The United States Mint announced details Feb. 1 for an open design competition from which designs will be selected for the 2018 World War I American Veterans Centennial silver dollar.

The enabling legislation, Public Law 113-212, calls for production and release of up to 350,000 silver dollars combined in Proof and Uncirculated condition.

The design competition is open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents 18 years of age or older. "Employees of the United States Mint, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and members of the jury and their families are not eligible for this competition," according to the competition rules.

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The competition is divided into two phases. During Phase I, which runs Feb. 29 through April 28, artists are requested to submit their contact information and three to five samples of their work via electronic media using the online form.

For Phase II, U.S. Mint officials indicate, up to 20 applicants will be asked to create and submit designs and plasters for the final coin. The applicants selected for Phase II will be notified May 31, and they will have a deadline of July 31 to submit the required designs and plaster models.

The winner will be announced in January 2017.

No designs submitted during Phase II will be considered for the final designs unless accompanied by plaster models.

"Invited artists will be paid a fee of $1,000 for this work [Phase II] and will be eligible to receive an additional $10,000 (and have their initials appear on the coin) if the artist’s design is ultimately selected," according to the contest rules. "All Phase Two designs must be accompanied by a completed and signed Rights Transfer Agreement that will be provided by the United States Mint with the invitation."

The final design selection will be made following review by the seven-member juried panel chaired by the Treasury secretary. The remaining six members represent three members selected by the membership of the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee and three by the Commission of Fine Arts.

Adam Stump, deputy director for the Mint's Office of Corporate Communications, said via email there will only be one winner, who will receive $10,000 for the obverse and reverse designs.

Stump emphasized, per the legislation, "the final design of the commemorative coins minted under this Act shall be selected by the Secretary based on the competition’s winning design. As such, after consultation with subject matter experts such as manufacturing advisors (to comment upon coinability) and historians (to advise on accuracy of artistic depictions), the expert jury will discuss and identify any necessary modifications required to the winning applicant’s designs in order for it to be selected by the Treasury Secretary as the final design of the 2018 World War I American Veterans Centennial Commemorative Coins."

Design requirements

According to the competition rules, design submissions must —

• be emblematic of the centennial of America’s involvement in World War I
• not include the name or depiction of any living person, even with permission
• not include names, emblems, logos, trademarks or other intellectual property associated with any specific commercial or private organization
• be the artist’s own original artwork
• not include the artist’s name, initials, logo, mark, or other identifier anywhere in or on the design (including plasters)
• not be frivolous or inappropriate.

Artists may be responsible at any time for any necessary modifications to submitted designs as requested by the United States Mint. Changes may be requested for any reason, including historical/technical accuracy, appropriateness, or coinability.

Required Inscriptions

Obverse

• Liberty
• In God We Trust
• 2018

Reverse

• United States of America
• E Pluribus Unum
• One Dollar (or) $1

Artists may choose to include additional inscriptions beyond the required inscriptions.

The 112th Congress established the World War I Centennial Commission "to plan, develop and execute programs, projects and activities to commemorate the centennial of World War I." The silver dollar is among the commission's commemorative programs.