US Coins

So what's the deal with all the Liberty designs released Thursday?

1. Design Day digest

A lot of information was thrown out there on CoinWorld.com yesterday about 2015 High Relief $75 coin designs, Jack Nicklaus congressional gold medals, and Commission of Fine Arts recommendations.

Here's a quick chronological rundown to clear up any confusion:

  • Last summer, it became known that the U.S. Mint was considering creating a 2015 Ultra High Relief .9999 fine gold coin and an accompanying silver medal. A new portrait of Liberty was desired for the coin's obverse.
  • On Jan. 19, we reported that the coin would carry a $75 denomination—a first for U.S. coinage. 
  • On Thursday, the U.S. Mint announced the coin would not be Ultra High Relief, but High Relief. It also made public 25 obverse design submissions and 16 reverse design submissions
  • Later Thursday, the Commission of Fine Arts recommended a pair of obverse designs and a pair of reverse designs from those released. 
  • Even later Thursday, Coin World Senior News Editor Bill Gibbs weighed in on the released designs, and one of the Liberty portraits' uncanny resemblance to Wonder Woman. (This is not an essential part of the design process, but certainly is a fun one.)
The same process has been followed for the Nicklaus medal, although that item has been talked about since 2013, and the CFA recommended only one obverse and one reverse Thursday. 
 
The Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee will weigh in with its comments and suggestions after reviewing all the designs January 27 and 28. 
 
Ultimately, final authority on the selection of the design for both the High Relief $75 gold coin and the Nicklaus medal belongs to the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury.
 
So stay tuned. 
 
2. Precious metals pricing

Kitco.com listed the following prices per ounce at 11:47 a.m. ET Friday:

3. What's new on CoinWorld.com?

The numismatic community lost an important figure on Jan. 14. Susan G. Gamble, a U.S. Mint Artistic Infusion Program artist whose body of work included nearly two dozen adopted coin designs from 2006 through 2015, died at the age of 57.

Read more here.

4. Yesterday's most-viewed post

2015 High Relief 24-karat gold coin from U.S. Mint to carry $75 denomination

5. What are people saying about the CFA recommendations?

A lot. Check out this Facebook post:

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