Editor’s note: After this article was published in print and online versions, Commission of Fine Arts and U.S. Mint officials confirmed that the Mint had provided Coin World with the wrong information and images, wrongly identifying the CFA’s recommended designs. The designs described in this article are not those recommended by the CFA. See the article here for the correct information.

The Commission of Fine Arts on March 21 made its recommendations from among proposed designs for a five-year Proof American Eagle platinum $100 coin program scheduled to run from 2021 through 2025.

The coins will have a different obverse for each of the five years of the program, with designs reflecting the five freedoms guaranteed under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution — Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Speech, Freedom of the Press, Freedom to Assemble Peaceably and Freedom to Petition the Government for a Redress of Grievances. 

CFA members studied three sets of designs, with each set containing one design for each of the five years of the program, and each design representing a different freedom. The panel also reviewed eight designs that were shown at its Oct. 18, 2018, meeting to illustrate the design theme for the five-year series.

Each design in the five-design set the CFA recommends to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin features three allegorical figures of Liberty, representing American diversity. Each design represents a different aspect of liberty as expressed in the First Amendment list of freedoms. Additionally, the key word of each freedom represented is inscribed in script modeled on the original text of the Bill of Rights.

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The design recommended for 2021 shows Liberty in different attitudes or postures of worship, prayer, and meditation, suggesting the diversity of religious practice in America.

The 2022 design recommended portrays Liberty engaged in three fundamental avenues of speech, or expression — writing, formal speaking or lecturing, and raising one’s voice in the public square.

For 2023, the recommended design shows Liberty busily engaged in publishing and reading printed materials. One reviews a large printed sheet, one reads from a bound book, and a third operates an 18th century printing press. 

The recommended 2024 obverse design features Liberty in different postures of conversation, interaction, and association, representing the freedom to assemble peaceably. Communication is one of the basic foundations of the social fabric that makes up a civilization.

The proposed design recommended for 2025 portrays three representations of Liberty marching hand in hand. One figure displays a petition written on a large sheet of paper, while another holds an olive branch as a symbol of peace. 

The common reverse is the reverse introduced in 2018 that will also be carried over to the 2019 and 2020 platinum Proof American Eagles. The common reverse was rendered by AIP artist Patricia Lucas-Morris.

The Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee will consider the same proposed Proof American Eagle platinum coin obverse designs at its April meeting. 

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