Eastern Time Feb. 8. Mintage limits, pricing and ordering limits, if any, will be announced closer to the release date.

The .9999 fine gold coin bears the same obverse and reverse designs that grace the 2017-W American Liberty gold $100 coin and 2017 American Liberty silver medals.

The U.S. Mint booth displayed an example of the coin in a plastic coin capsule housed in its red presentation box. The box was perched on a rotating turntable inside a Plexiglas box enclosure. Since only one coin was on display, only the obverse was visible for public viewing. 

Liberty is portrayed as a young African American woman.

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The obverse design fulfills the shared goal of both the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee and the Commission of Fine Arts — the two federal panels that advise Treasury and Mint officials on coinage and medal designs — of having the nation’s coinage reflect the diversity of our population. For the most part, traditional Liberty portraits (with the exception of the figure of a young Native American mother on the Sacagawea dollar, officially a Liberty portrait) have their origins in classical designs connected to ancient Europe.

It was designed by U.S. Mint Artistic Infusion Program artist Justin Kunz, whose initials, JK, appear in the field left of Liberty’s right shoulder. U.S. Mint Medallic Sculptor Phebe Hemphill sculptured Kunz’s design. Her initials, PH, appear in the field to the right of Liberty’s left shoulder. 

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The approved reverse for the coin depicts an eagle in flight with its wings in a downward thrust. The U.S. Mint describes the design as “a bold and powerful eagle in flight, with eyes toward opportunity and a determination to attain it.”

The design was created by U.S. Mint Artistic Infusion Program artist Chris T. Costello and sculptured by U.S. Mint Medallic Sculptor Michael Gaudioso. The initials of both artists appear in the design — Costellos’ CTC in the field below and right of the W Mint mark, and Gaudioso’s MG in the field above and to the right of the S in DOLLARS.